The mission of the
Continental Automated Buildings Association is to encourage the
development, promotion, pursuit and understanding of integrated
systems in buildings. The Internet via broadband has and will continue
to play an important role in the achievement of this mission.
Broadband is the key catalyst that propels a wealth of new products
and services to homes and commercial buildings. Consumers can expect
more voice, video and data migration to electronic networks. This
will make content available not only through traditional devices
such as televisions, but vis-à-vis a whole constellation of personal
digital devices.
Building owners/operators, homeowners and consumers will be the
chief beneficiaries of this technology. Broadband will increasingly
be utilized as a tool to enable energy management, tele-work, enhanced
security, distance education, small home offices and tele-medicine.
More specifically, large building or whole house automation currently
allows users to integrate and control all their communications;
lighting; audio/video; integrated security and access control; heating
and cooling and energy management from the Internet. A real example
this current technology are energy management systems that can reduce
building energy costs by a quarter and energy consumption by a third.
It is therefore important for governments at all levels to put laws
into place that enhance the deployment of broadband and the use
of the Internet. Such policy will encourage costs cutting in health
care and energy consumption, along with improving our environment,
productivity and quality of life.
