You will be provided with a reference and some statements. Please determine whether each statement is 'supported', 'unsupported', or 'unknown' with respect to the reference. Please note:
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        "result": "supported"
    },
    {
        "idx": 2,
        "result": "unsupported"
    }
]

Below are the reference and statements:
<reference>
Wi-Fi NOW

M AT T E R

DELIVERING ON THE
SMART HOME IoT PROMISE

DEAN BUBLEY

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, DISRUP TIVE ANALYSIS

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 2

The commonly accepted growth rate for the
number of smart home IoT devices shipped per
year is 20-25%, leading to a projected installed
base of more than 27 billion units by 2025. Despite
the undeniable success of the smart home IoT
paradigm, adoption of IoT by consumers and
businesses have thus far suffered from a major
shortcoming when it comes to connecting and using
smart IoT devices from different manufacturers:
Lack of interoperability. Matter 1.0 — the first
version of the local, IP-based, open-source
application layer protocol was launched by the
Connectivity Standards Alliance in Novermber
2022 — resolves this pain point entirely by creating
a single, standardized framework for devices,
apps, and networking equipment to communicate
over Wi-Fi, Thread, and Ethernet while adding
functions for legacy smart home device support and
Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) for easy onboarding.

Matter is poised to help create a consistent user experience for setup across the
formerly siloed and proprietary smart home IoT ecosystems of major manufacturers including Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung, and others. A vast community of silicon vendors, device OEMs, development platform providers, and
ecosystem providers — several hundred members in all — are now committed
to the new standard and contributing to its continued evolution and deployment. Matter brings significant benefits throughout the value chain, including
for retailers. Beyond interoperability, Matter simplifies the user experience,
increases purchasing confidence for consumers, fosters increased focus on
innovation by manufacturers, and is hence poised to deliver a transformational
boost to the smart home IoT ecosystem at large. It also promises improved
performance, better reliability, and better security for smart home IoT.
The leading smart home ecosystem brands such as Amazon, Apple, Samsung
SmartThings, and Google have been rolling out their services globally for
decades. Millions of people all around the world are familiar with their user experiences and interfaces (UX/UI). The sheer convenience of knowing how things
work keeps people loyal to a specific ecosystem provider. The providers have
seamlessly integrated their user interfaces into various devices people use daily:
smartphones, tablets, smart speakers, TVs, and more. For a user of smart home
products, it is so easy to buy devices supporting their favorite ecosystem and
control all their devices through the same user interface — whether a mobile app,
smart speaker, or TV. Additionally, devices of a specific manufacturer supporting
the same ecosystem can usually be combined, automated, and controlled
through the ecosystem, delivering extra user value.
This report takes an in-depth look at the technological basis for Matter, its
drivers, its inherent opportunities, as well as the challenges ahead in unlocking a
multi-billion-device surge in smart home IoT growth, new applications, services,
and use-case value.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 3

Table of
Contents

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

E X EC UTI V E S U M M A RY

The Importance of Matter to the
Wi-Fi Industry
Interview with Kevin Robinson,
CEO & President of the Wi-Fi Alliance

Matter’s Journey from
Inception to First Release
Interview with Chris LaPre,
Head of Technology,
Connectivity Standards Alliance

3 The Matter Protocol

1.0

D R I V E R S FO R M AT TE R A D O P TI O N

1.1

BAS I C & B EH AV I O R A L D R I V ERS

1.2

S M A RT H O M E D E V I C E FO R ECASTS

1.3

S M A RT H O M E G ROW TH CATEG O R I ES

1.4

I OT S ERV I C E PROV I D ERS

1.5

T Y PES O F H O M ES & M DUs

2.0

C H A LLE N G ES FO R TH E TR A D ITI O N A L S M A RT H O M E

2.1

BA R R I ERS FO R CO N S U M ERS

2.2

BA R R I ERS FO R S U PPLI ERS

3.0

TH E M AT TE R PROTO CO L

3.1

M AT TER D ES I G N PR I N C I PLES

3.2

N E T WO R K TO P O LO GY & D E V I C E RO LES

3.3

M AT TER OV ER W I-FI, M AT TER OV ER TH R E A D

3.4

M AT TER FO R LEGACY D E V I C ES

3.5

E AS E O F O N BOA R D I N G & M U LTI-A D M I N

3.6

A N O PEN-SO U RC E A PPROAC H TO D E V ELO PM ENT

3.7

FO CUS O N S ECU R IT Y & PR I VACY

3.8

C ERTI FI CATI O N A N D TESTI N G

4.0

G E T I N VO LV E D

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 4

The Importance
of Matter to the
Wi-Fi Industry
Interview with Kevin Robinson,
CEO & President of the Wi-Fi Alliance

