Microsoft Teams Rooms Design & Installation.
Designed Around the Room.
Microsoft Teams Rooms bring the familiar Microsoft Teams experience into physical meeting spaces, combining video conferencing, cameras, microphones, loudspeakers, displays and room control into one consistent environment.
Gibb Technology designs and installs Microsoft Teams Rooms across the UK, Ireland and EMEA, from small meeting rooms using an integrated video bar through to executive boardrooms with multiple cameras, professional audio, 21:9 displays, AV control and networked video.
The objective is not simply to install a Teams-certified device. It is to engineer the complete meeting room around the people using it so everyone can see, hear and be heard clearly, whether they are sitting around the table or joining remotely.
GT provides Microsoft Teams Room design, installation, commissioning and ongoing support, working alongside internal IT teams to coordinate the AV system with Microsoft 365, room accounts, networking and the wider workplace technology environment.
What Is a Microsoft Teams Room?
A Microsoft Teams Room, often shortened to MTR, is a dedicated meeting-room system designed to run Microsoft Teams natively.
Instead of someone bringing a laptop into the room, connecting several cables and selecting microphones, cameras and displays manually, the room has its own Teams system permanently installed.
A scheduled meeting appears automatically on the room controller. The user walks in, selects the meeting and presses Join. The room camera, microphones, loudspeakers and displays then become part of the Teams meeting.
Microsoft Teams Meeting → Teams Room Compute / Video Bar → Camera + Microphones + Loudspeakers → Front-of-Room Display
For the user, the experience should be simple: enter the room, find the scheduled meeting, tap Join and start the meeting. That consistency is one of the main reasons organisations standardise meeting spaces around Microsoft Teams Rooms.
A Teams Room Is More Than a Video Bar.
It is easy to think of a Teams Room as a camera beneath a television. That can work perfectly well in a small meeting room, but the technology needs to change as the space becomes larger.
The complete Microsoft Teams Room may include a dedicated compute or Android appliance, room controller, one or more displays, intelligent cameras, microphones, loudspeakers, digital signal processing, USB-C connectivity, room booking panels, control systems and networked AV.
In a small room, several of those functions can be built into one video bar. In a large boardroom, they may need to be separate professional AV components positioned around the room.
This is why GT starts with the room and the meeting requirement before selecting the Teams hardware.
Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows vs Android.
One of the most important decisions when designing a Microsoft Teams Room is whether the room should use Teams Rooms on Windows or Teams Rooms on Android.
Both platforms provide the core native Microsoft Teams Rooms experience. Users can walk into the room, see the scheduled meeting, join with one touch, share content, use layouts such as Front Row and Large Gallery, access chat and captions, start recording and transcription, and use certified cameras, microphones, loudspeakers and displays. Microsoft supports both single and dual front-of-room display configurations on Windows and Android, so the choice is no longer simply about whether a room needs one screen or two.
The more important difference is how the room is built and how far the AV system needs to integrate beyond the standard Teams experience.
Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android
Teams Rooms on Android are typically appliance-based systems where the Microsoft Teams application runs directly on the collaboration device rather than on a separate Windows PC.
A video bar may therefore contain the Teams compute, camera, microphones and loudspeakers within one device, with a separate touch controller providing the user interface.
A typical room could look like:
Neat / Logitech / Yealink / Poly / Cisco Android Video Bar → Microsoft Teams → Display + Touch Controller
This creates a very clean meeting-room architecture with relatively few components, less cabling and fewer separate devices to install and maintain.
Android does not mean basic. Current Teams Rooms on Android support core features including Front Row, dual displays, PowerPoint Live, recording and transcription, intelligent content capture, Cloud IntelliFrame, intelligent speaker recognition, smart camera controls and switching between multiple in-room cameras, subject to the capabilities of the certified hardware being used. Android can also provide meeting controls directly on supported touch-enabled front-of-room displays, something Microsoft currently does not support in the same way on Teams Rooms on Windows.
This makes Android particularly attractive for small and medium meeting rooms, but it can also extend into larger rooms where the selected manufacturer provides the required camera, microphone and peripheral capabilities.
Manufacturers including Neat, Logitech, Yealink, HP Poly and Cisco offer appliance-based approaches that can provide a highly consistent user experience across a workplace.
The main advantage is simplicity: fewer separate components can mean a cleaner installation and a more straightforward device estate to deploy and support.
Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows
Teams Rooms on Windows use a dedicated Windows-based Teams Rooms compute, normally connected to a touch console and separate certified AV peripherals.
The architecture might look like:
Teams Room Windows Compute → USB / HDMI / Networked AV → Cameras + DSP + Microphones + Loudspeakers + Displays + Control
The main advantage is flexibility.
