By Jill Huselton
Trend-watchers like analyst Dave Michels have called it: Enterprise communications and collaboration clearly are moving toward messaging and social models found in consumer apps. In the consumerization of IT, services such as Slack and Cisco Spark are increasingly turning to the streamlined tools and UI elements found in consumer social services to promote sharing and collaboration.
You might not have guessed it, but FreeConferenceCall.com has been pulling its civic weight in every election cycle since 2008. We’ve been behind the scenes, supporting the democratic process by powering campaign communications on both sides of the aisle — helping staffers and volunteers connect, strategize and get out the vote.
In case you haven’t heard, this October is FreeConferenceCall.com’s 15th anniversary. And, we've been celebrating in style. Founder and CEO, David Erickson, has a special thank-you for our customers around the world.
Fifteen years ago, David Erickson designed a free business model for audio conferencing. But it needed a name. At 3 a.m. Oct. 26, 2001, after hours of debating options, Erickson thought, "Why not just call it what it is?" The next day he checked web registrars, and FreeConferenceCall.com was available. Fast forward from the purchase of a $10 domain name, and find a company that has quietly become a leader in the global conferencing space. The name still drives 78% of sign-ups.
When radio host, entrepreneur and Eliances founder David Cogan gets together for a chat with FreeConferenceCall.com founder and CEO David Erickson, business acumen (and analogies) start flowing. Here are a few highlights:
Gotta Have Heart
By Kelly Kincaid
My aunt is a self-proclaimed non-techie. She lives on a remote farmhouse in rural Maine and communicates with the outside world using a flip phone and a landline. Her desktop and tablet are, by and large, collecting dust. Last week, I tried to change that. We spent an hour on a call, walking ever so slowly through the process of downloading various apps.
Seriously, folks. In 2016, the U.S. has seen record snowstorms, floods, heat domes, droughts and firestorms. Now, hurricane season is upon us. And as Ari Sarsalari of Weather Channel asserts, Hurricane Matthew is no joke. At FreeConferenceCall.com, our thoughts are with all the residents and first responders dealing with this situation throughout the Southeast.
As extreme weather starts to feel like the new normal, it’s critical that we have strategies to stay safe and connected. Maybe it’s time to check in with family members on a weekly conference call. Or perhaps you're ready to consider working remotely. Whether you need to opt out of dangerous road conditions or keep a little one out of the heat, FreeConferenceCall.com will keep you in touch — on your desktop, device, mobile or landline.
What makes a leader? According to FreeConferenceCall.com founder and CEO, David Erickson, the formula can’t be boiled down to textbooks, traits or strategies. In a presentation at the Vistage Executive Summit, Erickson explains the leadership gene.
“What really matters is the grit that comes from doing what we want to do,” he asserts. Skills can and must be honed, of course. A good leader can always become better. But the leadership gene is about pursuing your passion. As Erickson describes, it’s the pursuit that paved the way for FreeConferenceCall.com to grow from $10 URL to the world’s largest retail conferencing brand.