Conference Phone
The type of phone you use in a conference call can make a big impact on the entire quality of the call as well as affecting your usability and experience on the call.
Conference Phones
There are so many types of phones in use today. The types range from speaker phones, hand held, headset, bluetooth, VoIP, and many others. The following survey details the good and the bad of each major type.
Wireless Bluetooth
Yea, those strange looking devices growing out of people’s ears. The bluetooth headset has many advantages including the wireless capability and good distance from the phone. The major disadvantage is the background noise that these bugs pickup, and relay to the conference call. Some models are so loud that the microphone picks up the earpiece audio, thus resulting in feedback.
Bluetooth: use a mute function as part of the phone or earpiece to mute yourself on the conference call.
Headset or Headphones
This accessory has the advantage of hands free operation like bluetooth but offers better audio quality. The microphone can be adjusted to fit closely to the mouth. Look for a model that has a built in mute switch (sometimes labeled as an On/Off switch).
Speaker Phone
Speaker phones are a mixed bag. While they may serve many people in a room, they often introduce too much noise into a conference call. Look for models with remote microphones that can be stationed around a conference table. Polycom manufactures several nice models.
Mobile Phone
Cell and digital phones can be used in conference calls with good results provided that the signal is strong and the carrier is reliable (i.e. no dropped calls).
Regular Handset Phone
Handset phones offer a strong reliable signal and low signal to noise ratio. If you’re in a corporate environment using a PBX, be careful that your phone’s mute does not send hold music to the conference call.