This case study highlights a major U.S.-based energy company headquartered in downtown Houston, Texas. The organization occupies 10 floors within a shared high-rise office building and supports approximately 600 employees.

The company has operated its Software House C•CURE 9000 access control system for many years as the foundation of its physical security program. The organization enhanced its emergency preparedness strategy by deploying XPressEntry for mobile emergency mustering, extending C•CURE 9000 beyond fixed door readers to improve real-time accountability during evacuations.

With a strong focus on life safety, regulatory compliance, and operational continuity, leadership required a reliable and repeatable method to account for all personnel during emergency drills and real incidents.

Challenges

Operating within a shared building presented unique challenges:

• Multiple floors with distributed personnel
• No centralized control of the entire building
• The need to evacuate quickly and account for employees across 10 separate levels
• Dependence on manual headcounts and verbal confirmation

In a high-rise environment, delays or inaccuracies during evacuation can create serious risk. Leadership wanted a faster, more structured, and technology-driven approach.

Solution

XPressEntry was deployed in partnership with security integrator Walker Engineering, Inc. and integrated directly with the existing C•CURE 9000 system.

“Walker Engineering partnered with the client to implement a scalable and reliable mustering solution that enhances real-time accountability during emergency events. By integrating mobile mustering capabilities with existing access control systems, the solution improves visibility, response time, and overall life safety performance.” — Walker Engineering, Inc.

Fifteen (15) XPressEntry handheld badge and biometric readers were strategically installed throughout the facility. Each floor was equipped with a custom enclosure containing power and network connectivity to support a true grab-and-go mustering solution.

Designated personnel on every floor were trained to retrieve the handheld during drills or real emergencies and proceed immediately to their assigned muster location. By syncing with C•CURE 9000, XPressEntry leverages the latest occupancy information and existing badge data to instantly mark employees as safely evacuated when scanned at assembly areas.

Benefits

Following deployment, the company achieved:

• Real-time visibility into who has been accounted for
• Immediate identification of missing personnel
• Floor-by-floor evacuation accountability
• Distributed mustering leadership for faster response
• Offline operation if connectivity is lost
• Automatic synchronization once the network is restored

With approximately 600 employees across 10 floors, the organization now has a structured, repeatable evacuation process that increases confidence and reduces risk.

Conclusion

Since implementing XPressEntry, the Houston-based energy company has maintained an always-ready, proven emergency mustering program across its 10-floor headquarters. By extending Software House C•CURE 9000 beyond fixed door readers and empowering trained personnel on every floor with a grab-and-go handheld solution, the organization transformed evacuation response from manual and reactive to a modern, real-time, and data-driven solution.

With approximately 600 employees operating within a shared high-rise building, leadership now has confidence that during drills or real emergencies, accountability is immediate, accurate, and repeatable. XPressEntry handheld badge and biometric readers continue to lead the industry with:

• The most access control integrations
• Broad support for badges, biometrics, and mobile credentials
• The first handheld badge reader running Android 15 for enhanced security

TOA Corporation has introduced the new VX-3100PS-EB and VX-3200PS-EB power supply units, expanding the capabilities of its VX-3000 public address and voice alarm system. The new solutions are designed for installations that do not require backup battery support or EN 54 compliance, offering users a more cost-effective alternative for commercial and industrial applications.

Both units have been developed as dedicated power supplies for the VX-3000 platform, enabling simpler and more flexible system design while maintaining the reliability and performance of the existing solution. The VX-3100PS-EB supports systems with up to 1,000 W of loudspeaker power and serves as an alternative to the VX-3150DS unit, while the VX-3200PS-EB supports installations of up to 2,000 W and is intended as a replacement for the VX-3000DS in projects where backup power functionality is not required.

The power supply units feature a compact 1U rack-mount design, helping to reduce space requirements in communication and technical cabinets. Both models are equipped with a fault control output, allowing system status monitoring and easier integration into broader building management solutions.

TOA VX-3200PS-EB

The VX-3000 is an established PA/VA platform widely used in commercial buildings, transportation infrastructure, educational facilities, and industrial environments. With the introduction of these new power supply units, TOA provides users with greater flexibility when designing systems, particularly in applications where life-safety and evacuation system requirements do not apply.

Synology has introduced the new FlashStation FS200T, a compact all-flash NAS solution designed for home users and small offices seeking high performance, quiet operation, and a minimal footprint. The new system measures just 121 x 151 x 175 mm and features six 2.5-inch SSD drive bays. According to Synology, the FS200T is aimed at users running virtualization workloads, lightweight containerized applications, or those looking to build a private cloud environment without the noise typically associated with traditional storage systems.

