The Apple 2014 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) involved more than updates on PC and smartphone software-- it also revealed HomeKit, a means for the turning of iPhones into home automation device controllers.

Word first emerged on the possibility of Apple taking on home automation last week on the Financial Times.

HomeKit is not actually an app, but an iOS 8 API allowing developers to centralize all automation into iOS without need for separate apps. In other words, users will be able to control individual smart devices (such as locks, lights, cameras, doors, thermostats and switches) using via iDevice and even leverage on Siri for voice-based control.

Details are light on HomeKit's actual capabilities, but Apple says homeowners will be able to create smart device groups for simultaneous control of multiple devices.

According to ABI Research the new generation of smart-looking automation products drives smart home spending growth, with the shipments of such devices set to grow at a CAGR of 30% over the 2013-2019 period.

DIY is a "stalwart" home automation segment, as enthusiasts with the prerequisite technical chops have always been around-- but easy-to-install devices such as the Nest smart thermostat and Dropcam streaming security cameras are usable by a far wider swathe of customers. And as the user base grows, so will the overall automation market.

"Single application, connected smart home devices will not only drive connectivity into a wealth of everyday home appliances from air conditioning units to coffee machines, they will also provide a new battleground for new and existing smart home automation players,” ABI says. “Existing players and start-ups alike are preparing their strategies to leverage the popularity of these devices into their own holistic smart home automation plays.”

The Apple 2014 Worldwide Developer Conference might involve more than OSX and iOS updates-- the Financial Times reports the event will have company revealing a "big play" in the home automation arena.

According to the FT's anonymous sources this will involve "a new software platform that would turn the iPhone into a remote control for lights, security systems and other household appliances." Apple already owns the patents for such a system featuring location-based control (via Bluetooth and iBeacon, perhaps?) of lighting and other connected devices.

The platform will even involve a "Made for iPhone"-style scheme for the makers of devices compatible with the system, and the company will emphasise privacy as a plus over Google's "multi-device future" plans, the FT continues.

Unsurprisingly Apple itself refuses to comment over the alleged plans, which might be a reaction to Google's $3.2 billion acquisition of smart thermostat maker Nest and the Samsung Smart Home automation platform.

The German company behind the Tado° smart thermostat wants to add app-based smarts to AC systems with Tado° Cooling, a small piece of hardware providing a bridge between AC units and mobile devices.

Tado° says Cooling uses geolocation and a Bluetooth LE/iBeacon-based indoor positioning system to monitor home owners, and switches on/off AC units accordingly (for instance it can pre-cool the house when one is coming back from the office). It connects to smartphones via wifi, and replaces the AC's infrared remote to handle control duties.

According to the company the device is compatible with around 82% of legacy remote controlled AC units, including wall hanging, in-window or portable units.

RTI provides a simple means for installers to add voice control to the company's control and automation systems-- a 2-way driver for the Tenflare Voice Viper CTL voice control system.

Developed for the custom installation market, the Voice Viper hardware solution claims to provide accurate and responsive hands-free control. It is always-on, with in-wall microphones reacting only to spoken commands (256 in total) while ignoring ambient conversations.

The compact hardware module communicates to RTI control systems via RS-232 or ethernet to provide voice control over all electronic systems in homes or commerical facilities, from AV equipment to HVAC, lighting and security systems, among others.

The drag-and-drop Integration Designer environment takes care of integration duties.

According to IHS cloud-based home management systems are to see "rapid growth" in the near future, with the global installed base set to grow from 5.6 million in 2013 to 44.6m by end 2018.

By end 2014 alone the installed base should grow by 63% to 9.1m.

IHS defines cloud-based home management systems as mass-market solutions providing remote home monitoring, energy management, lighting control and independing-living services via mobile devices or PCs.

“Imagine using your smartphone or tablet to detect an intruder in your home or to adjust the temperature in your living room—no matter where you are,” IHS says. “Cloud-based home management makes all this possible, and much more. With a wide range of companies offering such solutions, the cloud-based home management system business will expand dramatically in the coming years.”