Because the Teams Room compute can sit at the centre of a wider professional AV system, GT can integrate separate cameras, ceiling microphones, DSP, amplifiers, installed loudspeakers, USB switching, AV-over-IP, room control and other specialist technology around the native Teams interface.
This becomes particularly valuable in executive boardrooms, divisible rooms, training spaces, town halls and highly integrated meeting environments where the room needs to do considerably more than a conventional video bar can provide.
Windows also currently has several advanced Teams capabilities that Android does not yet match.
Microsoft's current feature matrix lists multi-camera sending, spatial audio, people recognition, participation in breakout rooms, Front Row unified backgrounds, coordinated meetings and third-party custom room control as available on Teams Rooms on Windows but not currently available on Android.
Windows also provides broader support for some enterprise functions such as cross-cloud meeting join and certain security and management capabilities.
That does not automatically make Windows the better platform. It means Windows becomes particularly valuable when the requirement moves beyond a standard meeting-room appliance and into professional AV integration or advanced Teams functionality.
The Biggest Difference Is the Room Architecture.
A useful way to think about the choice is:
Android = appliance-led architecture
With Android, much of the meeting-room technology can be concentrated into the collaboration appliance.
For example:
Video Bar → Camera + Microphones + Loudspeakers + Teams Compute
This is extremely effective when one certified device can provide the coverage and functionality the room requires.
Windows = modular AV architecture
With Windows, those functions can be separated.
For example:
Teams Compute → Q-SYS / Biamp / Shure DSP → Ceiling Microphones + Installed Loudspeakers
Teams Compute → Multiple Cameras
Teams Compute → AV Distribution → Dual Displays / 21:9 Display
This makes it easier to engineer each part of a larger room independently.
Cameras and Intelligent Video.
Both Windows and Android support intelligent camera features including Cloud IntelliFrame, smart camera controls and the ability to switch between multiple in-room cameras, subject to the certified camera system being used.
Windows currently goes further in some advanced applications.
Microsoft's current platform comparison lists sending multiple camera feeds simultaneously as a Windows capability that is not currently available on Android. Microsoft has also introduced a multi-camera experience where remote attendees can choose between different camera views from a Teams Room on Windows.
For a normal meeting room, that distinction may have little practical impact.
For a large boardroom, training environment or presentation room using several cameras, it can become important.
Professional Audio and Spatial Audio.
Both platforms can work with certified professional audio solutions, and Android systems are no longer restricted to microphones built into a video bar.
The selected manufacturer and certified peripherals determine what can be connected.
Windows does, however, currently provide access to some more advanced Teams Room audio capabilities. Microsoft's feature matrix lists Spatial Audio as available on Teams Rooms on Windows but not currently on Android.
This can be relevant to advanced Signature-style meeting spaces where the position of remote participant audio is designed to correspond more closely with where that participant appears on the front display.
For most standard rooms, conventional high-quality microphone coverage, DSP and loudspeaker design will matter considerably more than spatial audio.
Room Control and Wider AV Integration.
This is one of the clearest reasons GT may select Windows for a complex room.
Microsoft currently supports third-party custom room control on Teams Rooms on Windows, while its feature comparison lists this as unavailable on Android.
That matters when the Teams controller also needs to provide access to wider room functionality such as:
Display control
Source selection
Camera presets
Audio controls
Lighting
Blinds
Room-combine modes
AV-over-IP routing
A standard meeting room may never need these functions.
An executive boardroom or divisible conference suite often does.
This is where a Windows Teams Room integrated with technologies such as Crestron or Q-SYS can provide considerably more flexibility than a standalone appliance architecture.
Q-SYS for Advanced Microsoft Teams Rooms
For larger Microsoft Teams Rooms, Q-SYS can provide a more engineered architecture where professional audio, multiple cameras, video distribution, room automation and wider AV control need to work alongside the Teams experience. GT can assess whether a Q-SYS RoomSuite approach or a more configurable Core-based environment is appropriate according to the size, complexity and intended use of the room.
Touch Displays Work Differently.
There is also an interesting difference with interactive front-of-room displays.
Microsoft currently allows supported Teams Rooms on Android to use a touch-enabled front display for both content interaction and meeting controls.
On Teams Rooms on Windows, a touch-enabled front display can be used for content interaction, but the separate touch console remains the primary surface for meeting controls.
This can make Android particularly attractive for certain collaborative rooms built around an interactive display or all-in-one collaboration board.
Managing Windows and Android Teams Rooms.
The management experience for Teams Rooms on Windows and Android is becoming increasingly unified through the Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro Management Portal (PMP).
