The Android of the smart home ecosystem is here

Developed in collaboration with over 300 companies, Matter is a single standard that aims to enable smart home devices to operate seamlessly with each other. It is a set of open-source technical specifications that any company can use when creating software for its smart devices. Ultimately, Matter aims to become a standard for all things connected. In short, while firms have been pushing to build their own smart home ecosystems and lock users into those ecosystems, Matter allows them all to merge, providing users with more options and potentially smarter homes. Helps in the spread of gadgets.

Why is it important?

Companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung have previously pushed for restricting users to their own software ecosystems. For example, an Alexa-powered Amazon speaker isn’t compatible with a similar Google or Apple product. Matter solves this through a common software platform on which any firm can build its products and services. Think of it as the Android of the smart home market, where companies will still be able to build their own smart home experiences on a common base platform. Apple, Google and Amazon have already announced support for Matter on their devices.

Why did it take three years to make the miter?

Creating a cross-industry standard in an industry created as separate islands required the body to work with more than 550 companies and 3,000 engineers, according to CSA CEO Tobin Richardson. It took three years for Matter to accommodate the massive amount of companies that had built their own disconnected ecosystems.

Will this benefit smaller companies as well?

Yes. According to Richardson, given that such companies are unlikely to have the same engineering teams as larger tech firms, Matter will give them the opportunity to tap into a vast cross-industry engineering base, and seek technical support that they have. would not have happened otherwise. had access to. It will also open up the potential for smaller firms to become compatible with smart devices from firms such as Apple or Samsung. In turn, this will help them target more users, not just those playing smaller roles.

How will this affect markets like India?

Android democratized smartphones by increasing the number of firms and developers manufacturing around it. This helped in the spread of the phone in countries like India. According to a July report by Statista, only 7% of households in India have smart home products. Substance could, in theory, do the same for smart homes that Android does for smartphones. Consumers will not have to choose their smart products based on their make. For firms, this means that they can tap into the vast quantities offered by the Indian market, thereby reducing prices.