iotum announces global availability of its popular FREE Conference Calls application on Facebook under agreements with Internet communications partners Truphone in the U.K., Abbeynet in Italy and MOI Telecom in France.

Iotum CEO Alec Saunders said the global expansion of FREE Conference Calls is in response to demand from users of the application launched on Facebook last September. “Now, thanks to our partnership agreements, anyone can join a FREE Conference Call from anywhere in the world.”

“FREE Conference Calls has many standard features not available from other providers,” he said. “We give our users the ability to provide agendas for their calls; moderators can mute or unmute the calls; record a podcast; schedule calls in advance, or provide reminders. Hosts can also queue participants to speak, and we even provide a live ‘writing wall’ for interactive text chat.”

Since launch, Iotum’s FREE Conference Calls service on Facebook has attracted more than 90,000 users. Conference calls have been created to hold public tele-seminars, private meetings, family events, New Year’s Eve countdowns, political discussions and to record multi-person podcasts.

Starting today, users can join an iotum FREE Conference Call using one of three methods:

• Direct dial from home, office, or mobile. In the United States, Canada and France, users can dial the conference server directly using an ordinary call and be joined to the FREE Conference Calls. Iotum intends to roll out more direct-dial countries in the future by recruiting additional partners to service other parts of the world.
• VoIP. From anywhere in the world, users can call using their PCs. All that's required is an active Internet connection, and clicking on the FREE Conference Calls application icon in Facebook.
• Call back. A user can be called back simply by entering into the FREE Conference Calls application on Facebook the phone number where his or her call is to be received.

“Participants don’t have to be on Facebook, but it’s more valuable for them if they are,” Saunders said. “And it’s easy. Facebook users simply install the iotum FREE Conference Calls application—http://apps.facebook.com/freeconference—and invite friends for a group chat.”

Sherman Hu, producer and host of the ShermanLive.com blog, wrote: “As a coach to thousands of business owners about the innovative combination and profitable deployment of blogs, podcasts, video and social media for business, I see the ability to conduct training calls and have anyone outside North America dial in from anywhere in the world at no charge as a priceless benefit. This initiative will have far-reaching impact for my global business.”

At Truphone, Platform Director Dean Elwood said: “Truphone already has built a reputation for telephony innovation by providing free mobile-to-mobile calls via the Internet. This tie-up with Iotum fits perfectly with our vision of providing new ways for people to call each other without heed to old world boundaries and pricing structures.”