Conference resource allocation and dynamic reallocation

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• determining a probable current physical call location of each participant to a conference session based on history and/or presence information of the participant, the conference session including a plurality of participants;
• allocating an initial resource for the conference session from a set of available resources on a communications network, the initial resource providing an initial optimal physical location based on the probable current physical call location of each participant and an average roundtrip signal transmission time between the resource and each endpoint device respectively associated with each participant to the conference session, wherein the initial optimal physical location of the resource provides each participant with a substantially equal chance of grabbing a slot in a next available talk burst during the conference session by approximately equalizing latency among the participants;
• and
• during the conference session, allocating a different resource for the conference session to replace the initial resource responsive to a triggering event, the different resource providing a current optimal physical location based on a current condition of the communications network and the average roundtrip signal transmission time.

A system comprising:

• a server for establishing communication channels over a network connected with endpoint devices of a group of participants, the server being operable to allocate initial resources on the network to conduct a conference session, the initial resources including the communication channels and at least one conferencing bridge, the initial resources having an initial optimal physical location with respect to a probable current physical call location of each participant and an average roundtrip signal transmission time between the initial resources and each endpoint device respectively associated with each participant to the conference session, wherein the initial optimal physical location of the initial resources provides each participant with a substantially equal chance of grabbing a slot in a next available talk burst during the conference session by approximately equalizing latency among the participants;
• and
• code that runs on the server to select one or more different resources currently available during the conference session, the one or more different resources being selected to provide a current optimal physical location of the one or more different resources based on an actual current physical call location of each participant and a new average roundtrip signal transmission time between the one or more different resources and each endpoint device respectively associated with each participant to the conference session, execution of the code causing the server to move the conference session to the one or more different resources responsive to a triggering event.