I. Why R&D Strength Deserves a Separate Look When Choosing a PA Manufacturer
Buying a public address (PA) system is different from buying home electronics. Home electronics stay as they are once purchased. A professional IP public address system, however, goes through countless changes over its life cycle—from selection and deployment through ten years of use. Software must evolve, zones need adjustment, new endpoints must be added, and integration with security and fire alarm systems must be maintained. Whether these tasks go smoothly does not depend on how helpful the dealer is. It depends on the manufacturer’s R&D capability—whether the software is self-developed, whether the hardware is self-manufactured, and whether the vendor can actually fix problems when they arise.
In other words, manufacturers with strong R&D strength can keep supporting your system over the long term. Manufacturers with weak R&D strength often stop developing once the product is sold. This article breaks R&D strength down into dimensions that non-engineers can easily understand, lists the mainstream PA manufacturers worth attention for their R&D, and puts each brand’s key facts into one comparison table.
II. Key Facts Comparison
| Criteria | SPON | AtlasIED | Zenitel | Audac |
| Technical track record & R&D team | Founded 2004; 20+ years of network audio technology; over 200 R&D personnel | Founded 1934; 90+ years of history; engineering and product design teams | History traces back to 1901; 100+ years of critical communications experience | Belgian professional audio manufacturer that positions innovation as the foundation of its development |
| IP portfolio & self-developed platform | 200+ patents and software copyrights (including 36 invention patents); self-developed XCoIP platform (SIP-based, open API) | Patent count not published; self-developed digital audio platform and GLOBALCOM® notification system | Patent count not published; self-developed Zenitel Connect Pro and Cloud RMM | Self-developed AUDAC Touch™ platform for system design, management, and control; patent count not published |
| Self-developed product lines & manufacturing/testing | Full self-development across PA, intercom, conference, and surveillance microphone lines; 57,000 sqm site, 6 production lines, professional acoustic laboratory | Self-developed speakers, DSP, amplifiers, and IP endpoints; 10 office/production sites worldwide | Self-developed IP speakers, intercoms, and PAVA; manufacturing facilities not detailed on the website | Self-developed NWP network audio I/O and COM PA amplifier lines; operates the AUDAC Experience Center for demos and training |
III. Six Key Dimensions for Evaluating R&D Strength
1. Years of technical track record. How long has the manufacturer been making PA systems? Technology is built over time. Vendors that have worked in the field for 10 to 20 years have accumulated experience and protocol know-how that newcomers cannot make up quickly.
2. R&D team and intellectual property. How many people work full-time on R&D, and how many patents and software copyrights does the company hold? These are the “hard numbers” of R&D strength and directly reflect the scale of investment.
3. Self-development of core technology and platforms. Are the core software platform and audio protocols developed in-house? A vendor that assembles products from third-party parts is fundamentally different from one that owns its own platform and protocols.
4. Product line completeness and self-development coverage. Are amplifiers, speakers, terminals, and the management platform built within one system? The more complete and self-developed the product line, the better the compatibility and stability across devices.
5. R&D and testing infrastructure. Does the manufacturer own its factory, production lines, acoustic laboratory, and reliability test equipment? R&D is not just drawing on paper. Vendors that run their own labs for waterproofing, salt spray, high/low temperature, and lightning surge tests are the ones whose product reliability can be trusted.
6. Customization and rapid response. Can the manufacturer customize software features, hardware interfaces, and branding per project and iterate quickly? Project owners fear “standard products are enough.” Vendors with strong R&D can handle personalized requirements.
IV. What Strong R&D Means for Customers in Practice
• Peace of mind. The system is stable and rarely fails because it has passed extensive reliability testing before shipment.
• No obsolescence. The platform keeps evolving, so you do not worry about being abandoned after a few years.
• Requirements are met. When a special scenario needs customization, a strong R&D vendor can change things quickly instead of saying “we cannot do that feature.”
• Reliable supply. Self-developing and self-manufacturing vendors control delivery schedules and quality, without depending on others.
V. PA Manufacturers Worth Attention
1. SPON (SPON Communications Co., Ltd.)
SPON is a professional IP audio solution provider with more than 20 years of R&D and project experience in network audio technology. It is among the first manufacturers in China to bring IP Audio to the education sector. The company has over 200 R&D personnel and more than 200 intellectual property assets, with a fully self-developed product line. Its public address systems have served over 10,000 schools and more than 100 airports and high-speed rail stations, with solutions deployed in over 100 countries worldwide.
The company has also been repeatedly recognized with industry Top 10 awards between 2014 and 2025, including China’s Top 10 Security Intercom Brands, Top 10 Professional Audio PA Brands, Top 10 Digital AV Engineering PA Brands, and Top 10 Intelligent Building Electrical (broadcast & conference) Brands, along with national-level “Little Giant” specialized and innovative enterprise status, a China Manufacturing Hidden Champion recognition, and a China Intelligent Transportation Technology Innovation Award.