Microsoft is bringing Teams Rooms on Android into PMP so IT teams can manage and monitor both Windows and Android rooms from a more consistent management environment. This gives organisations greater visibility across their Teams Rooms estate, including device status, room health, configuration, updates, incidents and reporting, while some capabilities can still vary by platform and certified hardware.
For organisations operating multiple meeting rooms, this is increasingly important. The design decision is no longer only about what happens inside the room; GT also considers how the customer intends to monitor, manage and support the complete Teams Rooms estate after deployment.
An embedded video below demonstrates how Teams Rooms on Android can be managed and monitored within the Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro Management Portal, including the PMP interface and the tools available to IT teams responsible for supporting their meeting-room environment.
WATCH: MANAGING & MONITORING TEAMS ROOMS ON ANDROID WITH PMP
So Which Should You Choose?
There is no universal winner.
Teams Rooms on Android can be the better choice where simplicity is the priority and a certified appliance can provide the camera coverage, audio performance and connectivity the room requires. This makes it particularly attractive for repeatable small and medium meeting-room standards and for organisations that want to minimise the amount of separate equipment in each space.
Teams Rooms on Windows becomes more attractive as the room becomes more technically demanding. Multiple cameras, advanced professional audio, spatial audio, custom room control, sophisticated AV routing, divisible spaces and wider integration can all push the design towards a modular Windows architecture.
The most important point is that room size alone should not decide the platform.
A large room can sometimes be successfully delivered using an Android architecture if the selected certified ecosystem supports the required peripherals. Equally, a relatively modest executive meeting room might justify Windows because of its control, audio or integration requirements.
GT therefore considers the room geometry, user experience, camera coverage, microphone requirements, displays, BYOD needs, wider AV system, network environment, management strategy and future expansion before recommending either platform.
The objective is not to decide whether Windows or Android is better.
It is to choose the architecture that makes the Microsoft Teams Room simpler for the user and easier for the organisation to support.
What Size Microsoft Teams Room Do You Need?
Room size is useful, but room geometry and meeting behaviour matter just as much as capacity. A six-person room that is long and narrow can require a different camera and microphone design from a wider eight-person room where everyone sits close to the display.
GT therefore considers seating positions, room depth, table shape, camera sightlines, microphone coverage, display viewing distance, reflections, ambient noise and how meetings are actually conducted before selecting the Teams Room architecture.
Small Microsoft Teams Rooms
Small Microsoft Teams Rooms can often be served extremely well by an integrated Teams-certified video bar, room controller and single commercial display.
The camera, microphones and loudspeakers are integrated into the video bar, keeping the equipment count and cabling relatively low while providing users with a straightforward native Microsoft Teams experience.
Teams-Certified Video Bar → Commercial Display | Room Controller → Teams Room
This type of solution is particularly effective for huddle spaces and smaller meeting rooms, where participants are relatively close to the camera and microphone system.
GT can design small Microsoft Teams Rooms around certified solutions from manufacturers including Logitech, Neat, Yealink and HP Poly, selecting the technology around the room layout, required camera coverage, audio performance, management requirements and the organisation's preferred technology ecosystem.
Medium Microsoft Teams Rooms
Medium meeting rooms need more careful consideration. An integrated video bar may still be appropriate, but camera depth and microphone coverage become increasingly important.
Technologies such as Logitech Sight or Neat Center can add another camera perspective from nearer the centre of the table, helping remote participants see people who might otherwise be hidden or appear very small from a front-of-room camera. Additional microphones may also be required depending on room dimensions and table layout.
Teams Room → Video Bar + Centre-of-Table Camera → Dual Displays + Room Controller
The objective is not simply to add more equipment because the room is larger. It is to maintain consistent camera framing, microphone pickup and loudspeaker coverage as participants move further away from the front of the room.
Large Microsoft Teams Rooms & Boardrooms
Large Microsoft Teams Rooms and boardrooms should normally be treated as complete AV design projects rather than simply larger video-bar installations.
As a room becomes longer, a single front-of-room camera may struggle to show every participant naturally. Integrated microphones can also reach the point where they no longer provide consistent coverage for everyone around the table.
This is where a modular Microsoft Teams Room architecture becomes particularly valuable.
A large Teams Room or boardroom can incorporate a dedicated Teams Room compute, multiple intelligent cameras, ceiling or table microphones, professional digital signal processing (DSP), amplification, installed loudspeakers, dual displays or an ultrawide 21:9 display, USB-C BYOD connectivity and integrated AV control.
Teams Room Compute → Professional AV System → Cameras + DSP + Microphones + Loudspeakers + Displays
Cameras can be designed around appropriate sightlines and participant framing. Microphones can provide consistent coverage across the seating area. Loudspeakers can be positioned to distribute far-end audio naturally throughout the room, while the display system can be selected around viewing distance, content and the required Microsoft Teams experience.
