Snom is a German manufacturer of SIP-based VoIP telephones for businesses, ISPs, carriers, and enterprises. Acquired by VTech Holdings in 2016, Snom produces high-quality IP phones for SMB and professional markets.
Snom Technology is a German-engineered IP phone manufacturer — now a wholly owned subsidiary of VTech Holdings — that has been producing SIP desk phones and DECT wireless systems since 1999. For South African resellers, Snom offers a portfolio of robust, standards-based IP phones that work with virtually any SIP-compatible PBX platform, combined with scalable DECT multi-cell solutions for enterprise wireless voice. With MiRO Distribution serving as the official value-added distributor for Africa, Snom products are readily available locally with technical support and competitive trade pricing.
Snom Technology GmbH is a Berlin-based IP phone manufacturer that has been developing and producing SIP-based telecommunications devices since 1999. The company was founded in 1997 by Christian Stredicke and Nicolas-Peter Pohland, both former computer scientists at the Technische Universität Berlin. Snom introduced its first VoIP phone — the snom 100 — in 1999, making it one of the earliest dedicated SIP phone manufacturers in the world. In November 2016 Hong Kong-listed VTech Holdings completed the acquisition of Snom, bringing the German engineering brand under the umbrella of one of the world’s largest cordless phone manufacturers.
Under VTech ownership Snom continues to operate as an independent brand with its own R&D team in Berlin, maintaining the German engineering philosophy that has defined the company for over two decades. The portfolio today spans SIP desk phones ranging from basic to executive models, multi-cell DECT wireless systems for enterprise mobility, conference phones, door intercoms, paging systems, and headsets. Snom is known for exceptional interoperability — its phones are certified to work with over 100 IP PBX and hosted UC platforms — and for the depth of configuration options available through the phone’s web interface and mass-provisioning system.
Snom’s appeal in the South African market lies in three key areas: build quality, interoperability, and total cost of ownership. German engineering delivers phones that are built to last in professional environments — Snom desk phones are known for their solid construction, high-quality audio components, and long product lifecycles. South African businesses that invest in Snom hardware can expect years of reliable service with minimal hardware failures, which translates to lower support costs for both the end customer and the reseller.
Interoperability is another compelling selling point. Snom phones work with any standard SIP platform, making them ideal for resellers who deploy a variety of PBX systems — whether 3CX, FreePBX, Yeastar, Broadsoft, or hosted cloud services from local providers like Euphoria, Switch Telecom, or Telviva. This means resellers can standardise on Snom hardware across their entire customer base regardless of the back-end PBX platform, simplifying inventory management and technical support. The DECT M-series addresses the growing demand for wireless mobility in hotels, hospitals, warehouses, and retail environments where staff need to move freely while remaining contactable.
Snom’s D-series is the core desk phone range, available in multiple tiers to suit every budget and use case. The D8xx series represents the premium executive line with large colour displays, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and extensive programmable keys — ideal for receptionists, managers, and power users. The D7xx series covers the mid-range with colour displays, good audio quality, and a solid feature set for general office workers. The D3xx series provides entry-level phones with essential SIP functionality for cost-sensitive deployments and common areas. All D-series phones feature wideband HD audio, Gigabit Ethernet with passthrough ports for PC connection, Power over Ethernet support, and Snom’s web-based configuration interface.
The M-series provides scalable DECT wireless phone systems for businesses of all sizes. The system comprises base stations and wireless handsets that can be deployed in single-cell configurations for small offices or multi-cell deployments for large buildings and campuses. The M900 multi-cell base station supports up to 253 base stations in a single system, covering large enterprise environments. Handsets include the M70 (standard office), M80 (ruggedised for industrial use), and M90 (alarm and safety features for lone workers). The DECT system integrates with any SIP PBX, and handsets support wideband audio, encryption, and seamless roaming between base stations.
