Start-up Ring2 Communciations Ltd has launched what it claims is the first enterprise service that turns a BlackBerry device into a remote controller of audio-only conference calls.

In other words, the conference call participants can see who's on the call, add participants from their BlackBerry address book, and drop or hold or mute participants. Invitations can also be integrated with Outlook and other email applications.

Users can dial into the conference call from any phone, then take control of that call from their BlackBerry. Ring2 users receive a dial-in calling card, as well as the BlackBerry application overlay, which is ideally implemented over the air through a BlackBerry enterprise service. It also can be downloaded online.

Unlike WebEx Communications and others, Ring2 is focused solely on voice conference calls, rather than online collaboration with voice, data and video.

The Ring2 BlackBerry service costs as much as 15 cents per minute, with a one-off $15 set-up fee per user. This is roughly at market price.

The sweet spot for the company would be enterprises with 1,000 or more BlackBerry users. The price for the service goes down to between 10 cents and 12 cents per minute for contracts of this size.

The Ring2 service is available globally, but the company currently provides support in the UK and US only.