For GT, the distinction between a small, medium and large Teams Room is therefore not simply the number of seats. The room itself determines the system design.
Design the Camera Around the People
Camera selection has a major impact on how remote participants experience a Microsoft Teams meeting.
A specification such as 4K resolution does not tell you whether someone sitting eight metres from the display will actually be represented clearly and naturally on screen.
GT therefore considers camera position, field of view, room depth, seating positions and meeting style before selecting the camera architecture.
In a small Microsoft Teams Room, a wide-angle front-of-room camera positioned beneath or above the display may provide excellent coverage. As the room becomes deeper, technologies such as intelligent framing, centre-of-table cameras or multiple camera positions can provide much more useful views of participants.
The objective is meeting equity. A remote participant should be able to see who is speaking, understand the conversation and follow what is happening in the room rather than looking at a distant group of people at the end of a long table.
Front-of-Room Cameras vs Centre-of-Table Cameras
Modern Microsoft Teams Rooms increasingly use multiple camera perspectives to provide remote participants with a more natural view of the people in the room.
A front-of-room camera provides the traditional view towards the meeting table and works extremely well in many spaces. However, as a table becomes longer, participants sitting further from the display can appear smaller, while people may also be partially obscured by colleagues sitting closer to the camera.
A centre-of-table camera such as Logitech Sight or Neat Center provides an additional perspective from much closer to the participants.
When combined with compatible Microsoft Teams Room hardware and intelligent video processing, these additional camera views can help the system present clearer views of active speakers and people positioned further along the table.
The objective is not simply to add another camera. It is to create better meeting equity, giving remote participants a more useful view of the conversation taking place inside the room.
Microsoft Teams Room Audio Matters More Than Many People Expect
A meeting can often continue with an imperfect camera image. It becomes considerably more difficult when participants cannot clearly hear or understand one another.
Audio should therefore be treated as a fundamental part of Microsoft Teams Room design rather than an afterthought.
In a small Teams Room, the microphones and loudspeakers integrated into a professional Teams-certified video bar may provide excellent coverage for the entire space.
As rooms become larger, GT may extend the audio system using expansion microphones, ceiling microphones, table microphones, digital signal processing (DSP), acoustic echo cancellation, amplification and installed loudspeakers.
Manufacturers such as Shure, Sennheiser, Q-SYS, Biamp, Logitech, Neat and Yealink can form part of the audio architecture depending on the room requirements and wider Teams Room design.
The objective is natural two-way conversation. Remote participants should be able to clearly hear people throughout the room, while in-room participants should hear the far end at a comfortable and consistent level without distracting echo or excessive volume.
What Is Acoustic Echo Cancellation?
Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) is one of the technologies that makes natural two-way conversation possible in professional Microsoft Teams Rooms.
During a Teams call, the voices of remote participants are reproduced through the meeting-room loudspeakers. At the same time, the room microphones can also pick up some of that loudspeaker audio.
Without appropriate processing, this sound could be transmitted back into Microsoft Teams, meaning a remote participant may hear their own voice returning to them as an echo.
AEC within the video conferencing system or professional audio DSP identifies the far-end audio being reproduced in the room and removes it from the microphone signal before that signal is sent back to the remote participants.
In smaller rooms, this processing may take place inside the Teams-certified video bar itself.
In larger Microsoft Teams Rooms and boardrooms, AEC may form part of a dedicated DSP architecture using technologies from manufacturers such as Shure, Q-SYS, Biamp or Sennheiser.
For these spaces, the microphones, DSP, loudspeakers, amplification and conferencing system should be engineered as one complete audio solution rather than designed as separate components.
One Display, Two Displays or 21:9?
The display configuration in a Microsoft Teams Room should be designed around how the room will actually be used, rather than simply installing the largest screen available.
A single 16:9 commercial display can work extremely well in smaller meeting rooms, providing enough space for remote participants, shared content and the Microsoft Teams interface without adding unnecessary complexity.
For medium and larger rooms, dual displays can create a more useful meeting experience. Presentation content can remain visible on one screen while remote participants occupy the second, helping people in the room maintain visual connection with colleagues while documents or presentations are being shared.
For larger boardrooms and premium collaboration spaces, an ultrawide 21:9 display or LED canvas can provide considerably more horizontal workspace.
This format can be particularly effective with Microsoft Teams Front Row, where the additional width allows remote participants, shared content and meeting information to be arranged across a wider visual canvas.
GT can design 21:9 Microsoft Teams Rooms using professional ultrawide displays or fine-pitch LED, depending on the required screen size, viewing distance, room dimensions, content requirements and wider AV architecture.
