Introduction
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. In 2018, 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 in 2018, 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
CONTACT US to learn how XPressEntry can enhance your operations.