The device is equipped with 2.5GbE and 1GbE network ports, providing faster data transfers and network redundancy, with performance that the company says is up to 2.5 times higher than its predecessor.

Powered by Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system, the FS200T offers access to Synology Drive for building a private cloud environment, as well as Active Backup Suite for protecting computers, virtual machines, and cloud accounts. The system also supports third-party SSDs without functional limitations, while Synology SSDs remain the recommended option for validated performance and compatibility.

The FS200T has been available since May 27 through Synology partners and resellers worldwide.

Zenitel today announced the launch of Zenitel VAIA, a new compact and fully integrated Public Address and Voice Alarm (PAVA) platform designed to simplify deployment while delivering the performance, reliability, and intelligibility required for critical communication environments.

Developed for a wide range of applications — from commercial buildings and education facilities to transportation, healthcare, and industrial environments — Zenitel VAIA combines voice alarm, public address, advanced DSP processing, amplification, and battery charging into a highly compact platform optimized for modern installations.

At the core of Zenitel VAIA is a newly patented amplifier architecture that delivers transformer-like output performance without the need for traditional bulky transformer designs. This breakthrough enables ultra-high-density amplification while maintaining exceptional audio quality, system efficiency, and operational reliability.

Delivering up to 1000 W RMS power in just 1U, Zenitel VAIA provides a fully integrated platform designed to reduce system complexity, minimize rack space requirements, and simplify installation and maintenance.

“Modern buildings and infrastructure demand communication systems that are not only reliable and compliant, but also easier to deploy, manage, and scale,” said Sri Sutharsan, VP of Marketing for Zenitel. “With Zenitel VAIA, we are bringing together our long heritage in critical communication with a new generation of compact and intelligent PAVA technology — designed to deliver exceptional intelligibility, operational efficiency, and simplified deployment without compromise.”

The introduction of VAIA also represents another important step in Zenitel’s Unified Critical Communication (UCC) strategy — bringing together intercom, Public Address, Voice Alarm, IP speakers, and operational audio workflows into one cohesive communication ecosystem. Combined with Zenitel Connect Pro and the highly scalable Vipedia platform, VAIA expands Zenitel’s ability to support everything from compact standalone deployments to complex, multi-site critical communication infrastructures.

Zenitel VAIA has been engineered to support both operational communication and life safety applications within a single unified platform. While fully supporting emergency communication requirements, the platform also delivers the high acoustic performance needed for operational announcements, security messaging, and background music applications.

Key highlights of Zenitel VAIA include:

• Compact, all-in-one 1U architecture
• Up to 1000 W RMS integrated amplification
• Advanced DSP for exceptional speech intelligibility and audio quality
• EN54-certified Voice Alarm functionality
• Built-in battery charger and backup capabilities
• Reduced system complexity and fewer hardware components
• Flexible and scalable deployment architecture
• Designed with cybersecurity and system resilience in mind

Zenitel VAIA expands Zenitel’s broader PAVA portfolio, complementing both IP speaker solutions and the scalable Vipedia PAVA platform for larger and more complex installations. With more than 125 years of experience in audio and critical communication, Zenitel continues to deliver solutions designed to help organizations hear, be heard, and be understood.

For more information about Zenitel VAIA and Zenitel’s PAVA portfolio, visit: Zenitel PAVA Solutions

The global market for advanced data storage systems could reach a value of USD 99.48 billion by 2032, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Analysts estimate that the market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6% between 2026 and 2032, while its value in 2025 was estimated at USD 65.55 billion.

The research shows that market growth is primarily driven by artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud infrastructure, and the accelerated digital transformation of companies worldwide. The increasing volume of unstructured data, combined with investments in hyperscale data centers and high-performance infrastructure, is further boosting demand for advanced data storage solutions.

Key market segments include SSD drives, NAS systems, and locally based storage solutions, with SSD technologies accounting for around 60% of the market share in 2025. At the same time, the file and object-based storage architecture segment is expected to record the fastest growth.

MarketsandMarkets states that cloud service providers, telecom operators, government institutions, and large enterprises remain the main users of advanced data storage systems. Additional momentum is being generated by the development of edge computing, 5G infrastructure, and AI applications that require increasingly larger capacities for data processing and storage.

