Audio conferencing options

Adobe Connect supports the following solutions for adding audio to meetings and training sessions. Contact your administrator to find out which audio conferencing options are available for your account.

Built-in VoIP

Adobe Connect broadcasts audio in meetings or training sessions using VoIP and the microphones on attendees’ computer systems. See Audio in meetings .

Universal voice audio providers

Universal voice audio providers enable Adobe Connect to broadcast all telephone-based audio into a Adobe Connect meeting room over VoIP. Both account administrators and hosts can configure audio conferencing providers for universal voice. See Using universal voice .

Integrated telephony adaptors without universal voice

These adaptors, which are extensions to Adobe Connect written in Java, provide communication between Adobe Connect and specific audio conferencing providers. Integrated adaptors have advanced call capabilities, allowing hosts to control the audio conference from the meeting. Adobe provides several integrated telephony adaptors for hosted installations. For example, MeetingOne, PGi, and InterCall are integrated telephony adaptors. Integrated adaptors in licensed installations can also be configured for universal voice. See Using integrated adaptors .

The following table compares the universal voice and integrated telephony solutions.

Universal Voice Audio Provider

Integrated Telephony Adaptor

Broadcast audio in Adobe Connect over VoIP

Yes

Yes, if enabled for universal voice

Enhanced call control. For example, mute, hold, and so on.

No

Yes

Record audio with Adobe Connect meeting

Yes

Yes

Requires Flash Media Gateway (bundled in the Adobe Connect installer)

Yes

No

Using universal voice

Workflows for universal voice

The universal voice solution enables you to conduct a live audio conference with meeting participants over VoIP. Participants hear any telephone-based audio through their computer speakers and can broadcast their voices either via telephone or computer microphone. Hosts can record the audio conference with the Adobe Connect meeting.

Configure a universal voice audio provider (administrators/hosts)

Administrators configure audio providers for all users of an account. Hosts configure audio providers for their personal use in audio conferences.

1. Add or edit an audio provider.

You can configure virtually any audio provider to use universal voice functionality, as long as an account exists with the provider. The first step is to set up identification details, including the name of the provider and telephone numbers for dialing into the meeting. See Create or edit audio providers .

2. Add a dialing sequence.

For hosted accounts, the Adobe Connect server uses the dialing sequence to join the audio conference in the background when the host joins the conference in the meeting room. In this step, you set up the conference number, DTMF tones, and pauses for dialing into an audio conference. See Define a dialing sequence .

3. Test the dialing sequence.

To verify that the dialing sequence works as expected, you can execute the steps, including the user-defined steps, and then adjust the dialing sequence accordingly. See Test a dialing sequence .

Create and use an audio profile (administrators/hosts)

1. Create an audio profile.

For any audio provider in your account, you can create one or more audio profiles for setting up audio conferences. See Create and use audio profiles .

2. Create a meeting and select an audio profile.

You create a meeting using the Meeting wizard, but instead of entering audio conference settings manually, you select one of your audio profiles. These audio profiles contain the conference settings for the audio provider. See Associate an audio profile with a meeting .

Start an audio conference (hosts)

1. Enter the meeting room.

Hosts start the meeting, and participants receive an invitation by e-mail or instant message to join the meeting. See Join a meeting .

2. Start the audio conference.

From the meeting room, hosts start the audio conference so that Adobe Connect can join the conference. See Start meeting audio .

3. (Optional) Record the audio conference.

Hosts can record any telephone-based audio along with the web conference. The audio is played back with the audio conference. See Record a meeting .

Best practices for starting a universal voice conference

If a host starts an audio conference as a moderator and then leaves the meeting room or is disconnected, the conference ends for all participants. However, if a host starts the audio conference as a participant and then leaves the meeting room, the audio conference continues for the remaining participants.

To avoid ending the audio conference if you leave the meeting room, do the following:

  1. Create an audio profile that uses a participant code to start the audio conference. See Create and use audio profiles .

    For user-configured providers, make sure that the dialing sequence includes a participant text box. This text box appears when you create an audio profile based on that provider.

  2. Enter the Adobe Connect meeting room, and start the audio conference.

  3. Use a telephone to dial into the meeting.

Using integrated adaptors

Include attendees in an audio conference call

Hosts have several options for dialing out to include participants in an audio conference call. You can dial out to a registered participant by using the telephone number stored in their profile or by entering a new telephone number. To include an unregistered participant in the audio conference call only, you can enter a new name and number to dial.

About audio conference status

After attendees connect to an audio conference, status icons appear next to their names.

Note: Status icons do not appear for user-configured audio providers.

Attendee status

Icon

On the phone

Talking

Dialing in progress

On hold

Muted

Note: Some audio conference providers do not support the On Hold feature.

Create and use audio profiles

An audio profile is a collection of audio conference settings that map to an audio provider. You use audio profiles whenever you use an audio provider with a Connect meeting. Audio providers are companies that offer audio conferencing services that work with Adobe Connect. For more information about audio providers, see Audio conferencing options .

Create an audio profile

All audio profiles include the audio provider and profile name. The remaining information includes numbers and access codes that hosts provide for meetings. The text boxes that appear for entering this information depend on the provider. For integrated providers, the requested information comes from their configuration code. For universal voice providers, the requested information comes from host-defined steps in the dialing sequence. See Define a dialing sequence .
Note: You can ensure that the audio conference settings and other profile information successfully start an audio conference. Run the test on the Enter Provider Information page (Administration > Audio Providers or My Profile > My Audio Providers, select a provider, and click Edit). See Test a dialing sequence .

Meeting hosts, limited administrators, and administrators can create audio profiles.

  1. In Adobe Connect Central, click My Profile > My Audio Profiles.

  2. Click New Profile.

  3. Select an audio provider and name the profile.

    Provider
    Audio providers configured for universal voice by an account administrator or host. Selecting a provider binds the audio profile to the information configured for the provider.

    Profile Name
    A unique name that represents something meaningful to you, such as the purpose of the audio profile.

    If the account administrator or host included a URL for the provider, it appears in the Profile Information window. This URL can link to an information page with details on how to create the audio profile.

  4. Fill in the remaining information and click Save. Saving the profile automatically enables it for use.

    View full size graphic
    New Audio Profile window with provider-specific information filled in
    To enable or disable an existing audio profile, select it in My Audio Profiles, click Edit, change the Profile Status menu, and click Save.

Edit or delete an audio profile

You can change the profile name, and enable or disable an existing audio profile. You cannot change the audio provider. You specify a provider only when you create a profile.

  1. In Adobe Connect, click My Profile > My Audio Profiles.

  2. Select a profile and click Edit.

  3. Change the profile name or status and click Save.

  4. To delete an audio profile, select it and click Delete.

Associate an audio profile with a meeting

When you associate an audio profile with a meeting, you include the audio conferencing settings defined for the audio provider.

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Create a meeting and enter the required information (click Meetings > New Meeting).

    • Open an existing meeting and click the Edit Information tab.

  2. In the Audio Conference Settings section, select Include This Audio Conference With This Meeting. Select the profile from the menu and click Save.

    All the profiles you created appear in the menu.

Note: If you change the audio profile once you start the meeting, the new conference settings take place only after you end and restart the meeting. Wait for a few minutes to see the changes.
View full size graphic
Selecting an audio profile for a meeting

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