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

How important is Wi-Fi for Matter and vice-versa?

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

What role does Wi-Fi certification play within the
Matter framework?

challenging network environments. For example, Wi-Fi Data

is a key element for growing the Wi-Fi IoT ecosystem. Wi-Fi’s

Matter certification requires Wi-Fi CERTIFIED as an essen-

key performance indicators for Wi-Fi network health, such

extensive capabilities and pervasive global connectivity make

tial ingredient in Wi-Fi IoT devices. This provides tangible

as how many devices are on the network, use of bandwidth,

it uniquely suited to support IoT products, applications, and

benefits to users by ensuring that they will have a secure

signal strength measurements, and free airtime. Service

use cases. In turn, Matter is a home IoT connectivity standard

and easy-to-use experience with their devices, regardless

providers can use this data to proactively and more effec-

that works at the application layer and leverages the inherent

of device vendor.

tively identify and resolve Wi-Fi network issues—often

Wi-Fi® lays the foundation that supports Matter, and Matter

strengths of Wi-Fi to deliver interoperability between home
IoT devices. When paired together, Matter over Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ imparts a sense of trust in users as they choose from
a wide range of IoT devices that offer enhanced simplicity,
interoperability, reliability, and security.

What are the biggest Wi-Fi industry opportunities
regarding Matter?
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED and Matter together have the opportunity to fulfill the long-anticipated vision of home IoT. Wi-Fi
is already ubiquitous with nearly 20 billion devices in active
use, many of them IoT devices, but the barrier of application and service fragmentation prevented the level of mass

What impact will Matter have on the growth
of Wi-Fi IoT?

Elements provides a standardized set of the most important

before a customer notices a problem.

We expect Wi-Fi CERTIFIED and Matter to create a profound

Any particular segments and/or Wi-Fi IoT use cases
you would like to highlight?

impact on the growth of Wi-Fi IoT devices. The IoT market

The potential use cases I am most excited about are those

is predicted to reach as many as 27 million devices by

that fully leverage the incredible diversity of device cate-

2025, and we expect that this number will only continue to

gories and brands enabled by Matter running over Wi-Fi.

grow as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED and Matter work to enhance the

For example, I can see a scenario where a motion-sensing

interoperability and dependability of IoT devices. This will be

camera detects a food delivery person walking up my

crucial as complex residential applications emerge, including

driveway after dark. My home automation automatically

smart home devices like smart plugs and door locks — all of

turns on the coach lights on the front of my house and

which demand a seamless user experience.

pops up a notification on my flat panel TV as I’m relaxing
with my family. When the video doorbell rings, my movie

consumer adoption in the IoT segment experienced by Wi-Fi

What Wi-Fi standards are expected to play the most
important role for Matter — now and in the future?

in other product categories. By offering a more seamless

Wi-Fi 6 is playing an increasingly important role in IoT

fication, and initiate two-way audio to ask that they

devices. While we tend to focus on its greater network

leave my delivery on the front step. Most importantly, all

capacity, multi-gigabit data rates, and lower latency, Wi-Fi

of this could happen using the camera, lighting, televi-

6 includes important tools to meet the needs of device

sion, and smartphone brands I love. We may not be there

vendors in the IoT space. Wi-Fi 6 delivers longer battery

yet, but these are the types of experiences that are only

life and consistent performance even in homes and MDUs

possible with agreed, interoperable industry standards.

experience, Matter and Wi-Fi will make a growing number of
residential use cases more accessible to the user and drive
the next phase of industry growth.