The Snom C-series conference phones provide high-quality speakerphone solutions for meeting rooms and boardrooms. These SIP-based conference phones feature multiple microphones with 360-degree pickup, acoustic echo cancellation, and noise reduction. The phones connect directly to a SIP PBX without requiring a separate gateway, and support daisy-chaining multiple units for larger rooms. The C-series is a cost-effective alternative to premium conference phone brands for South African businesses outfitting meeting rooms.
Snom produces SIP-based public address speakers and door intercoms that integrate with IP PBX systems for building communication and access control. The PA1 is a SIP paging speaker that can be deployed in ceiling or wall-mount configurations for announcements, background music, and emergency notifications. Intercom stations provide two-way communication and can trigger door releases, making them suitable for office reception areas, apartment buildings, and secure facilities. These products create additional revenue opportunities for resellers beyond traditional desk phones.
Snom offers a range of wired and wireless headsets designed to complement its desk phone and DECT systems. The A-series headsets include mono and duo models with noise-cancelling microphones, suitable for contact-centre agents and office workers who spend extended periods on calls. The headsets connect via standard audio jacks or electronic hook switch adapters for seamless integration with Snom desk phones, providing a complete audio solution from a single vendor.
Snom was founded in 1997 in Berlin, originally focused on specialised optical microscope technology. The pivotal moment came in 1999 when the company launched the snom 100, one of the world’s first dedicated SIP-based IP phones. This early market entry gave Snom a significant head start in understanding the requirements of enterprise VoIP deployments and building relationships with IP PBX manufacturers. Over the following two decades Snom expanded its range to cover desk phones, DECT systems, conference phones, and peripherals, becoming a staple brand in the European enterprise telephony market.
The 2016 acquisition by VTech Holdings — the world’s largest manufacturer of cordless phones — marked a new chapter for Snom. The deal brought VTech’s manufacturing scale, supply chain expertise, and global distribution network together with Snom’s German R&D capabilities and established brand reputation in the enterprise segment. Under VTech ownership Snom has accelerated product development, launched new phone series, and expanded its presence in markets outside Europe, including Africa, where MiRO Distribution has represented the brand since 2006.
Snom’s primary differentiator is its commitment to open standards and interoperability. While some phone manufacturers optimise their devices primarily for a single UC platform, Snom takes a platform-agnostic approach, certifying its phones against more than 100 different PBX and hosted UC platforms. This makes Snom the safe choice for resellers who work across multiple PBX ecosystems — the phones will work reliably regardless of the platform, and Snom provides auto-provisioning profiles for all major systems.
German engineering quality is another hallmark. Snom phones are designed and engineered at the company’s Berlin headquarters with a focus on audio fidelity, durability, and deep configurability. The web-based administration interface on every Snom phone provides granular control over hundreds of parameters, which experienced VoIP technicians appreciate. The combination of VTech’s manufacturing capabilities and Snom’s engineering standards delivers phones that compete on quality with premium brands like Poly and Yealink while often coming in at a more competitive price point.
Snom has been active in the South African market since 2006 when MiRO Distribution began carrying the brand. The initial focus was on the ISP and ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider) market, where Snom’s open-standards approach made its phones an ideal companion for the SIP trunk and hosted PBX services that were beginning to emerge in South Africa. Over the years Snom has built a loyal following among South African VoIP resellers and integrators who value the brand’s reliability, interoperability, and German build quality.
The South African market for IP phones has grown substantially as businesses migrate from legacy analogue and ISDN systems to SIP-based telephony. Snom competes effectively in the mid-range segment where South African businesses need professional-grade phones without the premium pricing of top-tier brands. The DECT M-series has found particularly strong demand in the hospitality sector — hotels and lodges deploying wireless phone systems for staff mobility — and in healthcare facilities where clinical staff need cordless phones with roaming capabilities across multi-building campuses.
