Glossary
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Glossary Definition: Switchboard
A switchboard (also called a manual branch exchange) is a device used to manually connect a group of telephones from one to another or to an outside connection, within and between telephone exchanges or private branch exchanges (PBXs), used in offices and hotels. The user is typically known as an operator.
The electromechanical automatic telephone exchange, invented by Almon Strowger in 1888, gradually replaced manual switchboards in telephone exchanges. Manual PBXs have for the most part been replaced by more sophisticated devices or even personal computers, which give the operator access to an abundance of features. In modern businesses, a PBX often has an attendant console for the operator, with an auto-attendant often avoiding the operator entirely.