The Connectivity Standards Alliance and its members, including Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, IKEA and other manufacturers of smart home devices, announced the official launch of the Matter 1.0 standard. It will allow devices from different manufacturers to connect and exchange data, which should in the future eliminate the problem of compatibility and unite all smart home systems.

Companies that have agreed to support Matter now have all the necessary resources to start implementing it in their platforms, so Apple is already integrating the standard into HomeKit. It should appear with the release of the iOS 16.1 update. Additionally, Google is expected to integrate Matter into its Google Home smart home control app.

“What started as a mission to unravel the complexities of connectivity has resulted in Matter, a single, global IP-based protocol that will fundamentally change the IoT,” said Tobin Richardson, President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance. “This release is the first step on a journey our community and the industry are taking to make the IoT more simple, secure, and valuable no matter who you are or where you live.”

With the launch of Matter 1.0, authorized test labs, tools, and an open source SDK are now available for product certification. Alliance members who already have smart home devices and plan to upgrade them with Matter support will be able to do so once their products are certified.

Matter is an Internet of Things standard designed to improve cross-brand compatibility of smart devices, enabling HomeKit to work with other smart home devices from Google, Amazon, and other manufacturers. Matter works through Wi-Fi and the Thread network protocol, with Wi-Fi allowing smart home devices to communicate with the cloud and Thread offering an energy-efficient and reliable mesh network in the home.