The objective is not to specify 21:9 simply because it is a premium format. It should be used where the additional width genuinely improves visibility, collaboration and the experience of remote and in-room participants.
What Is Microsoft Teams Front Row?
Microsoft Teams Front Row is a meeting layout designed to create a more natural connection between people inside the meeting room and participants joining remotely.
Rather than placing remote participants in a conventional grid above or beside shared content, Front Row positions them across the lower area of the front display, closer to the eye level of people sitting around the meeting table.
Shared content, meeting chat and other collaboration information can then use the wider display area around the participants.
Front Row can work with conventional 16:9 displays, but the experience becomes particularly compelling in rooms designed around large-format or ultrawide 21:9 displays, where there is considerably more horizontal space available for people and content.
The technology is only one part of the experience. Front Row becomes most effective when the display position, cameras, audio system, furniture and seating layout have all been considered together rather than simply adding Microsoft Teams technology to a conventional boardroom.
What Is a Signature Microsoft Teams Room?
A Signature Microsoft Teams Room takes the concept of hybrid collaboration beyond simply installing Teams-certified conferencing equipment.
The approach considers the room layout, furniture, displays, cameras, microphones, loudspeakers, lighting and positioning of remote participants as parts of one complete meeting experience.
The aim is to create greater meeting equity between people sitting inside the room and colleagues joining remotely.
That can influence everything from the orientation and shape of the meeting table to camera placement, microphone coverage and the position and format of the front-of-room displays.
Not every organisation needs to completely rebuild every meeting space as a Signature Teams Room.
GT can apply many of the same design principles to new or existing Microsoft Teams Rooms, improving display positioning, camera sightlines, table orientation, audio coverage and Front Row capability where they provide a genuine benefit.
The result is a Teams Room designed around how people communicate and collaborate, rather than a collection of conferencing products installed into a room.
Microsoft Teams Rooms for Executive Boardrooms.
Executive boardrooms need more than a standard video bar when participants are spread across a larger space or the room requires multiple cameras, professional audio and advanced control.
A high-performance Teams boardroom can combine the native Teams Rooms interface with ceiling microphones, DSP, installed loudspeakers, dual or 21:9 displays, USB-C BYOD, AV-over-IP and room control.
The system can be sophisticated behind the scenes while the user still sees the familiar Join button.
GT designs the complete room around camera coverage, microphone pickup, display position and how the boardroom is actually used.
BYOD & BYOM in a Microsoft Teams Room.
A native Microsoft Teams Room is designed around Teams, but visitors may need to join meetings from Zoom, Webex, Google Meet or another platform.
Where supported, Direct Guest Join can allow external meetings to be joined from the room system. For greater flexibility, GT can also add BYOD or BYOM connectivity, allowing a laptop to use the room display, camera, microphones and loudspeakers.
If Zoom is the organisation’s primary collaboration platform rather than a guest-meeting requirement, explore GT’s approach to Zoom Rooms design and installation for huddle spaces, meeting rooms, boardrooms and multi-site deployments.
Visitor Laptop → USB-C → Room AV System → Display + Camera + Audio
The aim is to keep everyday Teams meetings simple while still giving visitors and external users a flexible way to use the room.
USB-C Extension Can Keep the Meeting Table Simple.
Where the video bar and AV equipment are located at the front of the room, professional USB-C extension can provide the user connection at the table while keeping receivers, power supplies and other equipment hidden behind the display.
A typical signal flow could be:
Laptop → USB-C → Table Transmitter → Cat6A → Receiver Behind Display → Video Bar + Display
This keeps the table clean and avoids long individual HDMI and USB cable runs. GT can use direct USB-C, point-to-point USB extension or networked AV depending on the room layout and how much flexibility is required.
Microsoft Teams Rooms & Room Booking.
The Microsoft Teams Room experience can start before someone enters the room. A Teams-compatible scheduling panel positioned outside the space can show availability, upcoming meetings and room status while connecting to the same Microsoft 365 room resource used by Outlook and Teams.
Outlook / Teams → Microsoft 365 Room Resource → Teams Room Calendar → Scheduling Panel
This creates one consistent source of room availability and makes it easier for employees to find and book the right space.
Microsoft Teams Rooms & Workplace Management
A Microsoft Teams Room can also form part of a wider workplace management strategy.
Room booking information from Microsoft 365 can be combined with workplace management software, desk booking, occupancy sensors and workplace analytics to provide a clearer picture of how employees are actually using the office.
Platforms such as Microsoft Places can extend the Microsoft Teams and Outlook environment into desk booking, workplace maps, colleague location, room discovery and space analytics. Other workplace platforms can connect Teams Rooms and meeting spaces with wider workplace operations.
This allows organisations to move beyond simply managing individual meeting rooms and start understanding how rooms, desks and workplace spaces are being used across the wider estate.
