The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has released the final Matter 1.0 standard and announced a certification program. Matter’s official launch event is scheduled for November 3rd, but the first devices could arrive any day. Companies can start selling them or upgrade existing ones as soon as they are certified.
Hundreds of large companies worked on the creation of the standard, including Apple, Google, Amazon and Samsung. The collaboration of competing smart home device makers cast doubt on its success, and as the delays progressed, it sometimes seemed like Matter was never going to happen. However, for now, the Matter certification labs are up and running, the SDK is ready, and companies can start manufacturing, upgrading, and getting official approval for their devices.
While the spec has just been finalized, several companies have been working on Matter-compatible products as part of the early access program, which means Matter devices can be seen very soon.
“We had a strong group of companies that were involved in our testing process. Their products will be the first to be available under the Matter brand.” Michelle Mindala-Freeman of CSA said.
Matter’s November 3rd launch event features a demo area – where some of these early products are likely to be showcased.
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Matter’s universal connectivity standard is designed to make it easier to work with smart home devices by giving “a door lock and a light bulb the ability to communicate directly with each other” either via Wi-Fi or a newer protocol called Thread.
Matter should also make the setup process easier – compatible devices will automatically show up on your smartphone for later connection. In addition, with a common language that is local to each home and independent of the cloud, devices can be controlled by multiple smart home ecosystems or a voice assistant.
Matter’s initial specification covers only a limited number of device categories: smart bulbs and fixtures, sockets and switches, thermostats and other HVAC controls, smart shades, security sensors, gate openers, as well as controllers like the Google Nest Hub Max and the Amazon Echo smart speaker. , which can act as a channel for communication between devices and as an interface to control devices using a voice or touch interface.
The CSA said it is also developing specifications for more popular categories such as security cameras and robotic vacuum cleaners.
Communication bridges can also be certified by Matter to include their products in its ecosystem. For example, Signify, the owner of Philips Hue, has announced that its smart lighting control bridge will be upgraded to Matter, allowing the system to be controlled by any Matter controller without changing lighting.
The CSA also says that Matter is secure, as it is designed with technology that ensures devices have to prove who they are and where they are from before they are allowed on the network. In terms of privacy, Matter works exclusively locally over IP, but does not require an Internet connection to work.
Source: The Verge
