Denver, CO, February 25, 2010 — Copper Conferencing today announced the launch of a new suite of audio and web conferencing services to enhance the company’s collaboration offering and provide better value for Copper customers. These new offerings come as a result of an agreement with Premiere Global Services, Inc., now known as PGi, a leading provider of meeting and collaboration solutions.

“By teaming with PGi we are adding new web and audio conferencing capabilities to our suite of collaboration services,” said Carolyn Bradfield, CEO of Copper Conferencing.  “As a worldwide leader in conferencing, PGi delivers technologies that will enhance our audio conferencing capabilities and expand Copper’s web conferencing services to create an extremely rich experience, at a competitive price for our customers.”

Copper’s new web conferencing offerings include Adobe® Acrobat Connect Pro, Microsoft® Live Meeting and Cisco WebEx®.   Integrated with Copper Conferencing’s On Demand audio conferencing platform, these web technologies provide increased capabilities for webinars and web conferences from simple meetings, to nationwide training or complex corporate events.  Copper Conferencing offers a free trial of each of these services prior to a purchase decision and both per minute and subscription pricing.  To sign up for a free trial, visit www.copperconferencing.com/go/0bf53.

“By offering market-leading web conferencing services from PGi, we can expand Copper’s ability to deliver cost effective virtual sales calls, lead generation webinars, trainings, event management and remote customer service,” Bradfield added. “When businesses actively seek tools to better manage their operations, sales and staff, we can keep them connected and competitive, while at the same time saving them money.

In addition to enhanced audio conferencing capabilities, Copper is also introducing a new ‘Local Dial-In’ service that is available nationwide at a reduced rate.  Customers can now connect to On Demand conference calls using a local or toll-free number, as well a variety of international access from locations across the globe.

Copper Conferencing’s automated audio conferencing service, On Demand now offers expanded capabilities including additional call controls, added security features, plus the ability to subconference. The Connect To Copper™ customer portal features powerful, easy-to-use online account management tools with the ability to manage moderators, pay invoices and view usage reports.  New features include the ability to manage billing codes and listen to and download MP3 files of conferencing recordings.

About Copper Conferencing
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado with a major communications center in Atlanta, Georgia, Copper Conferencing provides audio conferencing and web conferencing services to small and medium-sized businesses. Copper’s Conference Coaches™ provide expert guidance of enhanced conferencing services. From On Demand reservationless audio conference calls, to highly interactive webinars and special teleconference event calls, Copper Conferencing helps businesses save time and money while improving productivity. Copper’s conferencing services are backed by fully managed, carrier-class platforms to power communication for thousands of customers. For more information about Copper Conferencing, www.copperconferencing.com or call a Conference Coach at 866-903-7521.

Adobe Connect Pro, Microsoft Live Meeting and Cisco WebEx are registered trademarks of the respective owners.

Press contact:
Alycia Maier-Turner
Copper Conferencing
303-952-4308
pr@copperconferencing.com

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Carolyn Bradfield

One of my good friends and a manager at Copper Conferencing said to me the other day, “It’s not always convenient to do the right thing.”  The two of us have a common bond that we would rather not share – family members who have and continue to struggle with the disease of addiction.

She did a very brave thing by leaving one of those family members in jail when he got caught with drugs and asked for her help.  It was the right thing because he just celebrated his 2 years of sobriety.  I had the chance to do the same thing 2 days ago, but made a different decision.  It was more convenient to gather the funds, present them to the county, and not face the consequences of having a child in jail, telling me what a horrible person I am.

I’m really surprised at myself.  First, I owned and ran an adolescent wilderness therapy program focused on substance abuse and addiction for 3 years.  I know better.  Second, in my business and personal life, I don’t do what is convenient if the right thing to do takes more work or more of my time.    I’ve hired people at Copper Conferencing that need development, need a break, or need someone to take a chance on them.  They definitely take more time and certainly more work, but the rewards are always there.  I’m the one you can call who is willing to get her hands dirty when you need help moving, fixing something or help out of a difficult situation.

I’ve embarked on a number of initiatives at Copper that weren’t easy to pull off.  I knew we needed to help our customers gain more control over their information and pushed Copper to develop its on-line customer portal, Connect To Copper™.  We added three new web conferencing services, Adobe® Connect Pro, Microsoft® Live Meeting and Cisco WebEx® to our product mix, despite the fact that we had to learn those services inside and out, find a way to offer free trials and figure out how to train our customers.

I’ve added new audio conferencing suppliers to help our customers find new ways to connect, save money, and gain more control over their conference call.    It certainly would have been more convenient to stay with what is familiar, but it’s my opinion that our customers deserve the latest and the best.

The truth is that doing the right thing is not always convenient.  And it’s not always easy.  You can count on me and on Copper Conferencing to always do the right thing, even if it stretches us, is hard work, and is not easy.  It’s the right thing to give our customers the best conferencing possible.

