Hartford, Conn., Jan. 21, 2009 — A new UTCFS’ wireless hand-held tool that speeds the time technicians spend on repairs, and increases  their time for customer service is part of Microsoft’s new “People Ready” business technology campaign

The hand-held UTCFS tool, with Microsoft technology, minimizes time technicians typically spend on phone calls and processing paperwork and electronically delivers their service-call notices, plans schedules, orders parts, submits reports, and work closely with the sales people and the dispatcher. For one UTCFS company, this has meant a significant increase in service activity per technician.

Microsoft highlights the tool’s development story on its People Ready campaign website.  For two years, Microsoft studied how people perform specific tasks within different types of companies, with the goal to create and tailor technology for specific job roles.

Omar Fathi, chief information officer for UTCFS, said the company welcomed the automation. “Having acquired more than 50 companies within five years, we had many systems and processes and lots of redundancy,” he said. “We knew that automation could make us more efficient.”

UTC Fire & Security provides fire safety and security solutions to more than one million customers worldwide. Headquartered in Connecticut, U.S., UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp., which provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide.