Zoom has quickly established itself as a common word for video conferencing. “Let’s Zoom” means, for many users, “Let’s have a video call,” regardless of what platform they’re actually using.
The fact is that Zoom has also established itself as one of the most reliable video conferencing platforms out there, so when people say, “Let’s Zoom,” they’re very often using the platform.
For many businesses, Zoom is much more than a video conferencing service. It’s a full-fledged business communications solution, which includes their phone calls.
Zoom Phone is a business-class telephony platform with an extensive certification program for manufacturers to guarantee interoperability and a high level of performance. Put short, Zoom Certified Phones provide a native experience. This cloud-based VoIP phone system can integrate with your video conferencing and other communications for a simple, unified experience.
There are, however, two ways to use certain VoIP phones with Zoom: as a SIP phone or as a Zoom Phone Appliance.
In this blog, we cover what the difference is between a Zoom SIP Phone and a Zoom Phone Appliance. Why would you want to use a Zoom Phone Appliance? We also point you towards the resources you need to switch your phone from one type to the other.
To find out which VoIP phones can be Zoom Phone Appliances, check out Certified Zoom Phone Appliances (external link) on the Zoom support page.
Let’s get into it!
What is a Zoom Phone Appliance?
Zoom is a unified communications service with multiple applications under the large umbrella that we just call “Zoom.” The two we’re concerned with here are Zoom Meetings and Zoom Phone.
Zoom Meetings is the video conferencing service that we all know and love. Zoom Phone is their cloud VoIP phone service.
Zoom Phone is a SIP-based phone system, which means it runs the open SIP communications protocol. If you’d like to know more about SIP, check out our clear, detailed VoIP Phone Systems Buyer’s Guide.
You can use many SIP phones with Zoom Phone. Here’s the list of Zoom Phone Certified Hardware (external link) on Zoom’s support website. If you see “Zoom SIP Phone,” it refers to VoIP phones that run SIP and are compatible with Zoom Phone.
However, some of these phones have extra functionality that means they can handle more than the average VoIP phone, which is where we get back to Zoom Phone Appliances and Zoom Meetings.
A Zoom Phone Appliance is a VoIP phone that you can use both Zoom Phone and Zoom Meetings applications on. A Zoom SIP Phone can only be used with Zoom Phone.
You’re still able to use Zoom Phone, but (depending on what the phone model can handle), you gain Zoom Meetings functionality like initiating or joining video calls, screen sharing, live whiteboard, participant management, and more.
Zoom Phone Appliances extend your ability to communicate in your favored method. It gives you flexibility and allows you to engage with colleagues and clients more fully. Check out the pictures of the phones to see the differences in interface.
First, let’s take the Poly VVX 250, a traditional VoIP phone that you can setup as a Zoom Phone Appliance. Using VVX 250, you acquire the convenient Zoom Meetings integration, but the phone itself limits its utility.
On the other hand, Yealink MP56-Zoom has a 7-inch touchscreen display. When used with Zoom as an appliance, MP56 essentially becomes a Zoom tablet with the exceptional audio quality that a Yealink desk phone offers. The interface is the Zoom UI and your Zoom information is synced across devices. This means that you can access your calendar, contacts, and voicemail. You can participate in collaborative whiteboarding sessions with your group. You can even receive Zoom video on MP56.
Poly CCX 700 also has a 7-inch touchscreen display, but it also has an integrated 4 MP camera, which means you can hold Zoom video calls from your desk phone, on top of the features that the MP56 handles.
The experience across all these phones is enhanced because the possibilities for methods of collaboration are expanded. For many workers today, especially younger workers, having these additional features available and seamlessly integrated with their workflow is a desired benefit.
Zoom Phone Appliance firmware
For a phone to be a Zoom Phone Appliance, it requires specific firmware. If the phone model supports being an appliance but is currently a SIP phone, you can convert it to a Zoom Phone Appliance by changing the firmware.
Here are links to the Zoom support website on how to do this for Poly and Yealink phones (external links):