And for that other thing, I’ve reflected and I’m going to do what is really hard.  As we speak, bond is being revoked and it’s either jail or treatment. It’s hard, not convenient, but it’s the right thing.

Carolyn Bradfield is the CEO of Copper Conferencing, a leading provider or audio and web conferencing and wrap-around services to enhance customer experience. To learn more about Copper Conferencing, visit www.copperconferencing.com.

For many people, I think the very act of saying ‘No’ is difficult in many circumstances.  People avoid saying ‘No’ for lots of reasons.  They don’t want to disappoint.  They don’t want to appear difficult. They don’t have the facts to say yes.  They don’t want to be confrontational.  They would rather say yes than debate the issue.  They lack the courage.

Often saying ‘No’ takes courage — even when you know without a doubt that saying ‘No’ is not only the right answer but the best answer.  Sometimes saying ‘No’ makes you feel rather ill, guilty, or heartless.  But sometimes saying ‘No’ makes you feel relief, elation or accomplished.

I applaud those who have the courage to say ‘No’ when it’s the right answer even though it may make you feel a little queasy.  I applaud those who have the courage to say ‘No’ when they know it’s the right thing to do and when saying it makes you feel good.

Use caution with ‘No’ for once you’ve found you have the courage to use it, the right answer may be ‘Yes.’

Alycia Maier-Turner is the Director of Marketing for Copper Conferencing, a provider of top-quality audio conferencing and industry-leading web conferencing services.

Carolyn Bradfield

I always watch the State of the Union address even though I am a Republican and am a little disappointed in the 2009 results.  Aside from Mr. Obama’s considerable oratory skills, I enjoyed the subtle drama of watching who stands up and sits down, who sits on the aisle as he walks in, the symbolism of purple as the new Washington color and watching the Supreme Court and Joint Chiefs react to statements they disagree with.

In the spirit of national tradition and as the President of Copper Conferencing, here is my State of the Union address.  Despite the faltering economy, 2009 was a good year for Copper.  We invested in our infrastructure and technology creating ways for customers to engage with us on-line and gain control of their account management.  We grew our company by 10%, despite having less people to be on a conference call based on the growing layoffs and unemployment.

We created jobs.  In 2009, a number of college graduates got their first business job with Copper Conferencing.  We trained, mentored and coached them so they could be outstanding business people at Copper and beyond.  We helped our employees buy their first homes by providing interest free loans to help them with the down payment needed for the first time home buyer’s tax credit.  2009 was a good year for us, but it’s nothing compared to our plans for 2010.

I had planned to invest in the business anyway, but Mr. President, if you give me the tax incentives you spoke about, I’ll return the favor by investing more in the business.  I’ll add more jobs, employ contractors, pay for services and increase the tax base.   With or without your tax incentives, here is what to expect in 2010 at Copper Conferencing.

We’re expanding our web conferencing capabilities by partnering with the largest and most utilized web conferencing services in the country – Adobe® Acrobat® Connect, Microsoft® Live Meeting and Cisco WebEx®.   You can try before you buy and have them integrated with Copper’s On Demand audio conferencing.  Copper will add levels of support, service and training to help customers know what to use and how to get the right business results.

We will continue to launch enhancements to Connect To Copper’s customer portal.  The portal will be the key place to get account information, but also information about your conference call.  It emails post-conference summaries and contains usage reports.  We’re adding the capability to download or listen to conference recordings.  You can go to the Portal, add billing codes to a call and make sure the cost is allocated to the right cost center or customer number.

We’re going to transform how you can connect to an On Demand conference call.  Pick any major city in the United States and we will have a local dial in number for participants in that city.  Voice Over IP technology will deliver that call to the conferencing bridge and significantly reduce the cost of conferencing.  Local numbers will never change and can be delivered via the web, iPhone or Blackberry.

We’re upgrading our audio conferencing capabilities so you can have even more control over your conference call.  You can add subconferences, control line or call volume, add call security and even record a personal greeting for your conference call.  You can bring pre-registered participants in to an operator assisted call with a personalized PIN so their name and information is already captured before the call starts.  We’ll have more ways to connect your international participants and reduce the cost of coming into a call from overseas dramatically.

Mr. President, fellow citizens and customers, Copper Conferencing will invest more, create more jobs, save our customers money, increase their productivity and at the same time help with Global Warming. (We might even tackle healthcare if we have time!) The State of the Union is looking bright for Copper Conferencing in 2010!

To learn more about what’s new at Copper and how audio conferencing and web conferencing services can help you improve your business and cut costs, contact a Conference Coach today.

