The History of the Answering Machine

Gabby R. — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 19:31:56 +0000

You may recall from your 6th grade science class that the first telephone was invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell. However, you may be surprised to learn that the first answering machine, called the Telegraphone, was created shortly after in 1898 by a man named Valdemar Poulsen. The Telegraphone was very different than the more modernized devices many people became familiar with in later decades, and looked more like a hand-crank pasta machine than an answering machine. Poulsen’s creation recorded sound on a magnetized wire, which could then be played back by the listener.

After Poulsen’s Telegraphone, the next model of answering machine wouldn’t be created until almost 20 years later. In 1914, Thomas Edison created the Telescribe, followed by Truman Stevens’ Phonograph created in 1925. While both the Telescribe and the Phonograph were unsuccessful products, they led to the design of other models that would launch the technology of telephone recording devices into a whole new playing field.

Starting in the 1930’s, the first automatic answering machine was created by Willy Mueller, and by the 1980’s there was a new model coming out almost every year. As new answering machines developed, they became smaller and more efficient by offering features like call screening, remote operation, digital voice prompting and more. At the turn of the new millennium, technology began to take off at a rapid speed, and answering machines soon developed into voicemail boxes that were pre-programmed into telephones. Not long after that, smart phone technology was introduced and today in 2019, separate answering machine devices are pretty much obsolete.

To learn more about answering machines, please check out the complete history of answering machines, where you can get an in-depth look at machines throughout the years. In our timeline, we’ve included pieces of history like newspaper clippings, TV advertisements, and more!

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The history of the call center infographic.

Nick D. — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 13:22:27 +0000

The first call center was founded in 1957, operating under the name Life Circulation Co. and owned by Time Inc. Established to increase LIFE magazine subscriptions, it was the forerunner to today’s modern call centers, and business communications have advanced significantly since then.

Before computers, communication was possible via giant switchboards called Private Manual Branch Exchanges (PMBXs). Receptionists were needed to manually connect calls, and PMBXs were often used by businesses to save money rather than outsource telecom services. Later, the invention of computer telephony integration made the switch from manual to automatic.

It wasn’t long before automation took over call centers completely. From Automatic Call Distribution systems in the 70’s to Interactive Voice Response in the 80’s to today’s Internet and cloud technology, call centers have continued to expand and are now an integral part of operations for a variety of businesses.

Take a look at our call center history infographic below for some fun facts about how call centers have evolved over time.

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Image originally posted on The SAS Blog
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The post The history of the call center infographic. appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Call Center History Archives - Specialty Answering Service

The History of the Answering Machine

The history of the call center infographic.