How does a teleconference differ from a videoconference in a business context?

A teleconference is a voice-only call involving at least three parties – participants dial a shared number (a conference bridge) or are connected through a PBX. A videoconference adds video and often screen sharing. In business practice, audio teleconferences work well for quick operational check-ins and meetings with large numbers of participants, while videoconferences are preferred for negotiations, presentations and onboarding.

How many people can take part in a business teleconference at the same time?

The number of participants depends on the capacity of the conference bridge and the number of available SIP channels. Standard solutions for SMEs support 10 to 50 participants at once. Larger organizations – with several hundred participants on a single conference – need dedicated SIP Trunk capacity and a conference server with sufficient processing power. ACTIO scales capacity on request without requiring a new contract.

Are VoIP teleconferences secure and GDPR-compliant?

Yes, provided the operator ensures call encryption (TLS for signaling, SRTP for the voice stream), stores data on servers within the European Economic Area, and signs a data processing agreement. ACTIO meets all of these requirements and serves clients in regulated sectors such as energy and critical infrastructure.

What does teleconferencing cost for a company with 50 employees?

For 50 employees, the typical cost includes a subscription fee for a virtual PBX (which includes a conference bridge) plus per-minute charges for calls with external participants. For regular conferences, it is worth purchasing a SIP Trunk package with a flat per-minute rate. The indicative monthly cost for an organization of this size starts at a few hundred PLN and depends on call volume. An exact quote can be obtained on the ACTIO pricing page or by contacting a consultant directly.

Can teleconferences be recorded, and how long are recordings kept?

Yes, both the ACTIO virtual PBX and 3CX Phone System support automatic conference recording. Recordings are stored on servers in Poland, and the retention period can be configured according to company policy and legal requirements – typically from 30 days to 12 months. Access to recordings is logged, which simplifies security and compliance audits.

Can mobile employees join teleconferences using the company number?

Yes. With ACTIO Mobile, an employee can join a conference from a smartphone app using the company's VoIP number. The call is billed under the company subscription, and the employee's private phone number stays hidden from the other participants.

How quickly can a company set up teleconferencing with ACTIO?

The service is activated within 24 hours of registration. If a company is porting existing phone numbers, porting takes place without any downtime. Setting up a conference bridge within the virtual PBX requires no hardware installation – all you need is internet access and any SIP phone or softphone app.

Business Teleconferencing: How to Choose and What It Costs

A modern company rarely fits inside a single building. Teams work remotely, branches are scattered across the country, and clients and business partners expect instant contact regardless of location. That's why business teleconferencing has stopped being a luxury – it has become part of everyday communication infrastructure. In this article we explain how the available solutions differ, which technical parameters matter, and why choosing a VoIP operator is just as important as the software itself.

What is business teleconferencing and why implement it

A teleconference is a voice or audiovisual call involving more than two parties at once. In a B2B context there are three main scenarios: internal team meetings, calls with clients, and conferences with external partners or suppliers.

The benefits are measurable. According to McKinsey research, companies that implemented structured videoconferencing and teleconferencing tools cut the time needed to make operational decisions by as much as 30%. Fewer business trips mean lower costs and a smaller carbon footprint – an argument increasingly raised by ESG departments.

It's worth remembering, though, that the conferencing platform itself is only part of the puzzle. Call quality depends on the voice infrastructure underneath it. That's why companies that choose modern VoIP voice communication as the foundation of their systems get more stable calls and lower per-minute costs than with traditional PSTN telephony.

Types of conferencing solutions: an overview

Audio teleconferencing (conference bridge)

The simplest form – participants dial a shared access number and enter a PIN. No software installation is required; it works from any landline or mobile phone. Ideal for companies running recurring check-ins with many participants, or that need to include people without internet access.

For such a conference bridge to run reliably with dozens of participants, a high-capacity SIP line is needed. SIP Trunk from ACTIO lets you scale the number of simultaneous voice channels without investing in physical infrastructure – you only pay for what you actually use.

