Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients
Representative Software Clients
I had the opportunity to attend the 2025 Honeywell Users’ Group (HUG) in San Antonio last week, and the event delivered a thoughtful mix of legacy celebration and forward-looking innovation. From marking 50 years of distributed control systems (DCS) to outlining Agentic AI use cases and cybersecurity service expansion, Honeywell presented a clear narrative around augmenting human capabilities through digital technologies.
Celebrating 50 Years of DCS with an Eye on the Future
The conference opened by honoring a major milestone—five decades of DCS innovation— alongside ExxonMobil, the first TDC2000 customer. While this celebration underscored the deep legacy of Honeywell’s process control solutions, the broader focus remained firmly on shaping the next phase of automation.
Key Themes and Highlights
Energy Security and Reliability: Honeywell emphasized the critical role of LNG, natural gas, and renewables in building more reliable and secure energy systems—especially in an era of global supply volatility.
AI-Driven Operator Support: A standout moment was the collaboration with Chevron to apply AI to Honeywell’s Alarm database. The solution helps reduce risks and environmental impact by providing real-time operator guidance—an example of how machine learning is being applied in context-sensitive ways.
Digital Cognition and Agentic AI: Chief Technology Officer Jason Urso described Honeywell’s direction as “Digital Cognition,” highlighting how AI is being embedded to predict events, advise users, and even take preemptive actions. Demonstrations of potential Agentic AI applications showed how engineering and operations workflows might be reimagined through AI augmentation.
Software-Defined Migration Paths: One major technical update was the ability to migrate from legacy TDC2000 systems to the native Experion C300 platform without a complete rip-and-replace. This on-process upgrade reduces risk and cost while protecting existing intellectual property—illustrating the long-term value of software-defined control.
Advanced Asset Monitoring at Scale: Honeywell Forge Performance+ now oversees more than 200,000 assets, providing operators with expanded analytics and visibility across sites.
OT Cybersecurity and 24/7 Monitoring: In response to rising cyber threats, Honeywell announced two new OT Cybersecurity products, Cyber Proactive Defense and the launch of around-the-clock OT Security Operations Centers (OT SOC). These services are part of a growing portfolio of cybersecurity offerings aimed at industrial sectors.
Life Sciences Momentum: Honeywell also reaffirmed its investment in life sciences, highlighting the TrackWise Digital suite acquired via Sparta Systems. This modular manufacturing platform—previously discussed in the context of Gigafactory automation—was spotlighted as a flexible solution with potential to expand into hybrid manufacturing markets.
Takeaways and Outlook
The underlying message across sessions was consistent: AI is here to augment rather than replace. This includes everything from autonomous operations, which Honeywell frames as a journey, to predictive engineering tools and advisory systems. The push toward Digital Cognition reinforces Honeywell’s commitment to building solutions that support people, not just automate tasks.
It’s also clear that Honeywell is building a more integrated automation and services ecosystem, with UOP technologies and cyber solutions forming critical components. From legacy migration paths to modular MES for life sciences, Honeywell continues to position itself as a full-spectrum automation partner.