Smart Home Tech Makers Push Standardized Connectivity Protocol

Samsung SmartThings has become the latest manufacturer of smart home devices to incorporate the new connectivity protocol Matter, enabling users to control enabled devices using select Samsung products. 

With this announcement, Samsung SmartThings joins Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant and other manufacturers who will use the Matter protocol, which is meant to make it easier for device-makers to build devices that are compatible with those smart home and voice services. The first Matter-enabled devices are expected to be certified in the first half of 2022. 

“Samsung televisions, appliances and Galaxy devices are part of everyday life for millions of people around the world, and integrating SmartThings hub functionality into these devices will make it easier for users to experience connected living without additional hardware purchases,” Jaeyeon Jung, corporate vice president at Samsung Electronics and head of SmartThings, said in a press release. “On top of that, adding Matter support into the SmartThings platform will only broaden the choice of devices to connect as Matter-enabled devices flood into the market next year.” 

Simplifying Connected Experiences 

The developer of the standard, the Connectivity Standards Alliance, explains that Matter is meant to simplify connected experiences. Members of the Alliance have taken an open-source approach to the development and implementation of this new, unified connectivity protocol. 

For consumers, Matter is a “seal of approval” that says smart devices work reliably together, taking the guesswork out of the purchasing process. For developers, it accelerates paths to market by providing a unifying, IP-based connectivity protocol built on proven technologies. And for retailers, Matter simplifies the purchasing process, expands the smart home category and lowers operational costs. 

“We truly believe Matter is the foundation and future of IoT, and we are thrilled that Samsung SmartThings will be embedding it into so many products, accelerating smart home adoption and bringing users more convenient, connected home experiences wherever they are,” Michelle Mindala-Freeman, head of marketing for the Connectivity Standards Alliance, said in the press release. 

Driving a Surge in Smart Home Adoption 

Samsung SmartThings notes that it is an initial founding member of Matter, and one of more than 180 companies that created the connectivity standard. 

Another founding member, Amazon, says on a web page devoted to Matter that it is bringing that connectivity standard to Alexa devices to power smart homes with interoperability and easier setup. It adds that Alexa supports all major smart home protocols, including Matter. 

Google, also a member, is bringing Matter to Android and capable Nest products. The company explains in a blog post that this will power the products with interoperable control and enable simpler setups. “The bottom line: Matter devices will work everywhere your Google smart home does,” the post states. 

Samsung will bring Matter to multiple products in 2022 as the new standard becomes available and fully integrates into the SmartThings platform. 

“Matter will help drive a surge in smart home adoption, and with SmartThings, it will be easier for users to gain smart home experiences with seamless device onboarding, customized automation and a choice of voice assistants,” Jung said. “We’re proud to have been leading this standardization initiative since its inception, alongside other industry leaders, in an effort to bring the Matter protocol to life.”