Microsoft Teams Rooms → Room Booking → Occupancy Data → Workplace Management → Workplace Analytics
GT can design Microsoft Teams Rooms as part of a connected workplace technology environment covering meeting rooms, room scheduling, desk booking, occupancy and workplace management.
Real GT Microsoft Teams Room Projects.
GT has delivered Microsoft Teams Room projects using different certified technology ecosystems.
At Corrib Oil's Galway headquarters, GT implemented Neat Teams Rooms with commercial displays and room scheduling, creating a consistent experience from booking the room through to joining the meeting.
Where appropriate, additional GT projects using manufacturers such as Logitech can demonstrate different Teams Room architectures and show how the technology is selected around the room rather than a single preferred vendor.
Microsoft Teams Rooms on the Network.
A Microsoft Teams Room is also an IT endpoint, so network connectivity, Microsoft 365 room accounts, licensing, security, updates and device management should be considered alongside the physical AV system.
GT works with client IT teams to coordinate the AV requirements so power, data, network access, room accounts and management responsibilities are agreed before installation. This helps ensure the Teams Room is ready to operate as part of the wider corporate technology environment from day one.
Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic vs Pro.
Microsoft provides Teams Rooms Basic and Teams Rooms Pro licences, and organisations do not need to use the same licence for every room. Teams Rooms Basic is limited to a maximum of 25 room licences per organisation, so it is best suited to smaller estates or straightforward rooms where the core Teams Rooms experience is enough. Teams Rooms Pro has no equivalent 25-room cap and is designed for organisations that need more advanced meeting features, management and monitoring.
Teams Rooms Basic can be a good fit for straightforward single-display meeting rooms that only need the core native Teams Rooms experience. Teams Rooms Pro is required when the room needs more advanced functionality such as dual displays, Front Row, multi-camera capability, enhanced intelligent audio/video features or deeper remote management.
This means a company can mix licences across its estate. For example, smaller single-display rooms can use Basic, while dual-display boardrooms and more advanced spaces use Pro.
Microsoft licensing and features can change over time, so the final licence should always be checked against Microsoft’s current guidance before deployment.
Should Every Meeting Room Become a Microsoft Teams Room?
Not necessarily. A dedicated Microsoft Teams Room makes the most sense where the space is regularly used for Teams meetings and the organisation wants a consistent walk-in, one-touch join experience.
Some visitor rooms, focus spaces or flexible collaboration areas may be better served by BYOD or BYOM, allowing users to connect their own laptops and choose the conferencing platform they need. Specialist presentation, training or event spaces may require a different AV architecture altogether.
GT can help organisations create room standards based on how each space is actually used, rather than installing the same product in every room. This could mean native Teams Rooms for everyday meeting spaces, BYOD rooms for flexible collaboration and more advanced Teams Rooms for boardrooms or larger presentation environments.
Microsoft Teams Room Manufacturers.
Microsoft Teams Rooms are supported across a wide range of certified hardware ecosystems, including Logitech, Neat, Yealink, HP Poly, Jabra, Cisco, Crestron Flex, Lenovo ThinkSmart, Q-SYS and Shure. Each manufacturer takes a different approach to room compute, cameras, microphones, speakers, touch controllers, device management and wider AV integration.
The right manufacturer depends on more than room size. GT considers the Teams Rooms platform, room geometry, camera coverage, audio requirements, BYOD needs, management strategy and wider AV environment before selecting the hardware ecosystem. For example, Logitech is particularly strong for repeatable room standards across multiple room sizes, while Neat is well suited to clean appliance-led environments. Yealink offers a broad choice across both Android and Windows Teams Rooms, while HP Poly and Jabra bring strong enterprise audio and video heritage. Shure becomes particularly valuable where microphone coverage, DSP and professional room audio are critical, especially in executive boardrooms, training spaces and larger meeting rooms. Cisco can be relevant to organisations with an existing Cisco collaboration estate, while Crestron Flex and Q-SYS become increasingly valuable in sophisticated boardrooms and integrated AV environments. Lenovo ThinkSmart can provide a flexible Windows-based compute and controller foundation where GT wants greater freedom around the cameras, audio and peripherals used in the room.
The important point is that there is no single best Microsoft Teams Rooms manufacturer. GT selects the platform and hardware around how the room needs to perform, rather than specifying one manufacturer across every space simply because it forms part of a preferred product range.
Standardising Microsoft Teams Rooms Across Multiple Offices.
For larger organisations, the goal should be a consistent Teams Rooms experience rather than identical hardware in every space. GT can develop repeatable standards for small, medium, large and specialist rooms so users encounter the same familiar Teams workflow whether they are in Belfast, Dublin, London or another office.
