In a game-changing development, ASX-listed TZ Limited has clinched its first order for 120 smart cabinet locking kits for global data centres, with technology titan Microsoft sitting squarely behind the deal.

The order, placed through Microsoft’s procurement agent Wesco Anixter, marks the start of the commercial rollout of TZ’s retrofit solution. The initial order is part of a broader 360-unit commitment worth $725,000 and will be distributed across high-growth regions including the United States, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and Asia.

TZ has reimagined the humble lock, fusing cutting-edge shape memory alloy (SMA) technology with intelligent microprocessors to create a next-generation electronic locking system.

Dubbed the “SMArt” system, the high-tech solution ditches the old-school lock and key in favour of a sleek, software-driven setup that delivers superior security, remotely controllable with a tap or a click.

‘The growing pipeline of sales opportunities continues to validate TZ’s cabinet locking solutions.’

TZ Limited chief executive officer John Wilson

TZ says the new order is a major win for the company, whose cabinet security tech is quickly becoming a go-to solution in a data-driven world fuelled by the booming demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital transformation.

The smart locking kit incorporates a modular, retrofit-friendly design that can be easily integrated into existing access control systems via hardwiring or through TZ’s API-driven software. The system provides real-time access tracking and compliance auditing using TZ’s proprietary Centurion Enterprise software platform.

TZ Limited chief executive officer John Wilson said: “The growing pipeline of sales opportunities continues to validate TZ’s cabinet locking solutions and our ability to meet the needs of the market.”

The Microsoft deal follows good results from pilot installations in Dublin and Chicago, which the company says have positioned TZ to become a serious player in the global data centre arms race.

The company already has long-standing relationships with local data centre heavyweights NextDC and Macquarie Data Centres, which are both preparing to bring new facilities online within the next six to 12 months.

The breakthrough doesn’t appear to be a one-off. Microsoft has flagged plans to plough US$80 billion into expanding its data centre footprint and TZ’s tech is now officially on its global menu.

Evidence of the soaring demand for secure cabinetry in data centres is already starting to show in TZ’s top line with sales growing threefold from the previous year. They now represent up to 20 per cent of revenue.

To ride the wave likely to come from this high-profile sale, TZ says it has beefed up its sales engine. A newly formed business development team will now target key enterprise markets across Asia-Pacific.

Shi Song Tan, formerly the company’s regional manager for Asia, will lead the global data centre sales charge, with strategic support from Chris Kelliher, a former TZ US executive and ex-Microsoft Australasia managing director.

Beyond data centres, TZ operates across three other high-growth verticals: smart access control for defence and critical infrastructure, intelligent locker systems for logistics and workplaces and Keyvision - a SaaS platform for tenant and property management that it acquired earlier this year.

With triple-digit growth in data centre security sales, a high-margin recurring revenue model, and global giants such as Microsoft on its client list, TZ looks set to lock in a prosperous future.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au