As editors, we’re trained to do our research—dig through details, cold-call sources, fact-check the information we have come across through our searches— in finding “the story” as it relates to a particular topic or developing trend. And while there’s no other feeling like having the latest and greatest scoop on a hot topic (journalists, you know what I mean), sometimes it takes a few missteps and detours along the way to get to your achieved destination—or in this case, to get an exclusive. Where am I going with this, you ask? Let’s just say “said-detour” involved finding a new way to visualize developing residential changes and emerging home automation players—a topic which industry experts shared their thoughts...

For many businesses, the period going into a New Year is the time to sit down, review developments of the past 12 months, plan their future budgets and create a roadmap of goals for the year ahead. Yet for San Jose, Calif.-based RFI Communications & Security Systems, a multi-systems integrator in the commercial, residential and enterprise markets, the strategic planning goes even further. “What we are looking for is to leverage what it is we do so well and make sure our customers recognize that value as they engage us as their trusted advisors,” said Dan Kilgore, managing director of Enterprise Sales for RFI. “The customers are changing and evolving with the sophistication they demand of us and themselves. And this is going to...