CABA announced that it has integrated the operations of the Internet Home Alliance, a cross-industry network of leading companies conducting collaborative research to advance the connected home market. Founded in 2000, the alliance provides 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 will continue under the CABA umbrella. CABA will establish the Internet Home Alliance Research Council, consisting of IHA and CABA members, which will oversee a wide array of consumer research studies and real-world pilots.

The collaborative research projects will enable participating companies to gain important insights into the connected home space and leverage those insights into viable new business opportunities. The new Research Council will also undertake a wider range of research projects encompassing larger commercial projects and multi-dwelling unit environments.

Key members from the Alliance that will form the new IHA Research Council include AT&T, Cisco Systems, Inc., Direct Energy, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Panasonic of North America, SupportSoft Inc., Visonic Inc., and Whirlpool Corporation.

"CABA and IHA both have a critical role to play to help grow the home networking sector," said Ronald J. Zimmer, CABA president and CEO. "The integration of IHA's research program will allow CABA to expand and improve research offerings to our industry. We plan to add IHA's research reports to our library to create the largest collection of integrated systems research focused on the home and building industry."