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Direct Travel Publishes Direct Impact Report Establishing Tangible Baseline for Sustainability and Social Impact

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First Direct Impact report following the acquisition of long-term partner, ATPIScope 1, 2 and 3 emissions baseline re-established50% of leadership roles held by womenApproximately 1 in 6 employees volunteered, contributing 4,525+ hours globally

DENVER, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Direct Travel, one of the world’s largest travel management companies, has today published its first annual Direct Impact Report following the acquisition of ATPI, bringing together its sustainability and social impact activity from across the expanded Direct Travel organisation.

Covering key reporting metrics from the 2025 calendar year, the report establishes an important foundation for measuring future progress as Direct Travel continues to expand its global capabilities across corporate travel, specialty travel, leisure travel and meetings & events.

The report demonstrates how the company is embedding responsible business practices and building long-term value for clients, employees, suppliers and the communities it serves, while supporting a more sustainable and responsible future for the industry.

Accelerating Sustainable Travel

The report highlights how Direct Travel has established a comprehensive baseline of its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions across its combined operations, creating a clear starting point to track progress over time and demonstrating the company’s commitment to climate action and transparency.

Direct Travel also made its first climate disclosure through CDP, the global environmental disclosure platform, receiving a B rating for its approach to managing and reporting climate-related impacts. The company was subsequently recognised on CDP’s Supplier Engagement A-List for its work to engage suppliers on climate action, demonstrating the importance of collaboration across the wider travel ecosystem in addressing emissions.

The report further identifies business travel, reported within Scope 3 Category 6, as the largest contributor of Direct Travel’s global greenhouse gas footprint. While travel remains essential to supporting clients, connecting teams and operating as a global business, Direct Travel is taking active steps to reduce the impact this creates.

To address this, it supported six carbon projects across Africa, Asia and Latin America, representing 1,963 tonnes of CO2e. The portfolio included projects focused on renewable energy, forest protection and restoration, cleaner cooking and access to safe water, delivering environmental and community benefits in regions around the world.

Helping Clients Measure and Reduce Travel Emissions

Beyond its own climate reporting, Direct Travel continued to support clients in taking greater control of their travel emissions. The company helped clients adopt Thrust Carbon’s emissions measurement platform, providing access to reliable, granular data to inform their sustainability strategies.

By enhancing access to flight, hotel, rail and car hire emissions data within existing travel programmes, clients gained greater visibility of their travel footprint and a more consistent approach to sustainability reporting.

Beyond measurement, Direct Travel expanded access to sustainability insights, helping organisations embed emissions data into day-to-day travel management and make more informed decisions. As sustainability expectations continue to rise, organisations increasingly require accurate, accessible data to support reporting requirements, policy decisions and strategic programme planning.

The company also expanded its partnerships across the aviation ecosystem to improve access to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for corporate travel. As demand for sustainable travel solutions grows, Direct Travel continues to play an active role in helping clients understand emerging decarbonisation pathways and make informed decisions aligned with their sustainability goals.

Among the collaborations highlighted in the report are partnerships with fuel producers including CFP Energy and Neste, as well as major airlines including Delta Air Lines, aimed at strengthening understanding of SAF’s role in corporate sustainability strategies,

Jeroen Van Hest, SVP, Strategy Execution & ESG Lead, said: “Sustainability is embedded in the way we do business, shaping how we support our colleagues, serve our clients, collaborate with suppliers, and partner across our network. We also believe that innovation plays a vital role in creating a more sustainable future, helping us find smarter ways to operate, reduce our impact, and deliver greater value. For us, sustainability is not about perfection, but about making more responsible choices every day, continuously improving, embracing new ideas, and helping our clients make informed, sustainable business decisions through the insights and expertise we provide.”

Building an Inclusive and Engaged Workforce

Investing in employees remains central to Direct Travel’s service-led model, recognising that engaged and empowered teams are fundamental to delivering exceptional experiences for clients and travellers. Through initiatives that encourage connection, support personal and professional development, and embrace diverse perspectives, Direct Travel continues to build a culture where people are encouraged to grow, contribute and make a difference.

This commitment is reflected in more than 30,684 hours of professional and development-focused training completed across the global organisation during the year, equivalent to an average of 7.22 hours per full-time employee. Beyond the workplace, employees are also making a positive contribution to the communities in which Direct Travel operates. Roughly one in every six employees took part in volunteering initiatives, contributing to over 4,525 hours globally.

In addition, Direct Travel is also making significant progress on gender diversity, with women holding 50% of leadership positions across the organisation. This reflects the company’s continued commitment to advancing greater opportunities for representation and progression at every level.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate Direct Travel’s commitment to creating a workplace where people can develop, contribute and thrive, strengthening the organisation while supporting the clients and communities. This commitment sits alongside a 98% client retention rate, reflecting the trust the company has built through consistently delivering high-quality service.