In terms of regional trends, the Asia-Pacific region has been identified as the fastest-growing market, while North America currently holds the largest market share, accounting for 43.1% of revenues generated in 2025. Leading market players include companies such as Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, NetApp, Huawei, IBM, and Micron Technology, while Wasabi Technologies, LucidLink, and Wishelf are among the companies strengthening their positions in specialized market segments.

Analysts emphasize that the future development of the market will be strongly linked to the needs of AI environments, the growth of cloud services, and increasing demands for greater efficiency, scalability, and real-time data availability.

Ajax Systems has announced a new Roadshow tour across the United Kingdom, where security professionals will have the opportunity to explore the latest Ajax technologies through live demonstrations, expert-led presentations, and discussions with industry specialists.

This year’s Ajax Roadshow will take place in five UK cities throughout June, bringing together installers, system integrators, distributors, and other professionals from the technical security sector. The tour begins on June 4 in Altrincham, followed by Glasgow on June 9, Dartford on June 11, Bristol on June 16, and Nottingham on June 18.

According to the organizers, participants will gain deeper insight into wireless Grade 3 intrusion protection solutions, EN 54-compliant fire safety systems, AI-powered video surveillance, and other advanced security technologies that are becoming increasingly important within modern security infrastructures. Particular attention during the events will be given to practical demonstrations and presentations of real-world application scenarios, alongside knowledge exchange between industry experts and Ajax Systems partners.

In recent years, the roadshow concept has become one of the most important formats for direct communication with the security market, enabling companies to showcase new technologies and industry trends through hands-on presentations and networking opportunities.

Ajax Systems stated that the Roadshow events will provide valuable insight into the technologies shaping the future of the security industry, especially in the areas of integrated security systems, intelligent detection, and AI analytics.

Synology has globally unveiled the PAS7700, a new high-performance enterprise storage platform marking the company’s entry into the top-tier active-active enterprise storage segment. The new model is part of the newly introduced Parallel Active Station (PAS) series and represents Synology’s most ambitious solution to date for mission-critical environments and demanding workloads.

The PAS7700 comes in a 4U form factor and is based on an active-active architecture featuring two separate 2U controllers, each powered by an AMD EPYC 7443P 24-core processor. The system supports up to 1 TB of DDR4 ECC memory per controller, while storage capacity includes up to 48 U.2/U.3 NVMe SSDs, expandable to a total of 216 drives using additional expansion units.

Particular emphasis has been placed on performance and network connectivity. The PAS7700 supports up to four 100GbE ports, twelve 25GbE connections, and Fibre Channel options, making it suitable for applications requiring extremely high throughput and low latency. According to Synology, the system can deliver up to two million 4K random read/write IOPS and up to 30 GB/s sequential read throughput, placing it among the fastest solutions in the company’s portfolio.

At the same time, Synology introduced the new PAX224 expansion unit with 24 NVMe bays, along with SPU7200D U.3 NVMe SSDs specifically designed for the PAS7700 platform. The new self-encrypting SSD models are available in capacities ranging from 1.92 TB to 7.68 TB, offering up to 140,000 4K write IOPS performance.

The PAS7700 was not developed solely for conventional data storage, but also for modern enterprise workloads such as virtualization, AI analytics, real-time data processing, and Kubernetes environments. The system supports NVMe-FC, NVMe-oF, SMB, NFS, and iSCSI protocols, while integration with the Kubernetes CSI driver enables easier management of persistent storage environments.

An important part of the new platform is DSM Enterprise, a specially adapted version of Synology’s operating system developed for the PAS series. The system includes support for active-active operations, live firmware and software updates without downtime, advanced data deduplication, RAID-TP protection, and a BTRFS architecture designed to preserve data integrity.

Particular attention is given to the platform’s “zero-downtime” policy, under which all software, firmware, and application updates are performed without interrupting service availability. During the upgrade process, workloads are automatically shifted between controllers, ensuring uninterrupted operation in enterprise environments where downtime is unacceptable.

In terms of capacity, the PAS7700 can deliver up to 1.65 petabytes of raw storage, while Synology estimates that with deduplication and data optimization, the effective capacity can reach as much as 8.25 petabytes. The system is also designed for maximum resilience, allowing operation even in the event of up to three drive failures without data loss.

Alongside the PAS7700, Synology also announced the more compact PAS3600 system, scheduled to arrive later this year. The new model will use SATA drives and is intended for organizations looking for a more cost-effective entry point into the PAS ecosystem.