Business telephone system

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Business telephone system" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

A business telephone system is a telephone system typically used in business environments, encompassing the range of technology from the key telephone system (KTS) to the private branch exchange (PBX).

A business telephone system differs from an installation of several telephones with multiple central office (CO) lines in that the CO lines used are directly controllable in key telephone systems from multiple telephone stations, and that such a system often provides additional features for call handling. Business telephone systems are often broadly classified into key telephone systems and private branch exchanges, but many combinations (hybrid telephone systems) exist.

A key telephone system was originally distinguished from a private branch exchange in that it did not require an operator or attendant at a switchboard to establish connections between the central office trunks and stations, or between stations. Technologically, private branch exchanges share lineage with central office telephone systems, and in larger or more complex systems, may rival a central office system in capacity and features. With a key telephone system, a station user could control the connections directly using line buttons, which indicated the status of lines with built-in lamps.