Christal Bemont, Chief Executive Officer, added: “This report marks an important milestone for Direct Travel, bringing together our sustainability and social impact efforts for the first time following the acquisition of our long-term partner, ATPI.

“As our organisation has grown, so too has our focus on building the capabilities needed to make better decisions and support long-term progress. Looking ahead, we have a significant opportunity to build on the strengths of our expanded organisation, sharing expertise, innovation and responsible business practices across our global network.

“Through continued investment in solutions such as our Avenir platform, which helps clients make more informed travel decisions, we are well positioned to support more sustainable, inclusive and resilient travel and event programmes. While there is still more work to be done, we are building a stronger future for our industry – one that balances business success with positive impact for people, communities and our planet.”

To read Direct Travel’s Direct Impact Report in full, please visit: Direct Impact – Direct Travel

Media Contact

FINN Partners, Direct Travel, 1 303 945 9764, directtravel@finnpartners.com, https://www.dt.com/

Annie Hopson & Sarah Geppert, Rooster

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SOURCE Direct Travel

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Resonant Link Medical Launches Next-Generation Vivigo™, the Industry’s Most Advanced Wireless Power Platform for Implantable Medical Devices

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33 minutes ago

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September 29, 2026

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The universal wireless power and data platform combines innovative technology, validated engineering tools, and rapid integration services to help implantable device companies reduce development risk and accelerate commercialization.

BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Resonant Link Medical, an innovative medical technology company redefining wireless power and data transfer for implantable devices, today announced the launch of Vivigo™ 2.0, its next-generation wireless power platform for implantable medical devices. Built on Resonant Link Medical’s proven Aurion WPT™ technology, Vivigo™ gives device developers a ready-to-integrate platform for wireless power that reduces risk, accelerates development, and helps bring life-changing technologies to market faster. The platform delivers ultra-fast wireless energy transfer over an extended range, enabling a new generation of implantable technologies that are smaller, smarter, and longer lasting. It supports both rechargeable implants, with charging in as little as 20 minutes, and battery-free devices requiring uninterrupted wireless power.

Vivigo™ gives innovators an advanced wireless power platform that enables smaller, smarter implantable devices designed for MRI compatibility while reducing development risk and accelerating the path to commercialization

For decades, most implantable medical devices were intentionally designed around the limitations of non-rechargeable batteries because developing safe, reliable, and patient-friendly wireless power systems was too complex, too risky, and too difficult to integrate. Today, implantable devices are evolving beyond simple therapy delivery to incorporate continuous sensing, high-speed data transfer, artificial intelligence, and closed-loop algorithms. Together, these capabilities require substantially more power than previous generations of implantable devices, making advanced wireless power an essential enabling technology. Vivigo™ changes the equation by providing a wireless power platform that reduces development risk and gives innovators the confidence to build the next generation of smaller, smarter, longer-lasting implantable medical devices.

“Implantable devices are becoming dramatically more intelligent, but they can’t become more intelligent without fundamentally rethinking how they’re powered,” said Omari Bouknight, CEO of Resonant Link Medical. “Vivigo™ gives innovators an advanced wireless power platform that enables smaller, smarter implantable devices designed for MRI compatibility while reducing development risk and accelerating the path to commercialization. Medical device companies shouldn’t have to become wireless power experts to bring breakthrough therapies to patients. With Vivigo™, they can build on our platform and focus their time, energy, and innovation where it matters most: creating the next generation of intelligent implantable medicine.”

Media Contact

Rachel Allard, Resonant Link Medical, 1 802-448-8220, rallard@rlmedical.com, https://rlmedical.com/

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SOURCE Resonant Link Medical

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CyberRatings.org and NSS Labs Announce 2026 Cloud Network Firewall Test Results

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33 minutes ago

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September 29, 2026

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Security Effectiveness Ranges from 0% to 99.95%

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CyberRatings.org (CyberRatings), the non-profit organization dedicated to providing confidence in cybersecurity products and services through independent testing, today announced the results of its latest Cloud Network Firewall (CNFW) evaluation. Tests were conducted by NSS Labs and are now available at no cost on the CyberRatings.org website.

Only 4 out of 9 were Recommended. Native cloud firewalls were far less consistent than dedicated 3rd party offerings.

Of the nine products tested, only four earned a Recommended rating and native cloud firewalls were far less consistent than dedicated third-party offerings. Each of the Recommended products achieved 99.7% or higher in Security Effectiveness:

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation FirewallHPE Juniper Networking vSRX Next Generation FirewallPalo Alto Networks VM-Series Next-Generation FirewallVersa Networks Next Generation Firewall

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security Next-Gen Firewall earned a Neutral rating despite the highest Security Effectiveness at 99.95% due to its above-average price per Mbps.

