An automated attendant is a telephone answering system that eliminates the need for a human switchboard operator. The automated attendant (AA) delivers a programmable voice menu: "for sales, press 1;" "for tech support, press 2," and so on. All PBXs and phone systems have automated attendants, and the number of menu levels depends on the system. When voice response is added, it is known as an "interactive voice response" system. See
IVR.