Johnson Controls selects Office 365 to improve internal communication for employees worldwide

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls, a global diversified technology and industrial leader in more than 150 countries, has secured Microsoft Office 365 for its employees, partners and suppliers around the world, enhancing knowledge sharing on a global scale and fostering innovation through greater employee interaction.

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"Collaboration has been the hallmark of Johnson Controls' success as a company," said Colin Boyd, vice president, information technology and chief information officer, Johnson Controls. "We chose Office 365 because it will help us more effectively capitalize on our collaborative culture."

The company evaluated multiple options and ultimately concluded that Microsoft's cloud solutions offered the most reliable, cost-effective and scalable tools required by a global corporation. In addition, the platform's capability to provide real-time translation in many languages effectively supports Johnson Controls' focus on bolstering interactions among employees.

Boyd added: "At Johnson Controls, we will use Office 365 to enable the spontaneous, lateral communications that drive innovation and increase productivity, which are essential requirements in today's global manufacturing environments."

With Office 365, employees can engage in dynamic, evolving conversations that spark ideas and new ways of solving problems no matter where they are located. From the instant messaging, desktop sharing and webconferencing capabilities in Lync to surfacing project-related email messages through Outlook, Office 365 gives the company the efficient and global communication tools it needs to be agile and responsive.

For example, the account teams within Johnson Controls' automotive business consist of dedicated groups of people located in different countries working together to provide coordinated and consistent service to hundreds of customer locations. With Office 365, a shop supervisor with a car seat assembly question can use a smartphone to take a video of the assembly and upload it to a SharePoint site for the engineering team to immediately review and resolve.

"Avoiding any production issues that might impact our customers is a key issue for Johnson Controls," Boyd said. "We're using Office 365 to mitigate this risk, connecting our 300 production plants with engineering centers through real-time communications to drive quality and responsiveness for our customers."

More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available in the Microsoft Customer Spotlight newsroom.

About Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in more than 150 countries. Our 168,000 employees create quality products, services and solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Our commitment to sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. Through our growth strategies and by increasing market share we are committed to delivering value to shareholders and making our customers successful. In 2013, Corporate Responsibility Magazine recognized Johnson Controls as the #14 company in its annual "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.