MiRO Distribution provides comprehensive local support for the Snom brand, including stock availability from its Johannesburg warehouse, technical pre-sales assistance, partner training, and warranty management. MiRO’s established position as one of South Africa’s leading IP convergence distributors ensures that Snom products are well-represented in the local channel and accessible to resellers nationwide.
Snom’s channel in South Africa operates through MiRO Distribution, which provides trade accounts and partner pricing to registered VoIP resellers and telecoms integrators. Ideal Snom partners include IT companies that deploy SIP-based PBX systems, VoIP service providers bundling hardware with their hosted or SIP trunk services, telecoms integrators serving the hospitality and healthcare sectors, and managed-service providers who need reliable, easy-to-provision endpoints for their customers.
Technical familiarity with SIP telephony and IP networking is beneficial for Snom partners, as the phones offer extensive configuration options that more experienced technicians can leverage for advanced deployments. Snom and MiRO provide training resources, configuration guides, and provisioning templates to help partners get up to speed with the product range. Partners who standardise on Snom as their preferred phone brand benefit from reduced support complexity and can leverage the auto-provisioning system to deploy and manage large phone estates efficiently.
MiRO Distribution is Snom’s official value-added distributor for Africa, having represented the brand in the South African market since 2006. MiRO carries the full Snom portfolio including D-series desk phones, M-series DECT systems, conference phones, intercoms, and headsets. The distributor provides local stock from its Johannesburg facility, technical pre-sales support, partner pricing, and after-sales warranty management.
MiRO’s broader portfolio of IP convergence products — including Grandstream, Cambium Networks, and MikroTik — means that Snom sits alongside complementary networking and telephony brands, allowing resellers to build complete solutions from a single distributor. Resellers can open a trade account with MiRO by contacting the company directly or through their website. MiRO provides demo equipment, marketing collateral, and joint promotional activities to help partners promote Snom products to their end-customer base across South Africa and the broader African continent.
Snom phones are available in South Africa through MiRO Distribution, which is the official value-added distributor for Africa. MiRO sells exclusively to the trade channel — resellers, IT integrators, ISPs, and telecoms companies. To purchase Snom products, register for a trade account with MiRO through their website at miro.co.za or contact their sales team in Johannesburg. MiRO stocks the full Snom range including desk phones, DECT systems, conference phones, and accessories.
Yes, Snom phones are fully compatible with 3CX and are included on 3CX’s list of supported IP phones. 3CX provides auto-provisioning templates for Snom desk phones and DECT systems, making deployment straightforward. South African resellers deploying 3CX as their PBX platform can use Snom D-series desk phones and M-series DECT handsets with full feature support including BLF keys, call transfer, presence indication, and remote provisioning through the 3CX management console.
Snom’s M-series DECT system is well-suited for South African hotels. The M900 multi-cell base station supports seamless roaming across large properties, while the M70 handset provides a comfortable and durable cordless phone for housekeeping and front-desk staff. For outdoor areas such as pool decks and gardens, the system can be extended with additional base stations and the ruggedised M80 handset. The DECT system integrates with any SIP-based hotel PBX and supports features like group calling, push-to-talk, and alarm notifications.
Snom and Yealink are both reputable SIP phone manufacturers that compete in the same market segments. Snom’s strengths lie in German engineering quality, exceptional interoperability with over 100 PBX platforms, and deep configurability through its web interface. Yealink typically offers more aggressive pricing and a wider range of video-enabled devices. South African resellers often carry both brands, using Snom for deployments where reliability and platform flexibility are priorities, and Yealink where price sensitivity drives the purchasing decision.
Yes, Snom’s premium D8xx series desk phones include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, making them suitable for hot-desking and flexible office environments. Wi-Fi eliminates the need for a wired Ethernet connection at each desk, while Bluetooth enables wireless headset pairing for hands-free calling. These features are particularly relevant for South African businesses adopting hybrid work models where employees rotate between workstations and need to quickly log into any available phone with their personal profile.