Patent ID: 8761364

Claim:
A method of managing a conference, comprising: communicatively connecting, by a computer system having at least one processor, a set of people to initiate the conference; setting a timer for managing at least a first level and a second level of participation between a user and the conference, wherein the first level of participation comprises full participation, by the user, in the conference and the second level of participation comprises only providing output of the conference to the user; receiving a request to join the conference from the user; communicatively connecting, by the computer system, the user to the conference utilizing the first level of participation if time of the timer is not expired based at least in part upon a set of policies assigned for the user; and communicatively connecting, by the computer system, the user to the conference utilizing the second level of participation if the time of the timer is expired based at least in art upon the set of policies assigned for the user.