CHICAGO, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- InterCall, one of the largest global providers of conferencing services, has joined with Microsoft to make virtual meetings more accessible and help users be more productive. InterCall has added fully-integrated audio to its new Web platform, Conference Place 2005. This service provides Conference Place users the ability to launch a Web conference through Microsoft Office programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Visio.

Chicago-based InterCall is the first of Microsoft's Real-Time Collaboration (RTC) Partners to add fully-integrated audio to its new Web conferencing platform. Powered by Microsoft Office Live Meeting, Conference Place 2005 will provide easier access to cutting-edge collaboration tools.

Today, the technological merits of new conferencing products are changing how business is conducted. "We are creating a better virtual meeting experience by combining InterCall's audio integration with Microsoft's familiar suite of Office programs," said Robert Wise, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Development for InterCall. "Together, we are helping our customers accomplish more with conferencing than if they had met in person."

Productivity tools include: -- Application Sharing: The meeting leader can release control of a document to any number of participants to modify in real-time, rather than exchanging information via e-mail or through overnight carriers. -- Mood indicators: Participants provide live input on the meeting based on the color of an on-screen square. Each colored "seat" at the virtual meeting table represents an individual participant, which enables the leader to easily gauge overall input. -- The meeting calls you: Conference Place 2005 can automatically dial participants when the meeting begins, providing promptness for all meeting attendees. -- Live polling: Obtain instant feedback from participants by creating multiple-choice questions and sharing the results in real-time. -- Meeting lobby: The meeting leader can place participants in a virtual waiting room before the conference begins, and grant or deny access to them individually. -- Live chat: Participants can send instant messages to each other during the meeting. The leader can decide at any point during the meeting whether or not the chatting is confidential.

Conferencing's steady growth is fueled primarily by demand for audio and Web conferencing services. According to Wainhouse Research, the video conferencing sector when combined with Web and audio, is expected to grow by approximately 12 percent annually through 2007. Web conferencing is expected to climb 21 percent during that same period.

About InterCall(R)

InterCall(R), a division of West Corporation, is one of the largest service providers in the world specializing in conference communications. West Corporation is a leading provider of outsourced communication solutions to many of the world's largest companies. Recently awarded Frost & Sullivan's "Audio Conferencing Service of the Year" Award for 2005, InterCall(R) serves more than 200,000 individual conference leaders in more than 30,000 organizations. In addition to a strong presence in the United States, including 25+ domestic sales offices, InterCall's(R) reach extends to several sales offices and operations facilities around the world.

Founded in 1991, InterCall's(R) services include audio, event, Web and video conferencing solutions. Along with a team of over 200 Meeting Consultants, InterCall(R) employs more than 800 operators, customer service representatives, call supervisors, accounting, marketing, IS and IT professionals.

For more information, please visit http://www.intercall.com/ .

CONTACT: Steve Carlson of Cushman Amberg Communications for InterCall,
+1-312-263-2500, scarlson@cushmanamberg.com

Web site: http://www.intercall.com/