Matter is an open standard that aims to make it easier for smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to connect to each other more easily, something that is complicated, messy and often simply not possible right now. But now the Matter standard is here, along with a global certification program and eight authorized test labs, that can test whether devices and their underlying technologies meet the Wi-Fi and the Thread mesh networking standard. Also: These home security systems are reliable, versatile, and easy to set up The Zigbee Alliance brought in Ikea, Samsung Smarter things, Philips Lighting brand Signify, and many more. It’s behind the Zigbee 2.4GHz wireless specification for interoperable IoT device data transmission, launched in 2004. The Tread mesh networking standard is similar to Zigbee but newer. “Wi-Fi enables Matter devices to interact over a high-bandwidth local network and allows smart home devices to communicate with the cloud. Thread provides an energy efficient and highly reliable mesh network within the home. Both the Wi-Fi Alliance and Thread Group partnered with the Connectivity Standards Alliance to help realize the complete vision of Matter,” the CSA said. Google’s Matter controllers include the Google Home speaker, Google Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, Nest Audio, and Nest Wifi. And Apple is bringing Matter to iOS 16.1, which is currently in beta. Apple plans to include the certified Matter SDK once its complete, but has invited developers to use the Matter SDK provided by Apple for their Matter ecosystem apps. iOS users will be able to add devices via the Home app, or any HomeKit-based app. The Matter standard is about two years behind schedule, in part due to CSA lacking the software development kit (SDK) required for members to integrate with the platform. CSA today says the “open-source reference design SDK is complete”. Vendors can update already deployed products to support Matter once products are certified, according to CSA. The CSA has over 280 member companies building a wide range of connected products, but this first release only covers a subset of them, including lighting and electrical, HVAC controls, window coverings and shades, safety and security sensors, door locks, media devices including TVs, controllers as both devices and applications, and bridges. These products need to be running over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Thread, and connected via Bluetooth LE. “What started as a mission to unravel the complexities of connectivity has resulted in Matter, a single, global IP-based protocol that will fundamentally change the IoT,” said Tobin Richardson, president and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance. “This release is the first step on a journey our community and the industry are taking to make the IoT more simple, secure, and valuable no matter who you are or where you live. With global support from companies large and small, today’s Matter 1.0 release is more than a milestone for our organization and our members; it is a celebration of what is possible.”