The underlying technology can still change according to room size and requirements. A small room may use an integrated video bar, while a boardroom may require multiple cameras, professional audio and AV control.
Creating defined room standards can simplify user adoption, IT support, documentation, spare equipment, lifecycle planning and future upgrades, while giving organisations a more consistent workplace technology experience.
Planning the Infrastructure Before Installation.
A successful Microsoft Teams Room starts before the equipment arrives. GT considers display positions, camera sightlines, microphone and loudspeaker locations, table connectivity, equipment locations, power, data, cable routes and network requirements during the design stage.
Early coordination is particularly important for rooms using ceiling microphones, multiple cameras, professional audio, AV-over-IP or 21:9 and LED displays, where trying to add infrastructure after ceilings, walls and furniture are finished can significantly increase complexity and cost.
Planning the AV requirements alongside IT, electrical, furniture and fit-out works helps ensure the room is ready for installation rather than requiring compromises later in the project.
Microsoft
Teams Room Installation & Commissioning.
Professional Microsoft Teams Room installation involves more than mounting a display and signing a device into Teams.
GT can coordinate the complete physical AV environment, including commercial displays, video bars, cameras, microphones, loudspeakers, room controllers, USB-C/BYOD connectivity and AV cabling, before commissioning the room as one integrated system.
Camera framing is checked from actual seating positions, microphone coverage is tested throughout the room, audio levels and acoustic echo cancellation are verified, presentation paths are tested and real remote Teams calls are used to confirm the end-user experience.
The objective is simple: the individual products should not just work — the complete meeting room should work.
Microsoft Teams Room Support & Maintenance.
Microsoft Teams Rooms are highly visible technology. When an executive boardroom or heavily used meeting room fails shortly before an important call, the issue can quickly become a priority for internal IT.
GT can provide ongoing Microsoft Teams Room support and workplace AV maintenance, including fault diagnosis, manufacturer coordination, onsite engineering and support around the physical meeting-room technology.
For organisations operating multiple locations, the support model can connect room monitoring, consistent technical standards, documentation and escalation across the wider estate.
This helps organisations move from reacting to individual room failures towards a more structured approach to managing and supporting their Microsoft Teams Rooms over the long term.
Microsoft Teams Room FAQs
What is a Microsoft Teams Room?
A Microsoft Teams Room is a dedicated meeting-room system designed to provide a consistent Microsoft Teams experience from a shared physical space.
Instead of relying on somebody connecting their laptop for every meeting, the room has dedicated Teams-certified hardware such as a room computer or Android appliance, camera, microphones, loudspeakers, displays and a touch controller.
Users can typically walk into the room, select the scheduled meeting and join from the room controller.
GT designs Microsoft Teams Rooms around the physical meeting space, user requirements and wider IT strategy rather than treating the room system as a standalone video-conferencing product.
What is the difference between Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows and Android?
Microsoft Teams Rooms can be deployed using either Windows-based room compute or certified Android-based meeting-room appliances.
Android systems can provide a compact architecture where products such as compatible video bars run the Teams Rooms application directly on the device.
Teams Rooms on Windows use a dedicated Windows room computer and can provide greater flexibility for complex AV environments, modular cameras, professional audio and advanced integrations.
Core Teams meeting functionality is available across both platforms, but individual features and peripherals can differ and may be introduced at different times.
GT considers the room requirements, hardware, Microsoft functionality, support model and organisation-wide standards before recommending Windows or Android.
Which Microsoft Teams Room is best for a small meeting room?
Small Teams Rooms can often use an all-in-one video bar or compact room system combining the camera, microphones and loudspeakers within one device.
The correct system still depends on room depth, seating positions, camera distance and how users need to share content.
A six-person room with a long table may place greater demands on camera and microphone coverage than a physically smaller four-person room.
GT therefore selects Teams Room hardware from the actual room dimensions and user requirements rather than using participant count alone.
Can Microsoft Teams Rooms use two displays?
Yes. Microsoft Teams Rooms can support dual front-of-room displays in compatible hardware, licensing and room configurations.
A dual-display room can make it easier to keep shared content and remote participants visible simultaneously rather than dividing the available screen area between them.
The decision should still be based on viewing distance, wall space, room orientation and the type of meetings held in the space.
GT can design single-display, dual-display and wider-format Teams Rooms around the way the room will actually be used.
What is Microsoft Teams Front Row?
Microsoft Teams Front Row is a meeting layout designed to create a more natural connection between people in the room and remote participants.
Remote participants can be positioned closer to eye level on the front-of-room display while meeting information such as content, chat and other collaboration elements can remain visible.
Front Row can be particularly effective when the display arrangement and room layout are designed around it rather than simply enabling the feature on an existing screen.
