What is a Conference Phone ?

Why do I need a Conference Phone?

A conference phone allows a group of co-workers to sit together and participate in a meeting with another group, or groups, of colleagues or customers on the telephone. Given that several people are likely to be participating in a conference phone call, and often speaking at the same time, sound quality is critical.

Distortion and interference, for example, are likely to result in participants repeating themselves, and if a half duplex speaker phone – rather than a full duplex conference phone – is used, what a speaker is saying may be cut off if someone at the other end speaks at the same time.

Conference Phone Features & Benefits

The configuration of a conference phone – if it is a corded model – typically involves connecting the phone to a convenient analogue telephone socket and mains power socket, via a DC adaptor. Most conference phones also have some sort of installation menu, from which they can be configured for optimum performance.

If you wish to use a conference phone on a digital phone system – as is common in many businesses, nowadays – an adaptor may be required, and if you have a PBX, this may also need to be configured to work correctly with a conference phone.

Nowadays, of course, there are also cordless conference phones, which use the proven, secure 1.9GHz and 2.4GHz platforms and have channel hopping capability for reduced interference. Conference phones of this type typically allow roaming up to 150 ft away from the base station, and can therefore be used in rooms without their own telephone connection.

The latest lithium ion battery technologies allow cordless conference phone units to provide up to 24 hours of talk time, on a single charge.

Sound quality depends on the quality of a conference phone, of course, but also on the acoustic characteristics of the room is which it is used. If you have the opportunity to test a conference phone before you buy it, then do so, in situ, to make sure that high ceilings, large windows, wooden floors, etc., do not adversely affect its performance. It is also worth testing the full duplex, echo cancellation and noise reduction capabilities of a conference phone – some models are better than others in this respect – particularly at the beginning and end of sentences.

Other, perhaps less obvious, benefits of using a conference phone – as opposed to individuals travelling to one central location to attend a meeting – are the elimination of wear and tear on vehicles, fuel or public transport costs, and the associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere, increased productivity – as travelling time becomes effective work time instead – and increased morale.

More Reviews:

• What is a Conference Phone?
• How Can a Conference Phone Help My Business?
• Conference Phone Buying Guide
• Conference Phone Accessories
• How to Set Up a Conference Phone System