Store-and-forward switching center

In telecommunication, a store-and-forward switching center is a message switching center in which a message is accepted from the originating user[?], i.e., sender[?], when it is offered, held in a physical storage, and forwarded to the destination user, i.e., receiver, in accordance with the priority placed upon the message by the originating user and the availability of an outgoing channel.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from MIL-STD-188