Videoconferencing and hybrid teleconferencing

Solutions that combine audio, video and screen sharing. The ACTIO videoconferencing platform lets you run meetings without the per-user license limits typical of popular consumer apps. For sales and customer service teams, the key advantage is that a meeting can be launched directly from a CRM system or calendar, with the recording automatically saved to the archive.

Teleconferencing integrated with a PBX

The most mature deployments rely on integrating a conferencing module with the company's phone system. ACTIO's virtual PBX includes a built-in conference bridge, participant management and call recording – all within a single subscription, with no extra licenses.

For companies with their own IT department, an alternative is 3CX Phone System – PBX software that can be installed on-premise or in the cloud, offering advanced conferencing features together with integration with Microsoft Teams, Salesforce or HubSpot.

Key technical parameters that determine quality

When choosing a conferencing solution, it's worth paying attention to a few parameters that are often left out of sales materials:

Audio codecs – G.711 delivers the highest voice quality but needs more bandwidth. G.729 compresses the stream and works well on weaker connections. Modern systems switch between codecs automatically.

Maximum number of participants – the conference bridge should handle peak load without any drop in quality. With 50+ participants, dedicated SIP capacity is required.

TLS/SRTP encryption – mandatory in regulated environments (finance, healthcare, public sector). Make sure the operator confirms end-to-end encryption, not just encryption up to its own server.

Recording and archiving – important from a compliance and GDPR perspective. Recordings should be stored on servers within the EU, with logged access. If you need a custom retention policy configuration, contact the ACTIO team, who will set the parameters to match your industry's requirements.

Teleconferencing and remote work: integration with mobile apps

A team spread across the country needs a solution that works just as well on an office laptop as on a smartphone in the field. ACTIO Mobile is a virtual VoIP mobile number that lets employees join conferences using the company number – without revealing their private phone number and without extra roaming costs.

This is especially important for sales reps and field technicians: they can hold conference calls with clients using company infrastructure, and the calls are automatically logged in the CRM system.

How much does business teleconferencing cost?

The cost model depends on the solution you choose:

Conference bridge within a virtual PBX – cost included in the subscription, no per-minute charges for internal calls.
Conferences with external participants – billed according to the VoIP operator's per-minute rate. For high volumes, it's worth considering SIP Trunk packages with a flat per-minute rate.
3CX license – one-time or annual, based on the number of simultaneous calls (SC), not the number of users.
Videoconferencing platform – subscription or pay-per-use model.

The detailed ACTIO price list lets you compare the options and estimate the monthly cost for your organization's specific size.

It's worth remembering that porting your existing numbers to ACTIO is free – number porting happens without any downtime, so the company doesn't lose communication continuity during the migration.

Security and GDPR in business teleconferencing

Any conference call in which client personal data or confidential information is discussed falls under GDPR. The key requirements are:

1Servers located in the EEA – voice data and recordings should not leave the European Economic Area.
2Data Processing Agreement (DPA) – the telecom operator must sign a DPA with the business client.
3Access control – a PIN for the conference bridge, a waiting room (lobby) for videoconferences, and the ability to remove a participant.
4Access logs – a record of who joined the conference and when, useful for security audits.

As an operator active in the Polish market for 25 years, ACTIO meets all of the above requirements and regularly serves clients in regulated sectors, including energy companies and critical infrastructure.

How to roll out teleconferencing step by step

A practical rollout can be broken down into four stages:

1Needs audit – how many simultaneous participants, how often, what use cases (internal vs. external, audio vs. video).
2Model selection – a virtual PBX with a conference bridge, 3CX, or a dedicated videoconferencing platform.
3Configuration and testing – ACTIO provides technical support during setup, with activation within 24 hours of registration.
4User training – a short onboarding session for the administrator and end users.

If your company already uses call forwarding or voicemail, integrating a conferencing module within the same platform is much simpler than deploying a separate tool.