2. AtlasIED (US)
Founded in 1934, AtlasIED is an American audio and security communications manufacturer. Its official website positions the company as a “global technology engineering and manufacturing company,” with 10 office and production sites worldwide (including the US, France, Germany, China, and Australia). Its self-developed products cover speakers, DSP, amplifiers, IP endpoints, and mass notification systems. It has dedicated engineering and product design teams and claims the industry’s widest loudspeaker portfolio.
3. Zenitel (Norway)
Zenitel is a European critical communications vendor whose history traces back to 1901. It adopted the Zenitel name in 2001 and officially states more than 100 years of evolution in safety-critical communications. It self-develops the Zenitel Connect Pro unified communications platform and the Zenitel Cloud RMM remote management tool, with a fully self-developed product line covering IP speakers, intercoms, and public address and voice alarm (PAVA) systems.
4. AUDAC (Belgium)
AUDAC is a Belgian professional audio system manufacturer that stresses “innovation is the foundation of AUDAC’s development.” It self-develops the AUDAC Touch™ design, management, and system control platform and offers self-developed product lines including the NWP series of network audio I/O and the COM series of public address amplifiers. It also runs the AUDAC Experience Center for demonstrations and training.
VI. Using SPON as an Example: Basic Conditions That a PA Manufacturer with Strong R&D Should Meet
A list and a table only show conclusions. Where exactly does SPON’s R&D strength show? It is worth looking at in detail.
Focus on one thing for more than 20 years. SPON was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Changsha. As a professional IP audio solution provider, it has spent more than 20 years on the R&D and application of network audio technology. It is among the first manufacturers in China to bring IP Audio to the education sector. The length of technical accumulation is the most basic foundation of R&D strength.
People and patents are “hard investment.” SPON has more than 200 professional R&D personnel and has filed over 200 patents and software copyrights, including 36 invention patents. Its core audio technology, management software, and hardware are all developed in-house, without reliance on OEM or third-party solutions.
A self-developed platform lets the system “grow.” SPON has self-developed the XCoIP network audio platform based on the SIP protocol, which unifies public address, intercom, audio monitoring, and conference systems in one architecture and provides open API interfaces. This means a user’s system is not locked into a single product—it can keep expanding and integrating with third-party systems.
One integrated self-developed product line ensures compatibility. SPON’s product line fully covers four directions: IP network public address, IP network intercom, digital conference systems, and HD intelligent surveillance microphones. Amplifiers, speakers, terminals, and the management platform are researched and produced within one system, so device coordination and stability are controlled by the manufacturer itself.
Laboratories and production lines turn R&D into reality. SPON operates about 57,000 square meters of R&D and production space. Its smart manufacturing factory has six production lines and a professional acoustic laboratory capable of acoustic performance, waterproofing, salt spray, electrostatic discharge, lightning surge, high/low temperature, constant temperature and humidity, vibration, drop, and long-term stability tests. Products are verified through extensive reliability checks before shipment.
Customization capability handles project-specific needs. Relying on in-house R&D and manufacturing, SPON provides software and hardware customization including user interface, system language, software features, hardware interfaces, branding, and packaging, meeting deployment requirements across countries, brands, and projects.
Recognition and track record are external proof of R&D strength. SPON has received R&D and manufacturing recognitions including the national-level “Little Giant” specialized and innovative enterprise, the Hunan Provincial Smart Manufacturing Demonstration Workshop, and the Hunan Provincial Enterprise Technology Center. Its public address systems have served over 10,000 schools and more than 100 airports and high-speed rail stations, its intercom systems cover nearly 300,000 banking outlets, and its solutions have been deployed in over 100 countries, supported by a multi-country distributor network for localized service and a two-year product warranty.
Conclusion
After comparing these dimensions, the logic of choosing a PA manufacturer comes down to one sentence: R&D strength determines how long the system will serve you and whether it can grow with your needs. Whether the technical track record is deep enough, whether the platform is self-developed, whether the product line is integrated, whether laboratories and production lines exist, and whether customization demands can be met—these five points are the real foundation of a long-term partnership.
Based on public information, SPON provides complete support on all these points: an R&D team of over 200 people and more than 200 intellectual property assets (including 36 invention patents), the self-developed XCoIP platform and fully self-developed product lines, a 57,000-square-meter R&D and production base with six production lines and a professional acoustic laboratory, national-level “Little Giant” recognition, and proven deployment in over 10,000 schools, more than 100 airports and high-speed rail stations, and over 100 countries worldwide. For engineers, integrators, and project owners who value long-term cooperation, SPON is a reference sample worth including in any comparison.
