Supporting the smart buildings and homes market since 1988.

The Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings (ASHB) has undergone significant transformation in recent years, expanding its industry reach, strengthening its programs, and growing its influence across the smart buildings and connected homes sector.

Led by CEO Greg Walker, ASHB works with its staff, Board, and industry volunteers to deliver high-impact research, thought leadership, education, and collaborative programs. With the majority of its membership and industry engagement based in the United States, ASHB primarily serves the U.S. market while maintaining a broader international mandate.

Over 300 member organizations participate in ASHB’s research, councils, events, and initiatives, representing manufacturers, technology companies, integrators, building owners, facility managers, government, research organizations, and other industry stakeholders.

Browse below to learn more about ASHB’s mission, vision, values, and membership.

A Brief History of ASHB

Over time, the association evolved significantly as the smart building and connected home industries became increasingly integrated across North America. Today, ASHB is primarily a U.S.-focused and U.S.-member organization, with the majority of its organizational membership, industry participation, and market activity based in the United States. The association also maintains a meaningful Canadian membership and includes organizations and participants from other international markets.

Over the following decades, ASHB developed into a North American industry association with international reach, bringing together companies and organizations across the smart home, intelligent building, automation, energy, and connected technology sectors. During this period, the association achieved several notable milestones in the advancement of automated buildings and connected home technologies, including:

• In 1988, the association was formed at a meeting involving NRCan and several building-related organization’s in attendance.
• 1995, the association organized its first major collaborative research project focused on home energy and environmental management systems. The $160,000 study involved 16 different funding organizations, including federal and provincial government agencies, manufacturers, and utilities.
• In 1998, the name of the association, “Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA)” was formally adopted, along with an expanded mandate by the Board of Directors to encourage the development, promotion, pursuit and understanding of integrated systems and automation in homes and buildings throughout North America.
• In 1999, Ron Zimmer, an experienced and certified association executive, was appointed by the CABA Board of Directors to lead the organization.  With the expanded mission, the organization expanded across the home automation and smart building ecosystem to include organizations in the design, manufacture, installation and retailing of products/services.
• In 2003, CABA and the government completed the Technology Roadmap (TRM) for Intelligent Buildings Technologies, a collaborative $110,000 research project between industry and five federal government departments and agencies. The project focused upon commercial, institutional and high-rise residential buildings, and culminated in a final report that provided an in-depth examination of intelligent buildings technologies.
• In 2006, CABA completed a segmentation study that examined the consumer profiles of those who buy digital lifestyle products and services. Entitled the Connected Home Roadmap, report assisted manufacturers and other vendors that catered directly to end-users to identify resource requirements and potential investment opportunities.  In that year, CABA also integrated the operations of the Internet Home Alliance. The Internet Home Alliance was a cross-industry network of leading companies conducting collaborative research to advance the connected home market. Founded in 2000, the Alliance provided its members with the real-world testing opportunities required to bring their home technology products and services to market more quickly, successfully and cost-effectively. Under the new arrangement, IHA’s collaborative research program was continued under the CABA umbrella through CABA’s Connected Home Research Council, which oversaw a wide array of consumer research studies and real-world pilot projects.
• In 2010, CABA’s collaborative research evolved and expanded into the CABA Research Program, which is overseen by the CABA Board. Its scope includes market research for both large building technologies and home systems.
• In 2021, Greg Walker, Senior Director, Research Operations, became CEO of CABA, succeeding Ron Zimmer.
• In 2023, the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) rebranded itself as the Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings (ASHB). This name change was aimed at better aligning with the association’s significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge and thought leadership within the smart home and building industry.”

ASHB is a leading B2B industry association representing more than 300 member organizations, primarily based in the United States, along with members from Canada and other international markets. Browse our member directory here. Learn how ASHB can help you expand your professional network, access influential research, and strengthen your industry presence across the smart building and connected home sector.