AWS Network Firewall and Microsoft Azure Firewall both received 0% for Security Effectiveness, resulting in their Caution ratings. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) NGFW Enterprise at 77.45% Security Effectiveness and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual at 66.10% Security Effectiveness also placed them in Caution.

Products from cloud service providers and third-party security vendors (the latter deployed on Amazon Web Services) were evaluated under identical conditions using the NSS Labs Cloud Network Firewall Test Methodology v4.1, with real-world exploits, evasion techniques, malware, false-positive samples, and sustained enterprise traffic loads.

Evasions were tested with 5,004 attacks spanning 43 techniques across OSI Layers 3, 4, and 7. Attackers use evasions to disguise malicious traffic and bypass inspection; one successful evasion can enable an entire class of exploits or malware, so strong evasion handling is essential.

“With attackers routinely using evasion techniques to slip past inspection, the products that earned a Recommended rating this year proved they can hold up under real conditions,” said Vikram Phatak, CEO of CyberRatings.org. “Buyers should weigh evasion resistance and TLS inspection as heavily as raw block rates.”

Recommendations for Buyers

Test regularly. Agile development and CI/CD pipelines let vendors ship improvements quickly, but rapid change can also introduce regressions that quietly erode protection.Treat native cloud firewalls as a baseline, not a finish line. Validate exploit blocking, malware blocking, and evasion resistance against organizational requirements before relying on a native offering as a primary control.Require TLS inspection and weigh evasion resistance heavily. A firewall that cannot inspect encrypted traffic leaves a substantial blind spot, and a single successful evasion can enable an entire class of attacks.Re-evaluate firewall requirements for AI and agentic workloads. Local AI models and agentic workflows will consume more network resources and drive larger, more complex policies, including east-west agent-to-agent traffic.Hold vendors accountable and demand transparency. No product is perfect; what matters is how a vendor responds when a gap is found. A lack of transparency should be treated as a red flag.

NSS Labs is the Official Testing Partner of CyberRatings, generating the test results and reports for CyberRatings publications. NSS Labs proprietary technologies and Keysight’s CyPerf tool were used to test the security, performance, TLS functionality, and stability of Cloud Network Firewalls.

The Cloud Network Firewall Test Reports, Comparative Report and Security Map are available at CyberRatings.org.

About CyberRatings.org

CyberRatings.org is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization dedicated to providing confidence in cybersecurity products and services through our research and testing programs. We provide enterprises with independent, objective ratings of security product efficacy to make informed decisions. To become a member, visit www.cyberratings.org and follow us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE CyberRatings.org

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Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Acquires Union AlarmTronic, LLC, Continuing Security Alarm Service Expansion in the Northeast

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33 minutes ago

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September 29, 2026

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ATLANTA, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pye-Barker Fire & Safety — the largest fully integrated and full-service fire protection, life safety and security services provider in the United States — has acquired Union AlarmTronic, LLC, a security alarm company based in Springfield, New Jersey. The acquisition adds to Pye-Barker’s growing presence in the state by deepening operational security capacity, expertise and local service.

Union AlarmTronic, LLC, established in 1989, has built over 20,000 security installations. The company provides a wide range of security systems and services, including access control and video surveillance, as well as intercom, integrated security, and alarm systems. Union AlarmTronic is led by industry veteran Fred Rosenfeld, who got his start in the business with his father, Len Rosenfeld.

“We have proudly protected people and property and provided high-caliber service to customers in New Jersey for decades,” said Fred Rosenfeld, owner of Union AlarmTronic. “With Pye-Barker, we will continue our commitment to install and maintain security systems that protect customers while being able to offer expanded full-service fire protection.”

“When we met with team members at Union AlarmTronic, their passion for customers and their community stood out,” said Bart Proctor, CEO of Pye-Barker Fire & Safety. “Incorporating their expertise, service and team approach into the Pye-Barker family enables us to protect even more people in the state.” 

The Union AlarmTronic team of highly trained technicians will continue to serve customers in New Jersey. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP represented Pye-Barker. Mesirow Investment Banking was the exclusive advisor to Union AlarmTronic.

About Pye-Barker Fire & Safety

As the U.S. leader in fully integrated life safety systems, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety provides complete fire protection and security systems nationwide. With over 250 locations and 9,000 team members, Pye-Barker is Great Place to Work® Certified™ and is also listed on the Inc. 5000 and ranks No. 3 on the SDM 100.

Visit pyebarkerfs.com/acquisitions to learn why we’re the industry’s acquirer of choice.   

Contact:
Philip H Gardner
EVP, Business Development – M&A
philip.gardner@pyebarkerfs.com

Media Contact: 
James Taylor
jtaylor@fulltiltconsulting.com

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SOURCE Pye-Barker Fire & Safety

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