The world’s leading tech giants, including Amazon, Apple and Google, have announced support for the Matter standard associated with smart home devices. IoT products include connected door locks, light bulbs, thermostats of all kinds, and other electronics.
The Matter logo with three arrows symbolizes collaboration. Compliance with the Matter standard will mean mutual support of devices and standardization of the market for IoT devices. The three leading companies as well as smaller manufacturers will certify electronics according to its technical requirements.
As a result, for example, smart light bulbs that support Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and a doorbell that supports Google Home could be combined into one system. The Connectivity Standards Alliance, the nonprofit organization behind the Matter standard, has already said that its logo will become as common as stickers with a Wi-Fi icon, and that companies producing electronics for the Internet of Things will begin to “speak the same language. With Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant voice assistants already competing in the same niche, Matter offers a solution that allows two or even all three programs to be used simultaneously.
First announced in 2019, Matter will replace the Connected Home over Internet Protocol (CHIP). The developers hope to integrate all smart home devices, including alarms and sensors of all kinds, video intercoms, door locks, garage doors, heating systems, home theaters, lighting controls and TVs, through smart speakers.
So far, the alliance has made the technology publicly available and free, and the corresponding open-source software is posted on GitHub. According to the project’s marketers, universal codes are being developed that allow users to connect devices without downloading special applications or linking to cloud services.
