Conference phones are the tabletop hardware appliances that facilitate VoIP calls between groups of people in office meeting rooms.
Multiple stakeholders may be speaking and/or listening on each end, and more than two parties may join the call. Most vendors offer multiple models designed for different room sizes, with different aesthetics/displays.
The following are some of the key considerations for buyers who are evaluating conference phone systems:
Room size - Some conference phones are designed specifically for large boardrooms and meeting rooms; others are designed for small meeting rooms or individual offices. Most products out the estimated microphone range and a maximum number of participants the phone can handle.
Audio quality - Echo cancellation, noise reduction, and other acoustic features may be more or less important based on the shape, size, and composition of the room.
Scalability - Some conference phones offer the ability to extend capabilities with additional microphones, web cameras, Bluetooth devices, etc.
Phone display/ease of use - Some conference phones have touchscreen displays, while others have LED screens with simple dial pads. Users should be able to make, answer, and end calls easily, as well as switch between speakerphone and headset or handset (if applicable).
Power source - Some conference phones are Power over Ethernet (PoE), while others are USB powered or wireless, but need to be recharged. When evaluating a conference phone system's power source, buyers should think about: phone placement, microphone and speaker range, location of cords or other equipment.
Conference phone system should be compatible with your organization's VoIP provider and other communication technologies.
Some conference phones also include call handling and call recording features.
Conference phones range in price from around $500 to several thousand dollars, depending on features.
Lifesize is a web conferencing platform focused on making video conferencing systems and video conferencing apps work well together, while still being easy-to-use. Their platform incorporates web conferencing software with meeting room devices and wireless screen sharing.
Polycom Trio 8800 is a conference phone system that offers high-quality audio, as well as the ability to add video conferencing and HD content sharing. RealPresence Trio is Skype for Business on-prem and Office 365 Skype for Business Cloud PBX certified for conference calls and supports a 1080p30...
Yealink provides three models of conference phone: CP960, CP920, and IP CP860. IP CP860 is a diamond-shaped tabletop phone that offers HD voice quality, five-party conferences, joint calls, meeting recording and playback, etc. CP920 is designed for small to mid-sized meetings. It is Y-shaped ...
The Avaya B100 Series Conference phones are based on Avaya's acquisition of Swedish conference phone company Kontel in 2011. (Kontel continues to operate as an independent company that sells conference phones, with a strong presence in Europe, but Avaya also sells their own branded version of the...
GAC2500 is an android-based conference phone from Grandstream Networks.
Crestron, headquartered in New Jersey, offers the Crestron Mercury line of conference phones, a tabletop solution providing voice capabilities along with other collaboration features for the conference room.
LogMeIn offers OpenVoice as an audio conferencing solution, allowing the user to start or join a conference via smartphone (iPhone or Android).