New Delhi, tech firms, Apple, Amazon, Google In 2019, big tech firms like Apple, Amazon and Google, which otherwise attempt to lock users into their own ecosystem, took an unprecedented step. Hundreds of firms came together to create a universal smart home standard that would simplify smart homes and make them available across multiple ecosystems, such as iOS, Android and Alexa. The standard, called Matter, was launched earlier this week with partners such as Amazon, LG, Samsung and Ikea. In an interview, Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) President and CEO Tobin Richardson explained how one standard is meant to become a common thread for smart devices around the world. Edited excerpt:
How many companies is Matter currently working with, and how many products are on the market?
In form of TreatyWe have worked with around 550 companies to come up with an interoperability standard. It’s been three years since the standard was created.
On October 4th, the day we launched the specifications of the standard, we had about 108 products that were being tested to our standard.
By the time we launched Matter 1.0, that number was up to 190, and today, we have at least 238 certified smart home and connected devices under our network.
Why do Big Tech platforms want to open up access now?
Even large tech firms today are seeing the limits of a closed ecosystem. While each of these firms will continue to experience growth in their own smart home products, it will not be on the same scale as they could potentially see with a standards-based approach.
Will it benefit smaller companies that don’t have the same resources as big tech companies?
Even if a brand has two engineers, they should be able to use our software development kit (SDK), as well as our partner relationships, to get from concept to product.
It also helps to set a bar of quality that you’d expect from a connected device, so it’s no longer just a low-cost device, but one that also meets a standard.
More than 3,000 engineers from 280 companies have participated and provided engineering support to create the MATTER standard.
For smaller companies, it is nearly impossible to access this kind of engineering support on their own.
How does the verification process work, and what are the options for firms in India?
There are several methods depending on the size and level of the company applying. Sellers can seek out partners within the Matter network, negotiate their terms, and find their middle ground.
We then have one of the authorized testing laboratories to test the products, which are then relayed to the CSA, and the product is certified accordingly. We also have a mechanism in place if a company completes a product, and wants to white label it for other brands to retail, which can bring a greater variety of new products to new markets where adoption The take is still low. Right now we have nine authorized laboratories, and we have selected 18 different locations to facilitate these laboratories.
Right now we don’t have one in India and at the moment we are working on it. In Asia, we have a China,
The setting up of these laboratories is driven by demand, and we expect greater capabilities to emerge over time. I cannot specify a timeline immediately, but as the market demand increases from different regions, we will help to set up more facilities accordingly.
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