How would a company like Copper help in my pursuit to graduate you ask? Well, it is actually a lot simpler than you might think. Basically, my senior year at Georgia State University consisted of many classes that required group work, and some weighed heavily on my grade. The problem that most students face when attending a school like Georgia State University is that a majority of fellow students live far from campus and commute to school regularly. This creates many scheduling problems for groups and teams, especially since most of the students at Georgia State also maintained working a part-time, and sometimes, full-time jobs. The solution for me became Copper Conferencing because their audio and web conferencing solutions gave me a way to solve the scheduling problems for the groups and teams in which I was involved.  I hope with the success I obtained by using conferencing that other students will learn to participate in the same fashion.

Basically, instead of trying to set a meeting place where everyone would have to squeeze in the time it takes to get there, time away from work, and time away from other personal matters, we decided to meet online. Without having to leave home, school or even work, we were able to meet online, with webcams, review our notes and discuss our options. Soon enough, meeting with the web conferencing tools that Copper Conferencing provided became the standard. We were beginning to meet almost three times a week, which we heard was three times more that the other groups. Eventually, meeting through Copper became perfunctory and we were able to hand in our work on time and with no stress concerning the outcome of the grade.

Copper Conferencing helped me accomplish what any business would be able to do in a similar situation. I believe you shouldn’t be stressed about scheduling a meeting place, traveling to a meeting place, or spending excessive amounts of money to arrange a meeting place when you have access to tools and features to meet online at anytime from practically anywhere.

You can try Copper Conferencing’s web and audio conferencing services for free.  Just fill in the Try Copper form.

Alycia Maier-Turner

Not far from Copper Conferencing‘s office in Broomfield, Colorado, are several farming communities.  I recently found myself in and around Longmont, Colorado and several farms in the area.  When one lives in suburbia or with close access to the conveniences of a large population center, one tends to forget that a very large portion of the United States is sparsely populated and that earning a living in those areas is often challenging — albeit very rewarding for those that are successful.

All over the rural America, there are many small and family-owned farms and ranches that are struggling to not only stay a float but also turn a profit.   Some of these farms and ranches have turned to tourism and others have opened their livelihoods to arrangements where “guests” pay to work on the farm or ranch as part of a vacation.  It’s almost ridiculous and at the same time somewhat disturbing that many small farmers and ranchers in America have already or are seriously considering a business model that includes such arrangements.  Perhaps, though, it’s not so ridiculous but rather an evolution of farming and ranching in 21st century America.

“We don’t throw anything away that can be reused or recycled.”

Last summer I visited a local berry farm, as I have many times since their peppers are key to the some of the salsas I make and home can.  In the course of my visit, I struck up a conversation with one of the owners, a lovely woman who indulged my questions with pleasant frankness.  Her farm is a “you pick” farm that specializes in berries and other fruit but also grows a good amount of vegetables as well.  They have a small farm market and education program which schools from all over the Denver metro area see fit to put on their curricula as field trips to the farm.  Theirs is a successful venture that employs great business sense and technology to ensure best business practices.  Often to communicate with their various suppliers, school liaisons, and so on they use audio conferencing.  As she put it, using audio conferencing helps them cut costs traveling to meetings and the time they are off the farm which can translate into lost revenue.

Big business on 400 acres

Over the years, I’ve met many people who have wanted to live on “their own place” where the noise, crowds and neighbors were more manageable.  One such person is an entrepreneur who runs a boutique business that buys and sells Barbie memorabilia.  You may not think Barbie is big business, but she is.  This woman started her online Barbie business in her garage and it grew to the point in just two years that she and her family were literally living with Barbie paraphernalia in every room of their home.  Her big business decision was whether to buy or rent warehouse space or get a bigger living space.  She opted for the latter and bought a parcel of land in the middle of America where property taxes and land costs are cheap and where she was able to turn a large shop into her warehouse for a fraction of the cost of renting or buying warehouse space in the Denver metro area.  She regularly uses audio and web conferencing to communicate with business associates and sometimes family.  Using web and audio conferencing has been a way for her to continue to grow her business, keep costs to a minimum and still stay connected to those suppliers, vendors and customers that help her make “the Barbie business” a big success.

Go or no go

The best time to start a small business or to keep one a float is now.  There are so many great tools – both financial and technological – available that starting a small business now may be the best business decision you can make.  Copper Conferencing started on a dining room table but now has two offices in different states with many fantastic employees.  And one of the reasons we are able to continue to grow and thrive are our core competencies — web conferencing and audio conferencing services.  We’re one tool that all businesses – large or small – should have in the business plan.

So as you look for ways to start your business, improve your bottom line or implement better business practices, let Copper Conferencing show you how audio and web conferencing can and will work in your business — regardless of size or location.  For more information, contact a Conference Coach today.

