"We all laughed about that so much," Ward said. About three years ago in Alabama, a field worker radioed in that his company truck had been stolen. Because ARMS was built to track vehicles, central dispatch knew exactly where the stolen truck was.

"They could see it on the map," Ward said. "They got the police on the phone" and worked with them, providing location updates until the truck was recovered, quickly and with no damage -- the opposite of what usually happens with stolen vehicles.

"It was kind of a neat thing," Ward said.

Robert Gregor Jr., manager of telecommunications at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said the center also received a surprise benefit when it implemented a mobile system designed to give remote workers the same telephone functions enjoyed when they were at their company desks.

The company expected the usual benefits, such as increased efficiency, but was surprised to learn that it also helped in retaining employees, such as tech support workers and transcription staff. He said tech support workers were happier because they could be on standby at home instead of having to remain at a company location.