The tech media have been talking about the Matter home automation protocol for a while, intended to revolutionize connected devices in the home. And this November, the final version of this protocol, Matter 1.0, finally arrived.
Simply put, Matter is a technology that allows connected devices to communicate with each other more easily, regardless of the brand of the device, or its ecosystem.
And the main advantage of this technology is that it has the support of all major players, such as Amazon, Samsung, Google. Even Apple, which has a bad reputation for locking its users into its ecosystem, is a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, which is the promoter of the technology.
Amazon and Samsung announce very good news for users
Based on the new functions of the Matter protocol, Amazon and Samsung have just formalized a new alliance that will facilitate the use of connected home automation devices.
As you may already know, both companies offer connected devices for the home. On the other hand, both Amazon and Samsung have their own home automation ecosystems, which include devices made by other companies.
For Amazon, it’s Alexa, and for Samsung, it’s the SmartThings ecosystem. What changes is that the two companies have decided to take advantage of one of the benefits of the Matter protocol, in order to almost unify the two ecosystems.
Concretely, what changes: “Customers who sign up will be able to control their Matter devices with Alexa and SmartThings without having to set up devices on each smart home system”says Samsung.
In other words, you will no longer have to configure the same device twice, while continuing to benefit from both ecosystems. It’s very useful. But as mentioned by Samsung, the condition is that the device must be compatible with the Matter protocol. And, good news, it’s the new industry standard.
More convenient for those using both ecosystems
In any case, this novelty should encourage a wider adoption of connected devices. According to a study shared by Amazon, the complexity of the configuration was a barrier to the adoption of this type of device for 38% of respondents.
For Jaeyeon Jung, head of SmartThings at Samsung, this collaboration between the two companies provides more interoperability and makes it possible to exploit the full potential of the Matter protocol for home automation.
“SmartThings customers have long enjoyed using Alexa’s voice capabilities to give them more ways to control the home. We’re excited to work with Amazon to help simplify the smart home experience and provide our joint customers with more choice about the types of devices and services they use in their homes.”he also said.
Source: Presse-Citron
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
