Organizing conference calls usually means gathering up individuals and placing them in a conference room with expensive conferencing equipment.

Sounds pretty simple, right?

The cold hard reality is that task is turning out to be anything but simple. Today’s businesses are always on the go, with workers out in the field, small satellite offices and more chores being performed at customers sites, and that can make something as simple as a conference call a challenge.

IP telephony pioneer IPEVO solves that problem with its TR-10 Portable Conference Phone, which can be thought of as an instant conferencing telephony solution. Some may make the mistake of confusing the TR-10 with a speaker phone. Trust us, it much more than that.

The TR-IO is designed with versatility in mind. The device offers excellent speaker phone sound quality, and it proves to be a cost-effective Skype conference phone solution. Users can readily switch between handset and hands-free mode with the touch of a single button. The device has a very small footprint, which makes it ideal for travelers.

The TR-10 is designed to be connected to a PC’s USB port and is used with VOIP services from Skype. The unit incorporates 16-bit DSP (digital signal processing) technology to improve call quality and features auto gain control along with noise canceling. It also features a 2-watt speaker and an internal omnidirectional microphone, which works very well, even in noisy environments.

The TR-10 is fully integrated with the Skype service. Users will find dedicated buttons on the device to launch Skype from a connected PC or Mac. The unit works with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac operating systems. Of course, users will need to have Skype installed on their PCs and have an active account. The good news, at least for Skype-to-Skype calls, is that Skype is completely free and supports conferencing calls directly from the Skype interface. For a few dollars a year, Skype can be used to call landlines and receive calls from external users. Most users will want a full-fledged Skype account before using the TR10.

If privacy is needed, the unit can also be used as a traditional handset. Plus, the unit features a mute button and easy-to-use volume controls.

A nifty feature of the TR-10 is its ability to work as a voice/call recorder. Users can “tape” meetings or conference calls for future reference, and the quality of the recording proves to be far superior to the integrated microphone found on most notebook computers.

Call recording is handled by included software, FreeRec, which is automatically installed along with the product’s driver.

During a call, all a user has to do is press the red circle recording button on the phone to save the conversation. FreeRec automatically adjusts the microphone volume level. Recording time is only limited by the host machine’s available memory. Installation of the unit is plug-and-play simple, which make the device a good candidate to be shared across multiple PCs.

Solution providers selling notebook computers or supporting Skype should seriously consider offering the TR-10. At just $79.95, the unit could be bundled with every notebook computer sold or at the very least be offered as an option for small businesses looking to conduct conference calls without investing in high-end, dedicated conference room equipment.