Matter 1.0 Spec Released With Support From Over 550 Tech Firms, CSA Says

After several delays, the Connectivity Standards Alliance released the Matter 1.0 specification and certification Tuesday, with the backing of over 550 technology companies throwing support behind open IoT standards, the alliance said.

As part of the Matter 1.0 release, authorized test labs are open for product certification, test harnesses and tools are available and the open-source reference design software development kit is complete, CSA said. Member companies representing the IoT's varied segments have a “complete program for bringing the next generation of interoperable products that work across brands and platforms to market with greater privacy, security, and simplicity for consumers,” the alliance said.

CSA members with devices already deployed -- and with plans to update their products to support Matter -- can now do so, once their products are certified, the alliance said. A launch event is scheduled for Nov. 3 in Amsterdam.

"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 CSA CEO Tobin Richardson. Matter 1.0 is the first step toward making the IoT “more simple, secure, and valuable no matter who you are or where you live,” he said.

Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google, Signify and Samsung's SmartThings are among the 280 member companies that brought their technologies, experience and innovations to ensure Matter met the needs of all stakeholders, including users, product makers and platforms, CSA said. The companies led the way through requirements and spec development, reference design, multiple test events and final spec validation, it said.

“With members equally distributed throughout the world, Matter is the realization of a truly global effort that will benefit manufacturers, customers and consumers alike, not just in a single region or continent,” said Bruno Vulcano, Alliance board chair and R&D manager for Legrand Digital Infrastructure.

Eight test labs have been authorized to test Matter and its underlying technologies, Wi-Fi and Thread, CSA said. Wi-Fi enables Matter devices to interact over a high-bandwidth local network and allows smart home devices to communicate with the cloud. Thread provides an energy efficient and reliable mesh network within the home, it said.

"Matter and Thread resolve interoperability and connectivity issues in smart homes so manufacturers can focus on other value-adding innovations," Thread Group President Vividh Siddha said. Thread creates a “self-healing mesh network which grows more responsive and reliable with each added device,” and its low-power architecture extends battery life, he said. Wi-Fi brings to Matter network efficiency, 18 billion devices currently in use, and a “robust standards-based foundation to help deliver the IoT vision," said Wi-Fi Alliance CEO Edgar Figueroa.

Matter is “striking new ground” with security policies and processes using distributed ledger technology and public key infrastructure to validate device certification and provenance, helping to ensure users are connecting authentic, certified, and up-to-date devices to their homes and networks, CSA said.

This initial release of Matter, running over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Thread, and using Bluetooth Low Energy for device commissioning, will support a variety of common smart home product categories, including lighting and electrical, HVAC controls, window coverings and shades, safety and security sensors, door locks, TVs and controllers, CSA said.