The introduction of the free BlackBerry® Mobile Conferencing app in June was a huge hit with BlackBerry® smartphone users, and we received a great amount of positive feedback as well as suggestions for improvement through the BlackBerry® Beta Zone community. Today I’m excited to announce that BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing version 2.0 is available on the BlackBerry® App World™ storefront. IT managers also have the option of downloading the app from our Software Download Site and pushing the app to end-users.

For those who are unfamiliar with the app, BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing is designed to make your mobile conferencing experience far simpler and more convenient. The app is designed to automatically pull conference call information out of invitations and appointments on your BlackBerry smartphone. It then takes that information and creates a simple one-click “Join Now” button that pops up at the meeting time or the meeting can be accessed from within the appointment in your calendar. On top of this ease of access, you can reconnect with one click if you drop from a call. The app also allows you to manage your own conference profiles which can be included in appointments and invitations. See the BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing website for further details.

The app is still free, and is designed to operate whether you’re on a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server or on the BlackBerry® Internet Service. Mobile Conferencing is currently available in the United States and Canada only, with plans to expand to additional regions in the near future.

Here’s what’s new in version 2.0:

Improved Detection of Conference Call Details
The Mobile Conferencing app is designed to now recognize even more conference information when it is included in invites and calendar appointments, and automatically allow attendees to “Join Now”.

Conference Call ID
Now you can more easily recognize and keep track of past calls. When you join a conference call, the meeting subject will now appear as the caller ID on your smartphone, as well as in your call history. This also means that past conference calls will appear in your Universal Search on BlackBerry® 6 and BlackBerry® 7 OS smartphones, again named by meeting invite subject. Lastly, on BlackBerry 7 OS devices, the voice-enabled Universal Search results can also pull up these past conference calls by subject.

Conference Profiles Increased to 10
Users can instantly add preset conference call details to almost any meeting they schedule by selecting from up to ten stored profiles.

Private Moderator Codes
BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing is designed to now manage participant and moderator information to help maintain confidentiality. Invites sent using conference profiles stored on your BlackBerry smartphone will now only contain the participant code when viewed by attendees. If you are the moderator of a conference call, the app will check with your stored conference information and provide you with the moderator code automatically.

Convert an Email Thread into a Conference Call
Help put an end to long email threads by scheduling a conference call with email participants in just a few clicks. The sender and recipients are included as attendees, the subject of the email becomes your meeting subject, and the body is copied into the invite automatically. Just add your conference details from a stored profile, click send, and you’re all set.

To learn more, check out the Mobile Conferencing website as well as the original blog post for version one. To download BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing, head over to BlackBerry App World.

Do you use BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing regularly? What’s your favorite feature? Share in the comments!

The BlackBerry® Mobile Conferencing app has been a huge hit with the BlackBerry business community, which comes as no surprise to me considering how often the app is used in my everyday work life. We introduced the BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing app in June, and today we’re excited to announce an updated version of the app that brings even more functionality.

As a reminder, BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing is a free app (available in BlackBerry App World™) that integrates with your BlackBerry® smartphone’s calendar to make joining and scheduling calls easy while on the go. When it’s time to jump on a call, you can simply press the “Join Now” button that appears with the calendar alert. Check out the additional features offered in the new version of Mobile Conferencing below:

Convert an Email to a Conference Invitation

Now you can shift your conversation from email to a conference bridge quickly and simply. Use the “Schedule Conference” menu option on any email to create a calendar invitation with the same individuals on the email thread, subject, and message notes. Check out the screenshot above for an example.

Manage up to 10 Conference Profiles

If you’re like me, you’re constantly hosting conference calls as well as attending them, using a variety of conference bridges. The BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing app has been designed not only to provide ease of access and connection to these calls, but also to help you manage the variety of conference bridges that you use by allowing up to 10 conference profiles to be stored on your device.

Improved Conference Call Detection Algorithm

The app has done a great job of detecting conference call information and automating the process, and now the algorithm behind this process is better than ever. Using feedback from users, we’ve increased the “intelligence” of the conference call detection, including more conference description formats and language constructs.

Improved Hidden Moderator Code

When you’re scheduling conference calls from your desktop, you can now send only the participant information and keep your moderator or host code hidden. For meeting invites that only include participant information, the BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing app will automatically search for matching bridge information in your conference profiles. If it finds a match, it will dial you in with the moderator code from the corresponding profile and connect the conference when you press “Join Now”.

Support for BlackBerry 7 and Liquid Graphics

All of the new BlackBerry® 7 OS smartphones will support the BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing app, including the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 and 9930 smartphones, as well as the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9810, 9850 and 9860 smartphones. If you have yet to upgrade, BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing is also supported by BlackBerry® Device Software v5.0 and BlackBerry® 6 OS.

These improvements have all been made as a result of user feedback and dedication to the solution. Most of us use conference bridges every day, and we love a tool that simplifies and automates the process just as much as you do.

Get the new BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing app for free from BlackBerry App World, where you can find it in the Business Tools category. Or, to learn more, check out the BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing web site.

Did you know that you could create your own conference call with your BlackBerry® smartphone—without a separate conference call service? It is so easy and fast you will wonder how you lived without it – perfect for business users needing a quick setup for their conference communication.

Follow these steps to make your own conference call:

1. Using your BlackBerry smartphone, call a contact.
2. During the call, press the Menu key.
3. Click Add Participant.
4. Highlight the contact or type his or her phone number.
5. Press the Send key.
6. During the second call, press the Send key to join your first contact to the conference call.
7. To join another contact to the call, repeat steps 2 to 6 (if your carrier allows).

Speak privately with a contact during a conference call

1. During a conference call, press the Menu key.
2. Click Split Call.
3. Click a contact.

Disconnect a contact from a conference call

1. During a conference call, press the Menu key.
2. Click Drop Call.
3. Click a contact.

Leave a conference call

If you initiate the conference call you can leave and the call will continue without you. (Note: Depending on your wireless service provider, this feature might not be supported.)

1. During a conference call, press the Menu key.
2. Click Transfer or Flash.

That’s all there is to it! Give it a try with two or three friends to see how easy it is.