- NAPCO shares its vision for unified intelligence and predicts a year of ecosystems where access control, fire safety and intrusion detection work as one proactive unit.
- During ISC West 2026, NAPCO expanded its lineup with several notable additions to support prevailing market needs and resolve integrator pain points.
- NAPCO is actively aligning its engineering and corporate strategies with the broader trajectory of the technology sector toward as-a-service and recurring revenue.
When physical and electronic security professionals gathered at ISC West 2026, the industry’s profound transformation was apparent. The demand for sophisticated, IT-centric security solutions has never been higher. Meanwhile, the vexing challenge posed by a shrinking pool of skilled field labor remains unresolved.
For integrators, navigating these waters requires hardware and software partners that prioritize innovation, seamless interoperability and unwavering integrator support.
That was the backdrop of Security Sales & Integration’s recent conversation with NAPCO Security Technologies’ executive team. During the busy, successful Las Vegas event, NAPCO leaders were eager to discuss the company’s successes.
Kevin Buchel, president and chief operating officer, and Joseph Pipczynski Jr., chief revenue officer, opined on strategic implementations of artificial intelligence, NAPCO’s vertically integrated approach and the company’s steadfast commitment to a recurring revenue-minded model for its partners.
Read on for valuable insights on the trajectory of the security sector and how NAPCO works to engineer solutions designed to boost integration businesses and client outcomes.
Bridging the Complexity Gap
There’s no doubt that security technology has become increasingly networked and data driven. That means integrators must frequently navigate the gap between advancing capabilities and operational realities. How can manufacturers like NAPCO address this tension?
According to Buchel and Pipczynski, this challenge is not a hurdle; instead, it’s an opportunity to rethink system architecture and deployment.
“The headline for 2026 is unified intelligence,” says Buchel. “We’re moving beyond simple connectivity [and toward] ecosystems where access control, fire safety and intrusion detection work as one proactive unit.”
NAPCO’s Kevin Buchel sees the final sunsetting of legacy POTS lines as a massive conversion opportunity that will enable the shift toward hybrid cloud models. Photo courtesy of NAPCO.
He continues, “Integrators have to pay attention to the final sunsetting of the legacy POTS lines. It’s a massive conversion opportunity [that will enable] the shift toward hybrid cloud models that offer local hardware reliability with the scalability of the cloud.”
To help integrators capitalize on these opportunities and mitigate downside risk from the ongoing labor shortage, NAPCO is prioritizing ease of deployment.
“You can’t get workers to install and run wires like the old days,” Buchel laments. “NAPCO addresses this through radical simplification. Our new MVP Access cloud platform and our StarLink universal communicators are designed for plug-and-play installation. We’re helping [integrators] replace labor-intensive hard wiring with wireless, cellular-based solutions that cut installation times in half.”
NAPCO’s commitment to “radical simplification” is born from necessity and a deep understanding of dealer pain points. “The world has changed from the early days of NAPCO products, where guys would be running wires in the attic [and] through the walls,” Buchel adds. These days, he says, “We’re more sophisticated than that.”
Is AI Just a Hot Trend or a Real Business Opportunity?
Artificial intelligence (AI) often dominates industry conversations — including at ISC West 2026 — but it’s often treated as a somewhat nebulous hot trend. According to its leadership team, NAPCO, by contrast, has operationalized AI to deliver concrete, measurable outcomes for internal processes and end users alike.
“We don’t use AI as a buzzword,” Buchel stresses. “We use it for operational efficiency. Our cloud-based solutions, like the MVP Access platform, use AI to filter out false alarms and provide predictive maintenance alerts. By leveraging IoT through our StarLink network, we’ve created a multi-carrier system that ensures [always-on connectivity], putting us miles ahead of single-path competitors.”
Beyond product features, AI is also playing a critical role in how NAPCO leverages technical services to support its integrators in the field. But before turning to AI’s role, Buchel first underlines NAPCO’s U.S.-based support infrastructure, a key differentiator in today’s market.
“A lot of companies have pushed technical service overseas,” Buchel acknowledges. “This is a very complex area. Guys could be rolling around in an attic or on a ladder, needing complex answers to complex questions. You need to have [abundant technical understanding] to help these people. So, we keep all the technical services in the United States.”
Elaborating further, Buchel says, “To make it even better, we’ve introduced AI into the equation. What AI will do is recognize who the caller is and what the caller’s prior problems have been. It’ll give us a head start on answering the questions — and then, [the caller can] go to a live person if necessary. It speeds up the process [and] keeps everything at our headquarters in Amityville, N.Y.”
Expressing optimism, he adds, “There’s no telling how much more AI is going to do.”
Those benefits certainly include NAPCO’s existing use of AI to help drive product development. “AI is a big part of our engineering,” Buchel declares, adding with a laugh, “It’s like having a bunch of new workers in our department.”
Joseph Pipczynski Jr. emphasizes that NAPCO doesn’t want to use it just to say “AI” as a buzzword. “We want to use it because we’re implementing efficiencies in the business,” he says. Photo courtesy of NAPCO.
Pipczynski emphasized that technology is implemented carefully to enhance — not replace — humans. “We don’t want it to be a crutch,” he says. “If a person calls up, and we can get them something immediately because they’re in dire need, and we can answer it through AI, we will. But if they feel that they need to go to those next steps, [that’s available] at their choosing. They’ll continue the dialogue after AI. Our experts can get on the phone with them.”
“We don’t want to use it just to say ‘AI,’” Pipczynski states. “We want to use it because we’re implementing efficiencies in the business.”
How Did NAPCO Expand the Product Ecosystem at ISC West 2026?
