Matter is Here: Certification Program Open For Business

Despite the start of the new smart home standard Matter being postponed several times, things are finally getting started. The Connectivity Standards Alliance has just released version 1.0 and started the certification program.

Everything will be better from now on, at least when it comes to the makers behind the new smart home standard Matter, and they are no strangers. The more than 280 members of the Connectivity Standards Alliance include numerous companies, including Apple, Google, and Amazon.

Matter is intended to significantly simplify the previous smart home chaos for both companies and end users. If the certification has been passed in one of the eight approved test laboratories, the device can be controlled via all major smart home platforms without the device having to be specially adapted for each individual platform. Apple, Google and Amazon are currently preparing their own smart home systems for this.

In the certification program launched today, Matter is checked and the network technology is also tested. This will hopefully make for more reliable devices. Matter devices with a high bandwidth communicate via WiFi, whilst energy-efficient and data-saving devices will tend to rely on Thread.

Above all, the aim is to make it easier for customers to make purchasing decisions and switch between systems. Instead of “Works with HomeKit”, “Works with Google Home” or “Works with Amazon Alexa”, the “Matter” logo should in future be sufficient to identify compatibility with all systems.

Matter 1.0 released

Interested developers have been able to access the version 1.0 code for a few days now. Initially, lamps and light switches, sockets, door locks, thermostats and other heating, ventilation, and air conditioning controls, blinds and shutters, security sensors, bridges, televisions and streaming sticks are supported.

We assume that the first devices will soon receive corresponding updates. Apple will probably integrate the new smart home standard with iOS 16.1. A corresponding entry can already be found in the settings of the current beta.