A whiteboard (also known by the terms marker board, dry-erase board, wipe board, dry-wipe board, pen-board, and the grease board)is any glossy, usually white surface for non-permanent markings. Whiteboards are analogous to blackboards, but with a smoother surface allowing rapid marking and erasing of markings on their surface. The popularity of whiteboards increased rapidly in the mid-1990s and they have become a fixture in many offices, meeting rooms, school classrooms, and other work environments. The term whiteboard is also used to refer to interactive whiteboards.