How to Select a VoIP Conferencing Machine

Most VoIP conferencing solutions run on a centralized server, which can be connected to your organization's network or run on an entirely separate network. You must select a machine that allows the maximum number of users to connect without eating up bandwidth.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Buy a machine that allows your company to grow. If your gateway only allows 30 employees to connect and you already have 29 remote workers involved in teleconferencing, you should probably buy a system that allows more access. While most conferencing machines are scalable, you may be limited by your gateway's ports.
2. Select a machine that runs on your current network if you will be using an established VoIP phone system. This allows you to use existing infrastructure to run meetings. If your conferencing machine will host hundreds or thousands of users at once, you may want to invest in a compatible, but separate system.
3. Consider the bandwidth needed by the conferencing machine. A powerful machine connected to a weak provider will cause your voice chat to sound terrible, have delays and drop calls. You may also incur extra charges if you go over allotted bandwidth.
4. Look for local suppliers who will install the proper equipment and host your conferencing network. This allows you to utilize as much bandwidth as needed while letting someone else worry about the glitches.
5. Use Polycom SoundPoint and SoundStation products to create a complete VoIP solution, including conferencing (see Resources below). The basic machine connects via IP, providing a speaker, microphone and control solution that fits easily in smaller conference rooms.
6. Pick the most advanced equipment for your conference room with the high quality sound of LifeSize (see Resources below). LifeSize provides complete packages that include IP gateways and speakers that work with your existing broadband network.
7. Choose Cisco for a robust conferencing system that can be integrated with VoIP technology (see Resources below). Many of the Cisco products work internally or externally with VoIP gateways.

Tips & Warnings

• Expect to pay at least $10,000 for a functional VoIP conferencing setup. If you want to save money and your organization is small enough, select an Internet solution that uses a basic desktop computer and web cam.
• Contact your Internet service provider to see if you can run a conferencing machine on your network. Because VoIP conferences eat up a ton of bandwidth, you may void your agreement, causing termination of your service if you run a machine on a basic package.

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