Matter is royalty-free, an IPv6-based connectivity standard defining the application layer deployed on devices with Wi-Fi support, Thread, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google, SmartThings, and the Connectivity Standards Alliance came together in 2019 to develop and promote what they touted as the interoperable, secure connectivity standard for the future of the smart home.
Although the Matter specification is proprietary, i.e. licensed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), formerly Zigbee Alliance, the code is open-source.
Earlier this year, the CSA announced a delay in the specification release. Citing additional tests, the CSA promised Matter’s SDK would be feature complete later during spring, with Version 0.9 of the specification available to all Alliance members towards mid-year. Today, the CSA announced the official release of the Matter 1.0 specification.
As part of the release, authorized test labs will be open for certifications to bring products to market and shorten the time to value. Although this is good news for all the players in the connected homes ecosystem, it remains to be seen whether Matter will succeed in simplifying development for manufacturers and increasing compatibility for consumers.
Read more about the announcement and tell us what you think!