Jeff Stanek on What’s Driving Cloud, Mobile and AI Adoption in Security

As president of Honeywell’s Security & Access Solutions division, Jeff Stanek plays a central role in shaping the company’s commercial security strategy and guiding its integration of recently acquired brands. Stanek, who previously held executive leadership roles at Carrier Fire & Security and LenelS2, joined Honeywell through its 2023 acquisition of Carrier’s Access Solutions business.

In a one-on-one interview with SecurityInfoWatch, Stanek shared his perspective on the key market forces driving transformation in the security industry — from cloud and mobile adoption to AI-enabled efficiency and the evolving role of systems integrators. The conversation took place during the 2025 Honeywell Users Group conference in Phoenix.

What trends are shaping the physical security market today?

There are a couple of big ones we’re seeing consistently across customers and the channel. First, skilled labor shortages — whether you’re an integrator or an end user, qualified people in the security space are increasingly scarce. When you find someone good, they’re expensive to keep and are often getting poached by competitors.

Second, there’s a generational shift happening. Millennials are in decision-making roles now, and the generation coming up behind them grew up on smartphones. The way they consume technology is different from how I did growing up, and that affects how they expect to interact with buildings, services and security systems.

The third is cybersecurity. It’s not new, but it’s still extremely relevant. The cost of a cyber incident is incredibly high — trillions of dollars a year across industries. And finally, the trend I’m personally closest to is the cloud and mobile transformation. When you combine all of these forces, they point directly toward cloud and mobile adoption in our industry.

How do those forces lead to broader cloud and mobile transformation?

You have a new generation that expects everything to be as easy as downloading an app. That expectation aligns directly with what cloud and mobile technology can deliver. If you look at growth forecasts, cloud access control is expected to grow three to four times faster than traditional on-prem systems. And we’re already seeing that, particularly in smaller systems moving upstream.

Mobile is one of the fastest-growing segments of our business. Interestingly, adoption is highest in higher education. You’ve got students moving between dorms and facilities, and mobile credentials make that much more manageable. When you bring cloud and mobile together, it also opens the door to incorporating AI and analytics to make guards and SOC operators more effective. It's about optimizing how teams spend their time.

Labor Challenges and the Push Toward Automation

How is the skilled labor shortage impacting both integrators and end users, and what role is automation playing in how they adapt?

We’re seeing it most directly through movement in the labor market. A skilled technician may be working with one integrator today, and six months later, they’re with another. Integrators are having a hard time holding on to talent, and that’s reshaping how they think about their business.

I recently met with a customer whose IT department told them, “We’re going to the cloud. Get the servers out. And we need to reduce our reliance on guarding services.” That led to a conversation about automation. In their SOC, they were dealing with a constant stream of alarms. So we looked at how to rate alarms — what’s high risk versus low risk? If a cafeteria door opens every Friday at 11 a.m., that’s probably nothing. But if it opens at midnight and the camera shows a hooded figure, that’s a real concern. These are simple concepts, but applying risk-based prioritization makes the whole operation more effective.

The Evolving Role of the Systems Integrator

The integrator model has been evolving — less box-moving, more services and recurring revenue. Where do you see this headed?

There’s definitely a shift happening. You’re still going to have integrators that install systems and move to the next job. That’s fine, but it’s transactional. They’re not going to command a premium for what they do.

Then you have another tier of integrators who are positioning themselves as value-added partners. They’re getting into remote monitoring, cybersecurity services, analytics. They want to be consultative with their customers and help solve problems, not just install hardware. We call them VARs, and they’re great partners for us.

This transition picked up after COVID, when remote monitoring became a real necessity. Now, it’s about mobility on large campuses or doing more with fewer staff. There’s room for both models, but those who go the services route are better positioned for the future.

How are you supporting your integrator partners through this evolution?

Training is a huge priority for us and always has been. When a technician is well-trained on our solution, they become an advocate for it. We’ve evolved our training programs. We used to do everything in person, now much of it is virtual with a hands-on certification component.

We host webinars, conduct on-site training days for integrators, and make sure their teams are educated. Because if they’re not trained and install it incorrectly, that creates an unhappy end user. That’s not acceptable. So we put a lot of emphasis on being a resource and support structure for the channel.

From the end user’s perspective, what makes for a strong integrator relationship?

The biggest issue I hear about — especially in the tough conversations — is responsiveness. When something goes wrong and someone doesn’t respond in time, that’s where frustration builds. It’s entirely within our control, and there’s no excuse for it.

On the positive side, great integrators are consultative. They understand the customer’s environment and bring in best practices from other projects. If they’ve worked in data centers, healthcare, or higher ed, they can apply lessons learned and suggest ways to improve the architecture or configuration. That kind of insight shows they understand what the end user is facing — and every vertical has its own challenges.

Strategic Integration and Global Reach

Can you give us an update on how Honeywell is integrating the Carrier brands post-merger?

We just passed the one-year mark, and it’s gone quickly. The early phase was focused on employee transition — making sure people had the right tools, access and support. At the same time, we were very deliberate about not disrupting customer ordering and support.

Once the deal closed, we could finally talk product strategy. We’ve got strong portfolios across the board, and we’ve already taken our fastest-growing mobile technology from Lenel and extended it to the commercial security channel. We’ve also brought video technology to the LenelS2 side. It’s about aligning our strengths where they make the most sense.

The part I’m most excited about is our international growth. Honeywell’s global infrastructure is much broader than what LenelS2 had. I spent Q1 traveling around the world, meeting with teams and partners, and building momentum. That global support is going to be a major asset.