Internet-Enabled Conferencing System and Method Accommodating PSTN and IP Traffic

A system for scheduling a conference between callers, comprising:

• a database operable to store scheduling information indicating at least a start time, a duration, and a maximum number of callers for one or more scheduled conferences, the scheduling information reflecting available conferencing resources;
• a server complex coupled to the database and operable to:
• communicate, to a requesting Internet Protocol (IP) user, at least one page comprising one or more scheduling input fields;
• receive scheduling input from the requesting IP user for a requested conference according to the scheduling input fields;
• access the database to determine, according to the scheduling input, whether sufficient conferencing resources are available for the requested conference;
• if sufficient conferencing resources are available, allocate at least some available conferencing resources to the requested conference;
• and
• in response to determining sufficient resources are available, generate confirmations of the requested conference for communication to the callers.