The 2013 Alberta flood was a catastrophic event, causing more than $5 billion worth of damage to the region; many say that it was the worst flood in Alberta’s history. The incident left countless homes devastated. After one Calgary resident assessed his home’s extreme water damage, he chose to rebuild, turning to local technology integration firm K&M Systems to reconstruct his home automation system around a new ELAN controller.

As SDM’s Doug O’Gorden and Laura Stepanek toured the show floor of CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis earlier this month, they collected information from exhibitors about new products they thought would be especially appealing to security professionals. The trends: The degree of interoperability with security controls is ramping up, providing greater control over lighting, thermostats, locks, and more. Video analytics are now converging with home control. The first residential locks that can be operated by a mobile phone have been introduced. There’s a significant focus on easier installation and programming for technicians. And, the apps for mobile control continue to roll out.