The part of the datacenter where the data entry terminals and operators are located. In the past, every major company had a data entry department where paper documents were collected. Until the late-1960s, all input was first keyed into punch cards. That was followed by key-to-tape machines, and later, everything was keyed directly into the computer via terminals. Today, users enter their own data, and most paper documents are machine-scanned into the computer. See
data entry,
data entry operator,
punch card and
key-to-tape machine.