Carolyn Bradfield

It’s awkward when you first join a company.  You spend as much time learning the people as you do learning the job because it’s important to fit in and be accepted into the group.  When Copper Conferencing hired our new salesperson Jonah Carney, I knew that the corporate bonding experience would be different.

Jonah comes to the table with a lot of energy, a strong sense of himself, and an incredible sense of humor.  Just for fun, he takes his big personality and translates that into a weekly stand up comic routine at The Punch Line in Atlanta.  He’s pretty funny and maybe one day you will see him on Leno.

Copper’s bonding ritual is to test out that sense of humor with a practical joke.  Usually we don’t do that on the first day you come to work, but with Jonah it was different.  Kathleen Thompson, our head of customer care, is the queen of practical jokes and is always a threat to move your car to a new location, rearrange your office or find a fun way to get your attention.  She was the perfect person to manage the “Jonah project.”

Being high energy, Kathleen jumped on this new initiative as if it were a major account rolling out Copper to 1000 moderators.  Before Jonah came to work, she sent him a new employment form asking him to elect what Copper clubs he would belong to…..choir, bowling, trivia, etc.  He walked in to find his picture all over the office, only with his name misspelled.  He had to go to Kathleen for a hall pass, participate in morning yoga with the afternoon culminating in a truth and sharing circle.   Everyone was waiting to see if Jonah would crack.

However, Kathleen, as good as she is, is an amateur prankster.  I, on the other hand, am the professional.  My jokes are elaborate, involve pulling in people you least suspect, have a strong ring of something that might really happen.  I’ve convinced people that I’ve hid a dead body in the office, that all our technology failed exactly at the same moment, that we had the mob planning a revenge murder over conferencing….you get the picture.

So of course, it seemed much more fun to reverse the prank and bring Jonah in on the joke.  Now Jonah could really fill out that form and join all those non-existent Copper clubs, sheepishly reveal that he needed to keep the hall pass for his irritable bowel syndrome, lead the yoga class with a song and dance routine.  It was perfect…..until Jonah told someone innocuous about the joke who then told Kathleen.  Rule one of practical jokes….don’t trust anyone!

We work hard, but we play hard as well.  Copper’s people are bonded as a family…..they work together, take care of the customer, and don’t take themselves too seriously.  I’m glad people like Kathleen and Jonah are with us.  It keeps life interesting!

For more information about Copper Conferencing’s audio conferencing and web conferencing services, contact a Conference Coach today.

Using Facebook to Attract Clients and Connect with Like-Minded People

Presented by: Marquesa Pettway
Date: Today! Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Time: 2:00 pm ET

Register Now!

Today’s free 60-minute webinar presented by Marquesa Pettway provides participants a clear understanding of Facebook and ways to use it for personal and professional purposes.  In this webinar, you will learn:

• 6 Ways to Create a Magnetic Profile
• 4 Strategies for setting up “The Critical Nugget for Client Attraction:  The Facebook Group”
• 2 Strategies for increasing your business – the Fan Page that keeps you in front of your target audience

This is an hour well spent for anyone who wants to become more familiar with Facebook or for anyone not yet using Facebook.

Register Now!

Who Should Attend:  Everyone

Have questions about Copper Conferencing or need to do an audio conference or web meeting?  Contact a Conference Coach today.

Using Facebook to Attract Clients and Connect with Like-Minded People

Presented by: Marquesa Pettway
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Time: 2:00 pm ET

Register Now!

This free 60-minute webinar presented by Marquesa Pettway provides participants a clear understanding of Facebook and ways to use it for personal and professional purposes.  In this webinar, you will learn:

• 6 Ways to Create a Magnetic Profile
• 4 Strategies for setting up “The Critical Nugget for Client Attraction:  The Facebook Group”
• 2 Strategies for increasing your business – the Fan Page that keeps you in front of your target audience

This is an hour well spent for anyone who wants to become more familiar with Facebook or for anyone not yet using Facebook.

Register Now!

Who Should Attend:  Everyone

Have questions about Copper Conferencing or need to do an audio conference or web meeting?  Contact a Conference Coach today.

Using Facebook to Attract Clients and Connect with Like-Minded People

Presented by: Marquesa Pettway
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Time: 2:00 pm ET

Register Now!

Join Marquesa Pettway for a dynamic and educational free 60-minute webinar on how to use Facebook to expand your network and to enhance your business.  In this webinar, you will learn:

• 6 Ways to Create a Magnetic Profile
• 4 Strategies for setting up “The Critical Nugget for Client Attraction:  The Facebook Group”
• 2 Strategies for increasing your business – the Fan Page that keeps you in front of your target audience

This is an hour well spent for anyone who wants to become more familiar with Facebook or for anyone not yet using Facebook.

Register Now!

Who Should Attend:  Everyone

Have questions about Copper Conferencing or need to do an audio conference or web meeting?  Contact a Conference Coach today.