Both Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms allow staff to join calls hosted on outside platforms without needing to change room settings, switch off hardware, or reboot equipment.
This capability relies primarily on a feature called Direct Guest Join. When a client or supplier sends a calendar invite containing a link to an external call—such as a Zoom invitation sent to a Teams Room, or a Teams link sent to a Zoom Room—the room's touch console detects the link automatically. Staff simply tap the screen once to join the meeting.
Behind the scenes, the room compute system launches an embedded web browser to join the call. While this web-rendered mode ensures that video, clear audio, and screen sharing work reliably, some advanced native features—such as dual-screen splitting, interactive digital whiteboards, or complex speaker-tracking layouts—are usually disabled during cross-platform calls.
For spaces where staff need full native functionality regardless of the host app, equipment can be set up in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) mode. By plugging a laptop into a single USB-C cable on the boardroom table, the room's high-spec ceiling microphones, cameras, and main displays switch instantly to run any software platform directly from the user's laptop.
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