The standard has the potential to take the friction out of smart home products and hubs.
The smart home space is about to get even better with the official launch of an important standard.
Launch of Matter 1.0
In a blog post, the Connectivity Standards Alliance has officially announced the publication of the Matter 1.0 specification and the launch of a product certification program. The SDK and open source reference design are also complete.
More importantly, any alliance member with devices already deployed and planning to update products to the Matter standard can do so after certification.
There are more than 550 alliance members including big names like Amazon, Apple, Google. Signify, SmartThings and many more.
Matter is based on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE and Thread technologies. Thread provides an energy-efficient and reliable mesh network in the home. Learn more about Thread technology and how it will improve smart home device communication.
What is the next step for matter?
Now that the standard has been officially released, expect to see a wave of compatible products and solutions.
For example, Google today just released a new Nest Pro WiFi system that’s both a Thread border router and a Matter hub. An upcoming update to the Google Home app will also offer quick setup of Matter products.
Apple and Amazon are also preparing hardware and software for the Matter standard.
The initial release of Matter will support a number of common smart home products, such as door locks, media devices such as TVs, HVAC controllers, and more.
Why Matter Matters
Anyone interested in smart home technology knows that today’s market is segmented with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple’s HomeKit leading the way.
When purchasing smart home products, buyers should ensure that their purchase is compatible with their choice of smart home hub.
But matter has the potential to make this major problem a thing of the past. Matter-enabled products are designed to work with any controller that has adopted the standard.
You can see Matter in action and how it can make life easier for smart home fans.
A big first step
Now that the Matter standard is out, the fun can begin. While the smart home arena won’t change overnight, it’s a great start for a more interoperable future.