During SSI’s booth visit at ISC West, NAPCO sought to underline its commitment to continuous innovation. The company expanded its lineup with several notable additions to support prevailing market needs and resolve integrator pain points.
“We have the StarLink Fire MAX2, which is a generational leap into multi-carrier communication,” Buchel highlights. “Now, it’s not just one carrier, not just two carriers — it’s all three carriers: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The radio will figure out the best choice based on where the radio is located.” Gone are the days when a dealer would have to carry three different radios in their truck, depending on where they were. “This radio figures it out,” Buchel enthuses.
The expanded hardware ecosystem also includes the FireLink 64 addressable panel and the XK5 Slimline keypads.
However, the centerpiece of the booth for many integrators was the aforementioned MVP Access cloud management platform. “[It] allows integrators to manage one door, three doors, 50-plus doors from a smartphone. No running through the firewalls…the IT department,” Buchel says. “No breaking walls. Simple [and] easy.”
Importantly, NAPCO is ensuring that all its new technologies do not abandon existing systems. “We’re always backward compatible,” Pipczynski confirms. “We’re always making sure that when guys want to ramp up, they’re able to do that. I believe it’s an important issue in the business.”
Pipczynski frames the whole conversation as respecting the voice of the customer. “The sales force is out there listening to the customer, finding out the things that keep them awake at night and bringing that message back to the factory,” he says.
How is NAPCO’s Corporate Structure Proving Advantageous?
NAPCO’s corporate structure undergirds its strength in the market. By bringing various security disciplines together within a single organization, the company works to ensure seamless interoperability across product lines and categories.
“Our approach is vertical integration,” Buchel emphasizes. “We own the entire stack.” That extends to owning two locking companies: Alarm Lock and Marks USA. The organization also encompasses an alarm company — NAPCO, the original business — and an access company, Continental Access.
“No competitor has all of that, and that gives us an advantage,” says Buchel. “[From] the locks, to the panels, to the cloud network, we have it all. That ensures that, as technologies evolve, our components remain interoperable. They work together.”
He continues, “We have future-proofed through universal hardware. Our StarLink radios also work with anybody’s panel. Nobody [else] could say that.”
Pipczynski makes the case that a comprehensive portfolio translates directly into streamlined operations for integrator partners. “A lot of these integrators, they want to have one choke point, and it’s us,” he adds. “I can get locks, I can get access control, I can get security, I can get fire — it’s all under one roof. And we can put it all together for you, as well, with MVP, and have it operate.”
NAPCO at ISC West 2026: Cultivating Partnerships Through Profitability
Beyond providing robust technology, NAPCO seeks to distinguish itself by working to foster its integrator partners’ long-term success. A core component of this strategy is facilitating the transition from project-based revenue to sustainable recurring revenue streams.
“We build partnerships through profitability programs,” Buchel explains. “We don’t just sell a box. We provide a business model.” Elaborating further, he explains, “Our NAPCO Marketing Tools Portal gives integrators ready-made campaigns to win new contracts, and our territory managers act as consultants to help them transition from one-off sales to a potential high-value recurring-revenue model.”
NAPCO’s focus on services can be highly lucrative for integrators adopting its technologies and approaches. “This is our specialty,” Buchel continues. “Our recurring service revenues are reaching about $100 million in annual run rate. We provide [a] curb-to-cloud RMR model. Every StarLink radio, every MVP cloud door, every Prima all-in-one system — they all provide monthly recurring revenue for the integrator.”
As Buchel puts it, “We’ve turned traditional one-and-done locking jobs, alarm jobs, etc., into lifelong service contracts.”
These financial benefits are compelling on their own. But, more importantly, they illuminate an organizational ethos centered on a dedication to the integrator channel. “We are the pros’ brand,” Buchel declares. “We don’t sell to big-box retail. We don’t sell to do-it-yourself outlets. We protect the dealers. We protect the professional integrators’ margins.”
Pipczynski shares a compelling anecdote that encapsulates NAPCO’s commitment not only to dealer partnership but also to product quality and reliability. “At a prior show in New Jersey, I ran into an integrator,” he recounts. “In 1989, he bought a fire radio from NAPCO. The house got struck by lightning. The guy lost his power panel in the house.
“The integrator goes down into the customer’s basement, and there’s the NAPCO fire panel sitting there. And all he had to do was swap out the destroyed battery, and it fired back up. [It was] the only thing working in the house. It’s just that quality, that reliability and backing behind it that makes these guys want to stick with us,” Pipczynski adds.
NAPCO at ISC West: What’s the Vision for a Subscription-Based Future?
Looking ahead, NAPCO is actively aligning its engineering and corporate strategies with the broader trajectory of the technology sector to ensure integrators remain positioned for long-term growth.
“The trajectory is clear: Everything as a service; recurring revenue everywhere we turn,” Buchel predicts. “The security industry is moving toward a subscription-based utility model. NAPCO’s adapting by shifting our R&D.”
Buchel reveals that NAPCO has about 80 engineers, and they’re shifting heavily into software and cloud architecture, even while working to maintain hardware dominance.
“Right now, 50% of our revenue is recurring revenue,” Buchel explains. “Ten years ago, it was nothing. We want to look ahead, and, in a few years, [see it] be 70% or 80%. That’s where we’re headed. We see a future where security is autonomous, cloud-managed and accessible from anywhere.”
SSI’s conversation with the NAPCO leadership team was illuminating, underlining the company’s efforts to differentiate through technological innovation, radical simplification and dedicated partner support. For integrators trying to navigate the complexities of today’s market, NAPCO is offering a hand up, all while building the automated, cloud-managed security infrastructures that it hopes will define tomorrow.
