MS Teams: ACQUA test suite for certifying conferencing devices according to Microsoft Teams

29. September 2020

Acoustic measurements for compliance with the official Microsoft audio test specification
Especially in these days, when lots of people working remotely from home offices, platforms for workplace collaboration and communication via VoIP like Microsoft Teams (formerly Microsoft Skype for Business) are increasingly important. To ensure optimal communication quality in conversations held on Microsoft Teams systems, VoIP conferencing devices can be tested according to the “Microsoft Teams Audio Test Specification V4.0”. For this purpose, HEAD acoustics offers its automated MS Teams test suite for use with the communication analysis software ACQUA. In this test suite all acoustic-related requirements are implemented to test VoIP devices and accessories for compliance with the official Microsoft audio test specification.

Testing relevant acoustic parameters
The acoustic measurements implemented in the MS Teams test suite cover all relevant communication quality aspects in sending and receiving direction like for example delay, frequency response, and echo performance. In addition, the new ACQUA test suite enables to analyze speech quality in presence of background noise and during double talk. It includes two projects, each for typical devices used with MS Teams: Handsets and headsets as well as personal speakerphones (mouth-to-microphone distance ≤ 1.0 m) and conferencing devices (mouth-to-microphone distance > 1.0 m). Thus, manufacturers are able to certify their devices for the use with Microsoft Teams.

“Conference scenarios are very complex due to the different devices of the participants. The MS Teams test suite makes another important contribution for ensuring compatibility of devices and software and thus optimizing communication quality in audio conferences," says Dr. Hans W. Gierlich, Managing Director Telecom at HEAD acoustics GmbH.