Although e-mails and instant messaging generate much of the attention as communications mediums, the telephone remains the preferred means for most businesses to conduct everyday conversations. But unlike e-mails where a record of the correspondence can be kept, it is difficult for one to remember every aspect of correspondence with a customer or acquaintance.

That’s where the phone recorder comes in. Connected to the telephone, the phone recorder will record both sides of a conversation, thus enabling the users to have a permanent record.

A phone recorder can record hours, if not days worth of phone conversations. This makes it possible to keep track of important meetings and conference calls, and take the guesswork out of figuring what was said and who said what – something of crucial importance in many legal and business negotiations.

Typically, a phone recorder uses cassettes or micro-cassettes to record phone conversations and incorporate a highly sensitive microphone to pick up sounds.  But more phone recorders use digital technology, using software to record conversations and save them as typically .wav files. The saved .wav files can be e-mailed as attachments or played back for future reference.

In addition, there are phone recorders that can record conversations from mobile phones, given the increased use of those products as business tools, particularly away from the office. Some manufacturers even make phone recorders for use with headsets, or with built-in MP3 players

Some phone recorders are basic, simply recording conversations once activated. But some phone recorders have many more features, such as a time and date stamp, caller ID, numbers dialed, extended recording mode, and timer recording modes. Such features give phone recorder users added flexibility in operation.

Although phone recorders don’t get the attention of some of today’s high-tech business devices, they remain an important productivity tool for many business users.