GT considers display size, aspect ratio, camera position, table layout and viewing distance when designing Teams Rooms around Front Row.
Can a Microsoft Teams Room join Zoom, Webex or Google Meet meetings?
Microsoft Teams Rooms can join supported meetings hosted on other conferencing platforms through options including Direct Guest Join and cross-platform SIP services.
The available platforms and functionality depend on the Teams Rooms operating system, licence, configuration and selected interoperability method.
For example, some third-party meeting capabilities differ between Teams Rooms on Windows and Teams Rooms on Android.
Where regular cross-platform meetings are important, GT can also incorporate BYOD so a user's laptop can run the required conferencing application while using the room's professional AV equipment.
Can BYOD or BYOM be added to a Microsoft Teams Room?
Yes.
A Microsoft Teams Room can be designed with a secondary BYOD or BYOM connection that allows a user to connect their own laptop and use the room's camera, microphones, loudspeakers and displays.
This is particularly useful where employees regularly receive Zoom, Webex, Google Meet or other meeting invitations and need greater flexibility than the native room system alone provides.
The BYOD connection should be designed around USB distance, laptop charging, display connectivity and compatibility with the Windows and macOS devices used by employees and visitors.
What is the difference between Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic and Pro?
Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic provides the core Teams Room experience and is currently available at no additional charge for up to 25 rooms per organisation, subject to Microsoft's licensing requirements.
Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro adds a broader range of meeting, management, security and intelligent audio/video capabilities.
Features such as Front Row, dual-display support, advanced room layouts and more comprehensive device-management functionality currently sit within the Pro offering.
For organisations operating multiple meeting rooms or requiring more advanced functionality, Teams Rooms Pro will often be the more appropriate licence.
GT recommends confirming the required room features before deciding which licence should be assigned.
Does a Microsoft Teams Room need its own account and licence?
Yes. A dedicated Microsoft Teams Room normally uses a room resource account associated with the physical meeting space rather than an individual employee's Microsoft account.
The appropriate Microsoft Teams Rooms licence is then assigned according to the required functionality.
The room account can integrate with Microsoft 365 and Exchange so scheduled meetings appear on the room controller and users can join them without signing into a personal account.
GT can work alongside the organisation's IT team to ensure the AV system is designed around the required Microsoft room-account and network architecture.
Can professional microphones and DSP be used with Microsoft Teams Rooms?
Yes.
Larger boardrooms, training rooms and acoustically challenging spaces can use professional microphones, digital signal processing, amplification and installed loudspeakers with compatible Microsoft Teams Room architectures.
This can provide more consistent speech pickup and audio coverage than relying entirely on microphones and loudspeakers built into a video bar.
Professional audio becomes particularly valuable in long rooms, large boardrooms, spaces with difficult acoustics or environments requiring multiple microphones and loudspeaker zones.
GT can integrate certified Teams Room hardware with professional AV audio systems from appropriate manufacturers where the room design requires it.
Can Microsoft Teams Rooms be standardised across multiple offices?
Yes, and standardisation can significantly simplify both the user experience and ongoing support.
An organisation might develop repeatable standards for huddle rooms, small meeting rooms, medium rooms, boardrooms and specialist spaces.
Each room type can define the preferred compute architecture, camera, microphones, controller, display configuration, cabling, network requirements and support approach.
GT can develop and deploy repeatable Microsoft Teams Room standards across multiple offices in the UK, Ireland and EMEA while still adapting individual rooms where their physical requirements differ.
Does GT design and install Microsoft Teams Rooms across the UK, Ireland and EMEA?
Yes.
Gibb Technology designs, supplies, installs, commissions and supports Microsoft Teams Rooms across the UK, Ireland and EMEA.
GT can deliver individual meeting rooms, boardrooms and collaboration spaces or develop repeatable Teams Room standards for organisations deploying technology across multiple locations.
The design can include Teams-certified room hardware, cameras, professional audio, displays, room controllers, BYOD, room booking, AV control and supporting infrastructure.
For an initial room assessment, send GT the room dimensions, number of seats, photographs or drawings and any existing Microsoft Teams Room standards.
Planning a Microsoft Teams Room?
Whether you are upgrading one meeting room, designing an executive boardroom or standardising Microsoft Teams Rooms across multiple offices, GT can help you choose the right architecture before equipment is selected.
Gibb Technology provides Microsoft Teams Room design, installation, commissioning and support across the UK, Ireland and EMEA, covering cameras, audio, displays, USB-C and BYOD connectivity, room booking, AV control and the wider workplace AV environment.
Tell us how the room needs to work and we will help determine the right Teams Rooms platform, hardware and AV design for the space.
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