The Matter 1.0 spec was released Oct. 4 by the Connectivity Standards Alliance after three years of development by 280 member companies to make IoT simpler to use and more secure.
These devices include lights, thermostats and smart speakers in homes, but some developers see a future for widespread interoperability across larger product segments used by the building industry.
The 1.0 release means test labs are open to certify products as compliant and an open-source reference design software development kit is complete. Companies can start selling Matter devices or upgrading existing ones as soon as they are certified.
The Alliance plans an official launch for Nov. 3, but some companies are already making Matter announcements.
Samsung Electronics said Monday it has officially launched its Matter functionality to allow users to seamlessly connect and control Matter-enabled devices via its SmartThings app. SmartThings hubs will receive an over-the-air update and the SmartThings Android app will be updated so users can control Matter-compatible devices from a single app instead of multiple apps from different device makers.
Earlier in 2022, Samsung revealed TVs and refrigerators selected to be updated to support Matter Controller functions and in May, SmartThings announced its Partner Early Access Program to grant some partners a head start in testing the Matter-supporting SmartThings hub and mobile software.
Samsung says its SmartThings platform is one of the largest integrated ecosystems, with Matter-certified products for brands such as Google Nest, Eve Systems, Nanoleaf, and Yale. All SmartThings Hubs will continue to support Zigbee, Z-Wave and LAN devices such as Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Thread is a new connectivity protocol.
On Tuesday, NXP announced five Matter-enabled development platforms relying on its own silicon and components for smart homes and buildings. The company said the dev platforms will help designers leverage the NXP portfolio across processing, connectivity and security. All are still awaiting Matter certification from the Alliance. NXP is also working with Apple, Google and SmartThings to enable NXP customer products to work with their ecosystems, among others.
With the NXP dev platforms, designers can create IoT devices such as battery-operated sensors and actuators or complex gateways with Thread Border Router and Matter Controller capabilities. The dev platforms are now shipping. All offer EdgeLock SE05x secure element and EdgeLock A5000 secure authenticator for full Matter security to connect to any type of processor with a 12C interface.
NXP’s approach will allow product designers to create features without wasting time on undifferentiated platform software, said Bill Curtis, IoT analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.
RELATED: How Matter protocol matters, even as Insteon no longer matters