Matter smart home IoT standard launched

The Matter 1.0 standard and accompanying certification programme have been released by the Connectivity Standards Alliance.

Some three years in the making, Matter is aimed to deliver interoperability among devices in what has been a conspicuously diverse domain and with its heritage in the creation of Zigbee promises to be equally ground-breaking.

Matter is designed to enable devices from multiple brands to work together seamlessly based on secure and reliable connectivity.

Its underlying network technologies include Wi-Fi and Thread, with Wi-Fi enabling Matter devices to interact over a high-bandwidth local network and to communicate with the cloud and Thread providing the mesh network within the home.

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Among the features are security policies and processes using blockchain technology to validate device certification and provenance in order to help to ensure users are connecting authentic, certified and up-to-date devices to their homes and networks.

Another is support for bridges to enable connection of devices using other networking technologies.

“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.”

The confidence in the potential of Matter is built on the wide industry input into its development from over 280 member companies including competing giants such as Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google and Samsung’s SmartThings as well as the Wi-Fi Alliance and Thread Group.

This initial release, running over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Thread and using Bluetooth Low Energy for device commissioning, will support a variety of common smart home products as manufacturers upgrade them.

These, in many cases simply via a software update, should include lighting and electrical, HVAC controls, window coverings and shades, safety and security sensors, door locks, media devices including TVs, controllers and bridges.

Other device types, from cameras and home appliances to electric vehicle charging and energy management, are planned for addition with future releases.

Key for the implementation of Matter is the certification programme and eight authorised test labs are open with test harnesses, tools and the open-source reference design software development kit (SDK).

With manufacturers having long been working on the integration of Matter – Samsung for example, announced its programme in October 2021 – the first Matter certified products are likely to be available within days.