Overhead paging is when you dial a code from a desk phone and your voice comes out of a loudspeaker across the store, warehouse, or office. The setup is straightforward once you know which pieces are on which side.
Vocatech provides the device that bridges your phone system to your paging amplifier. The wiring and the amplifier itself are on your low-voltage technician. This article walks through who does what.
The ATA we use
The standard ATA (analog telephone adapter) for paging is the AudioCodes MP112. It has two FXS ports, meaning it can drive two analog devices. For most single-zone paging setups, one port is plenty.
Larger deployments use the four-port and eight-port variants. If you have multiple zones (warehouse, office, shipping dock) and want a dedicated paging channel for each, we size the ATA to match.
Why buy through us
The AudioCodes ATAs we ship run custom firmware that is tuned for our platform. A retail unit from Amazon or a broker will not register cleanly and will produce weird edge-case failures that are painful to diagnose.
All paging ATAs must be purchased through Vocatech. This is not a markup game. It is a support-quality decision. We know exactly what firmware is on the box when it arrives at your door.
Loudspeaker system
The ATA plugs into your existing paging amplifier. The most common amplifier in small business installs is the Viking PA-15, which accepts a standard analog phone line input and drives 70V or 25V speaker zones.
Other amplifier brands work as long as they accept a standard FXS input. Bogen, Valcom, and similar systems are all compatible. The ATA does not care what brand the amplifier is.
If you are starting from scratch and do not yet have an amplifier or ceiling speakers, your low-voltage technician will size and install those based on the square footage and ceiling height.
Where our responsibility ends
We are responsible for the ATA and for confirming it registers to our platform correctly. Once SIP registration is confirmed, our work is done.
Everything downstream (wiring from the ATA to the amplifier, wiring from the amplifier to the speakers, mounting, zone configuration, volume tuning) is handled by your low-voltage technician. This is their trade and they do it faster and better than we can over the phone.
SIP registration confirmed means our side is done. Wiring is your technician.
How paging gets dialed
Once everything is connected, paging is a feature code on any desk phone or Webex app.
- Pick up the phone.
- Dial the paging extension we assigned (often a short internal extension).
- Wait for the tone.
- Speak. Your voice comes out of the loudspeaker.
- Hang up.
Multi-zone setups give you one extension per zone. Dial the zone you want.
What it costs
The paging service is $14.95/month per dedicated line. That covers the SIP registration and the paging extension routing on our side. The ATA hardware is a one-time purchase and is quoted at the time of order.
When it fits
If you only need to send an announcement to the team, the Webex space or a Textdock message reaches them faster than overhead paging and without disturbing customers.
Overhead paging is the right answer when you need audible coverage of a physical space (warehouse floor, retail showroom, school hallway) where people do not have Webex open or do not carry a phone.