The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) released the Matter 1.0 specification and opened the Matter certification program. Matter is the open-source interoperability standard that aims to make it easier for smart home and IoT devices to connect to each other. Over 280 member companies, including Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google, Samsung SmartThings, and Signify, have been working together to reach this milestone.
The CSA announced that test harnesses and tools are available, the open-source reference design software development kit (SDK) is complete, and 8 authorized test labs are open for product certification.
This initial release of Matter supports a variety of common smart home products:
– light bulbs and switches
– smart plugs
– smart locks
– safety and security sensors
– media devices including TVs
– smart blinds and shades
– garage door controllers
– thermostats
– HVAC controllers
fostering interoperability among devices, regardless of brand. For smart home customers, this means they can buy any device and use the voice assistant or platform they prefer to control it.
Matter is designed to be secure, the CSA has published a set of security and privacy principles and plans to use distributed ledger technology and Public Key Infrastructure to validate devices.
Expect to see Matter-supported smart home products going on sale as early as October 2022 after they are certified. Regarding existing devices, some will work with Matter after a firmware update, while others will never be compatible.
For more information on Matter, go to https://csa-iot.org/ and https://research.samsung.com/blog/CSA-Releases-Matter-1-0-Specification-and-SDK-for-Smart-Home-IoT-Standardization#none!
