Many people rely on their watches — or cell phones — to tell them what time it is, but when you're running a large institution like a college it's important for everyone to agree on the correct time.
When the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia was looking for wall clocks for its new residence hall, the school wanted a company that could rise to certain challenges. For one thing, the clocks needed to be synchronized. And they couldn't tick — music students practicing in the building's studios would not appreciate that.
That's where ATR Systems stepped in. The company based in the suburban town of Warminster sells payroll, time and labor management tools including biometric time clocks and software that keeps track of employees' time, schedules and expenses.
ATR provided Curtis with 60 wall clocks powered by energy-efficient lithium ion batteries. Each clock receives wireless updates from a centrally located transmitter that ensures each clock shows the same time. They update automatically for Daylight Saving Time. And they tick silently.
“The students would go around and pull the batteries out of the clocks before we put in this wireless system because they couldn't concentrate,” ATR President Michael Hoover says.
Source: Michael Hoover, ATR Systems
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen