In short
A VoIP conference phone is a meeting-room speakerphone with several microphones that registers to your VoIP phone system, so the room can make calls and dial in to meetings. Choose by room size and microphone coverage, check it is certified for your platform, and consider a Teams Rooms or Webex room device for video.
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What a VoIP conference phone does
A conference phone is built for a room rather than a person. It has several microphones arranged to pick up voices from every direction, a speaker loud enough to fill the room, and full-duplex audio so people at both ends can talk at once without cutting each other off.
Like any VoIP device, it plugs into the network and registers to your phone system with its own extension. From the room, people can:
- Call any number, colleague or team on the phone system
- Dial in to an audio meeting or a Teams or Webex meeting using its phone number
- Add callers to make a conference call, if the platform allows
- Receive calls on the room's own number or extension
Many are powered by Power over Ethernet (PoE), so a single network cable to the table carries both power and data.
Matching the phone to the room
| Room | Usual approach | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Huddle or small office | A compact conference phone, or a USB speakerphone with a laptop | Keep it simple: one device in the middle of the table |
| Medium meeting room | A full conference phone with 360-degree microphones | Place it centrally, away from projectors and air vents |
| Large room or boardroom | A conference phone with expansion microphones, or a room system with ceiling or table microphones | Long tables need extra microphones so people at the ends are heard |
| Room that also meets by video | A Teams Rooms system or a Cisco room device | Adds a camera, screen and one-touch meeting join |
Acoustics matter as much as the device. Hard walls, glass and empty rooms cause echo, so a room with soft furnishings will usually sound better than a bare one with a more expensive phone.
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Microphones, expansion mics and placement
- Microphone coverage: check how far the built-in microphones reach and whether they cover a full circle around the device
- Expansion microphones: some conference phones accept extra wired or wireless microphones that sit further along the table, so larger rooms are covered without a second phone
- Placement: put the phone in the middle of the table, away from laptops, fans and the projector
- Noise and echo handling: look for echo cancellation and noise suppression, which help in rooms with hard surfaces
- Mute indicators: clear lights so everyone can see when the room is muted
- Power and cabling: PoE needs a PoE-capable switch port; otherwise plan for a power supply under the table
Conference phones on each platform
Certification matters more for conference phones than for most devices, because they rely on the platform for meeting join and audio processing:
| Platform | Supported room devices | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| 3CX | 3CX's supported list includes conference phones alongside its desk phones and door phones | Listed devices can be provisioned from the 3CX system |
| Microsoft Teams Phone | Conference phones Certified for Microsoft Teams, and Teams Rooms systems for video rooms | Microsoft certifies desk phones and conference room audio devices with partner manufacturers; Microsoft says a conference phone with the Teams meeting interface needs a Teams Rooms Pro licence |
| Webex Calling | Cisco conference phones and Cisco Board, Room and Desk Series devices, plus listed Yealink and Poly conference phones with approval from Cisco | Shared devices are registered to the cloud and Webex Calling PSTN service is added to the room's Workspace |
We can check the specific device against your platform's list before you order, so the room works the way people expect.
Is a VoIP conference phone the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
Teams Rooms or an audio conference phone?
If you use Microsoft Teams, the choice for each room is between a simple audio conference phone and a Microsoft Teams Rooms system:
| Audio conference phone | Microsoft Teams Rooms | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A speakerphone registered to your phone system | A certified room system on Windows or Android, with a touch console, camera, microphones and screen |
| Meetings | Joins by dialling in, or as a Teams device where certified | One-touch join to Teams meetings from the room calendar, with content sharing |
| Phone calls | Makes and takes calls on the room's number | Phone calls need Teams Rooms Pro, which includes Teams Phone Standard, plus a way to reach the phone network |
| Licensing | On Teams, a conference phone with the Teams meeting interface needs a Teams Rooms Pro licence; other platforms licence it as a shared device or extension | Teams Rooms Basic or Teams Rooms Pro for each room |
| Suits | Huddle rooms, offices and rooms used mainly for audio calls | Rooms where hybrid teams meet by video |
Our sister site explains Microsoft Teams Rooms and the Basic and Pro licences in detail. Many organisations mix the two: a room system in the boardroom, and audio conference phones in smaller rooms.
