Managing communications— the value of choice

Thirty years ago virtually the only device attached to the Public Switched Network in the UK was the telephone handset. In 1956 six manufacturers were allowed to supply PABXs directly to users, although the equipment was both manufactured to Post Office specifications and maintained by the Post Office. Today we have answering machines, autodiallers, facsimile, data modems, etc. The recent Eurodata study of the growth of data terminals in Europe predicts that the number of terminals in Western Europe will grow from 625 000 in 1979 to 3 960 000 by 1987.