Polycom Conference Phone Buyers Guide

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- Polycom Conference Phone Buyer's Guide

Date: Wednesday May 19, 2004

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Polycom Conference Phone Buyer Guide

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Polycom conference phone consist of microphones and speakers that broadcast voices much like a speakerphone. They are designed so that multiple people in one room can easily hear and speak to callers without having to cluster around a telephone handset.

Conference phones usually consists of an all-in-one portable unit that is placed at the center of a table and connects to a regular phone cord. Some models also have additional microphones to better capture all the voices in the room.

Most regular speakerphones operate in "half-duplex" mode, which mutes the speaker whenever the microphone is activated. This is designed to prevent feedback from overwhelming a call. However, this also creates a problem. Half-duplex severely disrupts the natural flow of conversations, since it allows only one person t o speak at a time. If anyone in the group makes a sound, the phone cuts off the voice of the remote participant. So if people speak simultaneously often, conversations can end up sounding choppy, with sentences frequently cut off.

In contrast, most Polycom conference phone operates in full-duplex mode, allowing both parties to speak at once. The equipment uses a digital signal processor, or echo canceller, which digitally prevents feedback by eliminating the speaker sounds from the microphone pickup. Essentially, the echo canceller "hears" the speaker signals and removes this sound from the microphone input signal. Both parties can talk and listen without the awkward breaks typical of a speakerphone conversation.

Setting up conferencing equipment is a simple matter of "plug and play" if a standard analog jack is available. This is not something to take for granted, however, as many companies now have digital phone systems, which are often not compatible with conferencing units. If an analog line is not available, an adapter can be used. An adapter will usually work fine, but check to see if there is interference with a unit's sound quality by its use.

There are a variety of options to consider according to how you plan to use the equipment. A frequent switching of the unit between different size rooms might warrant getting a model with expansion capabilities. Some units come with remote control or wireless microphones for those who want to walk around while teleconferencing.

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