Cisco conference phones and Webex
For organisations on Webex, Cisco's own devices are the natural choice. Webex Calling supports Cisco IP conference phones for audio-only rooms, and Cisco's Board, Room and Desk Series devices for rooms that meet by video. Some of these room devices register natively to Webex Calling over SIP, so the same device can make phone calls and join Webex meetings.
Cisco devices are managed in Webex Control Hub alongside your users and phones. Shared room devices are set up as Workspaces, which take a Webex Calling Workspace or Professional (Workspace) licence depending on the features needed. Webex VoIP explains the licences and the PSTN options, and our sister site has a full guide to Webex Calling.
Planning conference phones for your rooms
- List each meeting room with its size, seating and table shape.
- Decide which rooms need video and which need audio only.
- Check network points, PoE and where the device and any expansion microphones will sit.
- Choose devices certified for your platform, and the licence each shared device needs.
- Give each room a clear extension or number, and add it to the directory.
- Test a real call and a real meeting from each room before handing it over.
VoIP conference phones can be bought outright or, in some cases, included in your monthly rental, with the options confirmed at quote. Contact us with a list of your rooms and the platform you use, and we can suggest a device for each. For the other devices on your system, see VoIP handsets for business.
How Forever Systems helps you choose a VoIP phone system
We supply and support several VoIP platforms, so we can recommend the one that fits how your team takes calls rather than fitting your business around one product.
- Platform advice across hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Webex Calling, Forever UC and Forever Teams, with SIP trunks for phone systems you already own
- A requirements check of your broadband, network and routers before anything goes live
- Numbers and porting: we can help you keep your existing business numbers and plan the move away from analogue and ISDN lines
- Handsets and headsets that suit each platform, bought outright or, in some cases, included in your monthly rental, with the options confirmed at quote
- Set-up and changes: call flows, users and devices configured for you, and help with moves, adds and changes afterwards
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our sister site cloudvoice.cloud, and for hosted and cloud platforms in depth, cloudphone.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations.
Frequently asked questions
What is a VoIP conference phone?
A VoIP conference phone is a meeting-room speakerphone that connects to your network and registers to your VoIP phone system. It has several microphones and a loud speaker so everyone round the table can take part in calls and dial in to meetings.
Do I need expansion microphones?
In larger rooms or along long tables, often yes. Expansion microphones sit further from the main unit so people at the ends of the table are heard clearly. Smaller rooms usually need only the built-in microphones.
Can a VoIP conference phone join Teams meetings?
A conference phone Certified for Microsoft Teams can join Teams meetings directly. Other VoIP conference phones can dial in to a meeting by phone number, where the meeting has audio conferencing.
Which Cisco conference phones work with Webex Calling?
Webex Calling supports Cisco IP conference phones and Cisco Board, Room and Desk Series devices, and some of the room devices register natively over SIP. Cisco publishes the supported list, and we can check the device before you order.
Is Teams Rooms better than a conference phone?
It depends on the room. Teams Rooms suits rooms where people meet by video, with one-touch join and a screen. An audio conference phone suits smaller rooms used mainly for calls. Many organisations use both.
Can conference phones be included in the monthly cost?
VoIP conference phones can be bought outright or, in some cases, included in your monthly rental. The options depend on the platform and devices, and are confirmed at quote.
Still have a question about a VoIP conference phone?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.
More VoIP phone system guides
Webex VoIPIs Webex a VoIP service? Webex Calling licences, devices and PSTN options.
Teams VoIPCalls to landlines and mobiles in Microsoft Teams: licences, PSTN routes and devices.
3CX VoIP3CX as a VoIP PBX: where it runs, the editions, licensing and SIP trunks.