Officially launched on October 3, the Matter protocol aims to be a key element in the democratization of the connected home sector. This is the first initiative of its kind in the field of home automation.
Thanks to it, certified devices will be compatible with each other, regardless of their manufacturer. For consumers, it is the assurance that a device can be fearlessly integrated into their installation.
• What is the Matter Protocol?
The Matter protocol is a global project. Its goal is to standardize the means of communication of connected devices used in the context of the connected home. Therefore, it defines a common language for all Matter certified objects.
With it, the two key elements of home automation, controls and communication channels, are governed by the same rule for all manufacturers. Proof of the importance and necessity of implementing such a device, 220 home automation players have already joined the Matter protocol.
• What problem does this protocol address?
Within a connected home, devices from different brands can coexist. Although very common, this situation opens the way for misunderstandings between connected objects. Each manufacturer can define the same action in its own way. These peculiarities can lead to misunderstandings within an installation made up of several devices. It is this possibility that is addressed by the universal protocol of Matter.
• What is the challenge for the connected home?
Today buyers’ uncertainty about compatibility is a barrier to purchase. Therefore, the Matter protocol should facilitate the purchase of connected objects for the home. The goal is to make the sector accessible to as many people as possible.
The democratization that is expected thanks to this new protocol is a key step so that this type of purchase is no longer reserved for an insider public. Now ensured by Matter, cross-device compatibility should allow adding objects.
This paves the way for the creation of complex usage scenarios. Thus, the opening of a window can cause the heating to stop in the same way that a movement detection can turn on a light.
• What is the impact for products already installed?
Current installations should not be harmed by this introduction. For one thing, some devices are going to be upgraded to comply. On the other hand, the new common system is intended to ensure a “bridge” between objects manufactured before the Matter protocol. Thus, it foresees that the new generation objects will be able to link with those of the old generation.
As for the future, when three players from the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the entity that governs the Matter protocol, want to add a new type of product to the device, a working group will be launched. It will be responsible for defining the use cases to be processed. It is then a technical working group that takes over to give the specifications that all the actors of the Matter protocol will apply.
Source: BFM TV
