This invention relates to a smartphone conferencing system (1), a dial-out and permissions rating engine (DPRE) (17) for use in the system, and a method of handling a smartphone conference call between a smartphone user and a plurality of conference call participants (5). The system and method both incorporate a DPRE (17) which analyzes the conference call establishment requests and determines if a request is valid or if a request is invalid based on call dial-out history. The system and method will obviate many of the delays in establishing a smartphone conference call and will prevent fraud should the users lose their smartphone (3).