Using Vello

What is Vello?

Vello is an audio conferencing service that allows you to call conference participants simultaneously making meetings more productive. No dial-in numbers or access codes to remember. For more information, see the How it Works section of this site.

How do I initiate a Vellocall?

It just takes seconds to set up a Vellocall from a web-browser or mobile device. Simply select individuals or pre-set groups from a contact list and push "Call" to initiate an instant conference on the fly. When each person answers the phone, they will be greeted with a message inviting them to push "1" to join the Vellocall.

Or use Vello's drag-and-drop scheduling tool to quickly set up advanced and recurring meetings. Select "Schedule" at the bottom of the Vellocall pane, and a calendar will appear that allows you to set the date and time of your call. You also have the option to give your Vellocall a meeting title. An email is sent to participants confirming the date and time of the call with a link to insert this meeting in their Microsoft Outlook calendars.

If you are using Vello on your mobile device, just highlight the Participants you want to include from your contact list. Hit "Call Now" and your phone and those of all the Participants will ring at the same time.

How do I load my Outlook contacts?

If you have Microsoft Outlook, you can quickly and securely upload the contacts from your desktop Outlook to Vello's network. You will find the Vello Contact Sync Tool on the Downloads page. You can use Vello from any web browser, anywhere in the world; after you upload your contacts to Vello, they will be available whenever and wherever you need them. Your Vello Participant list will also be available on your mobile device.

How do I get Vello on my mobile phone?

After you have registered and created a Vello account, just use your mobile phone to browse to the www.vellocall.mobi website and download the Vello Mobile application directly to your mobile phone.

The first time you use Vello Mobile on your mobile phone, you will only need to login once. After that, your phone should remember your login name and password, and will login for you.

How do I know if my mobile phone is supported?

You can use any phone to participate in a Vellocall. However, in order to initiate an instant Vellocall from your mobile phone, you need to download Vello's application to your mobile device. Vello will be testing and releasing new versions of Vello Mobile® for a wide array of devices on a regular basis. At present, Vello Mobile® is available for the following BlackBerry solutions:

• BlackBerry 8800 Series Smartphone
• BlackBerry 8700 Series Smartphone
• BlackBerry 8300 Curve Series Smartphone
• BlackBerry 8100 Pearl Series Smartphone

To identify which model you have, on your BlackBerry main screen, click on "Options" and then "About."

What if someone misses the Vellocall?

If for some reason you (or an associate) are not able to immediately answer the phone, or if you have to re-enter a Vellocall, you still join the call late. If you are calling from the U.S. or Canada, dial 888 MYVELLO from the phone you were called by Vello; be sure to have Caller ID enabled. The Vello server will recognize the number you are calling from, and will route you directly into the Vellocall.

If you are calling from outside the U.S. or Canada, dial 1-408-516-4768 from the phone you were called on by Vello; be sure to have Caller  ID enabled. The Vello server will recognize the number you are calling from, and will route you directly into the Vellocall.

Vello will also leave a voice message with the conference phone phone nmber and meeting access code. Lastly, Vello will send participants an email with conference phone number and meeting access codes.

NOTE: Vello does not recognize calls from office extensions so make sure people provide you with a direct-dial number. To dial back from an unrecognized extension, people will need the Participant or Host Code they received in the email notification.

Does everyone have to have Vello for it to work?

No. Only the initiator of the call needs to be a Vello subscriber.

Can I schedule calls from my mobile phone?

Currently, only instant calls are supported from mobile devices. This feature will be available for Vello's customers shortly.

Can I tell the system not to include me in the Vellocall?

Yes. You can indicate any number you choose as the "Host" number. fter you login to your Vello account, select "Edit" next to the Host number above the Vellocall pane and you can change the number of the Host.

How do I include phone numbers with extensions in my Vellocall list?

To dial office extensions, enter the phone number followed by two  asterisks ("**") to indicate a PBX extension. For example, 415.555.1212 x12 would be entered as 415.555.1212**12. Please remember that if you type "ext" for an extension, Vello will convert "ext" to "398" which will not reach your contact.

What is the maximum length of a call?

The Vellocall ends when the last person hangs up or after three hours, whichever occurs first.

How many people can I have on a Vellocall?

As many as you like from 2 to virtually unlimited. Please contact Customer Support if you regularly expect to have calls with greater than 100 participants.

Can I use the mute function on a Vellocall?

Yes! The following commands are available:

*4 = Mute. Both host and attendees press *4 to mute and press *4 again to un-mute.

*5 = Mute all. The host can mute everyone except himself/herself; press *5 again to un-mute.

Email invitations include a list of available in-conference features.

Can I lock a conference?

Yes, there are two security options for Vellocalls:

*7 = Lock. Press *7 to lock the conference. No one including the Host can enter the conference while it is locked. Press *7 again to unlock. IMPORTANT: If you lock the conference and hang up or get disconnected, you will not be able to rejoin it. The conference will continue without you until all Participants hang up or you call Customer Service to terminate the call.

*8 = Host Disconnect, which is described in the next question.

Email invitations include a list of available in-conference features.

If I am the "Host" number, does the Vellocall continue after I hang up?

Yes, the Vellocall continues after you hang up unless you select the Host Disconnect feature.

Press *8 to enable Host Disconnect mode. When this mode is enabled, the conference will end if/when the Host hangs up. Press *8 again to disable Host Disconnect mode. IMPORTANT: This mode should be used with caution if there is any concern that the Host might unintentionally disconnect; for example, if the Host is using a cell phone that drifts out of range.

Email invitations include a list of available in-conference features.

Participants are causing an echo during a Vellocall. How do I get rid of the echo?

Audio difficulties in conference calls are often be caused by a Participant who has an "open microphone." To correct this audio problem, ask your Participants to mute their phone (by pressing *4 on their phone keypad) until the echo stops; or invoke the mute function on the device. After you have identified which Participant has the open microphone, you can have all other Participants unmute their phones (by again pressing *4 on their keypad) and continue with your conference.

Establishing a Vello Account

I've used up my 7 FREE DAYS to U.S. & Canada — what do I do?

Nothing. Vello will begin sending you a bill every 30 days if you have a balance due. You will receive a bill every 30 days indicating how many minutes you have used (after you login, click on the "Billing" link for more information).

How do I enable international dialing?

If you would like to include international participants in your conference calls, please contact Customer Service at 1-888-280-2847 from U.S. and Canada (306-564-2906 from outside the U.S. and Canada) to enable international dialing for your account.

How do I record my personal greeting?

Login to your Vello account, then click on the "Preferences" tab and tell us which phone number to call you at. Vello's automated server will then call you to record your personal voice greeting, whether you are in the U.S., Canada, or any other country.

How do I change my user details?

Simply login to your Vello account and click on the "Vellocall" tab. At the top of the right side, it says:

Click on the EDIT button and change your name or default phone number here. Then click on the SAVE button.

To change your Vello login name, password, email address, or default time zone, login to your Vello account, then click on the "Preferences" tab.

When do I need my password?

You will need your user ID (that you created when you registered) and your password in order to access your My Vello account at www.vellocall.com.

Account Administration

How much does Vello cost?

Calls are billed per minute, per conference participant. Billing begins when the dialed line is answered by either a person or a machine. Billing ends when the last person or machine hangs up.

Standard Vello Plan
In the Standard Vello Plan, for Participants in the U.S. and Canada, and for international Participants who dial in to a Vellocall, Vello costs $0.12 per minute per person.

If international Participants are dialed out by Vello so that they just push "1" to enter the call, then the Host is billed at the applicable international rate. You need international dialing enabled on your account.

Meeting Organizer Plan
High-volume customers may choose to move to a Meeting Organizer Pricing Plan. This plan has a monthly Meeting Organizer fee of $9.95 with the following discount schedule:

• $0.12 per minute for the first 500 minutes per month
• $0.10 per minute for monthly minutes 501 to 2,500
• $0.07 per minute for monthly minutes 2501 to 5,000
• $0.06 per minute for monthly minutes over 5,000

NOTE: These minutes are for phone numbers in the U.S. and Canada, and for dial-in participants from all other countries.

Discount for Recurring Meetings

Got a weekly meeting? Receive a 10% discount for scheduled recurring meeting minutes. This discount applies to calls in the U.S. and Canada.

What are "free days"?

When you sign up for a new account, or take advantage of a special promotion, you will receive a specific number of free days for Vellocalls to U.S. & Canada.

How do I review my account balance?

Simply login to Vello and proceed to the Account section where you will be able to review your usage to date.

How often will I be billed?

The Vello service is billed in 30-day billing cycles. There will be no charge if you have not used the service.

How will I be billed?

At the end of every monthly billing cycle, you will receive an invoice created in PDF format and delivered via email. You may also opt to receive hard copies of your bill via regular mail for an additional fee of US$5.00 per month. In order to sign up for mail delivery visit the Vello website, make sure you're logged in, and click on the My Account link. From there follow the directions for signing up.

Can I track calls across multiple users and departments?

Yes. Vello provides a flexible billing system that simplifies account administration and departmental expense allocation. Just set up your billable departments; the invoice will show calls made by users within each department. Also, each call's "subject line" can have your billing/project code — any label you want.

Technical Issues and Troubleshooting

What if I forget my password or delete my confirmation email?

If you forget your password or delete your confirmation email, call Customer Service at 1-888-280-2847 for assistance during business hours if you are calling from the U.S. or Canada. They will send your password to you via email. You do not need to re-register. For callers from all other countries, call 306-564-2906, or send us an email at support@vellocall.com.

What do I do if I download to my phone and it is not working?

a) It is possible to download the wrong family for your mobile device. The mobile device does not have any mechanism to verify that the download chosen is the correct one for your device.

If you download the wrong family for your device, it will likely run. However, you may experience problems such as the buttons or controls are too large for the screen, or broken navigation attempts. If you experience these problems, use your mobile phone to go back to www.vellocall.mobi and re-download the appropriate version for your mobile device.

b) If you get an error message: "Sorry, unable to connect. Please check your entries or try later" either you incorrectly entered your login name or password, or you need to register here for a Vello account. If you're sure that you are using correct credentials, you might need to try again when your data connection is stronger or your carrier's server is less busy.

Which browsers are compatible with Vello?

The Vello website — vellocall.com — is best viewed with a resolution of 800x600 (or higher) at normal/medium text size, and has been tested on Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5+, Firefox 1.5+, Safari 2.0+, Navigator 9.0+, Opera 9.27+, and Konqueror 3.5.9+. Vello recommends that you adjust your browser settings to enable JavaScript, pop-ups, and Adobe Flash for this site.

Do you use cookies?

We use cookies to enable us to track which browsers and pages are most frequently used by Vello's visitors; if you have a Vello account, you must enable cookies to login. The mobile website — vellocall.mobi — is compatible with any mobile phone enabled for Internet access.