with large numbers of devices contending for the same
spectrum. Wi-Fi also brings valuable tools for managing

is paused and replaced by live video from the front door.
I grab my phone, which also received the doorbell noti-

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 5

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Matter’s Journey
from Inception to
First Release

How did the Matter initiative start?

challenges and solutions were discussed at length. These

and expanding the standard with two new releases per year.

foundation for IoT service innovation. One can imagine all

Interview with Chris LaPre,
Head of Technology,
Connectivity Standards Alliance

included issues with interoperability, security, data privacy,

Secondly, we have put in place an outstanding certification

kinds of intelligent services — home automation, person-

and more. It took about three years to get from initial idea to

program that makes sure that Matter products deliver the

alization, the extensive use of AI and cloud — delivered by

the first Matter release.

quality and consistent user experience that users expect and

service providers of all kinds for the home and the enter-

want. Finally, the standard itself makes use of tried and true

prise. It is truly exciting to be part of such a potentially

technologies such as Wi-Fi, IPv6 networking, Bluetooth LE for

massive transformation and opportunity.

How do you make sure Matter lives up to the
industry’s high expectations?

What opportunities does Matter bring to for
example telcos and cablecos?

result of Connectivity Standards Alliance member meetings

That is a big question and the answer probably requires an

One of the most exciting things about Matter is that we’ve

starting as far back as 5-6 years where smart home IoT

answer in several parts. First of all we’re constantly improving

created — I believe — an unprecedented and universal

It is probably fair to say that Matter was incubated as a

What to you is most important about Matter as it
stands today?

onboarding, and more. We’ve simply designed a standardized

I believe our members have come together very effectively

application framework for consistently applying these excel-

not only to solve all the most pressing IoT issues including

lent technologies.

interoperability, onboarding, security, and so on, but also
many, many years into the future. With all the tremendous

How do you envision Matter evolving in the
coming years?

support and strong contributions from our members, it truly

We believe we’ve created a standardized foundation for

has become an IoT connectivity standard for today, for the

connecting things in general. Smart home IoT urgently

future, and for all connected things.

needs to be addressed but future use-cases may include

to create framework principles for a standard that will last

What do you believe will be the most immediate
impact of Matter?

Industry

Smart Cities

Wearables

Connected Vehicles

of a broader vision of the Alliance for Matter and all of it

tion the standard will impact the entire smart home IoT

will deliver tremendous new business opportunities for the

ecosystem in the short term. Perhaps the most important

entire IoT ecosystem and that Matter will have a lasting,

single impact is that it will build consumer confidence in

positive quality-of-life impact on society as a whole and

smart home IoT. Consumers will quickly sense that they

introduce innovations we probably can’t even imagine today.

modern smart home. This will transform the market.

Healthcare

wearables, and even connected vehicles. All of this is part
is on the Alliance’s long-term roadmap. We believe Matter

and instead simply enjoy all the conveniences offered by the

Connected Buildings

connected buildings, healthcare, industry, even smart cities,

With many devices already supporting Matter, no ques-

don’t need to be tech experts or fear smart home devices

FUTURE USE-CASES

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 6

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

1.0 Drivers for Matter Adoption
1.1 Basic and Behavioral Drivers
Broadband growth
Every smart home is first and foremost a broad-

This trend is likely to continue, especially in countries with

band-connected home. While it is theoretically possible

aging populations and a desire for better quality-of-living

for non-connected households to benefit from some

and in-home healthcare. The growing adoption of auto-

types of IoT, in reality this is extremely rare. Globally,

mation throughout society — from self-driving cars to

about 1.2 billion homes now have broadband access of

room-service robots in hotels — will tend to habituate

some form, with an increasing fraction having access

people to greater use in the home as well, especially for

to fiber or high-speed cable connectivity. By 2030

cumbersome or repetitive tasks.

this figure should be approaching 2 billion residential sites. While there will still be some with comparatively slow sub-30 Mbps connections, it will be common
for consumers to have access to 100Mbps+ or Gigabit

2023

2030

broadband, with fixed-wireless and satellite connectivity
helping reach more remote or hard-to-connect homes.

Desire for home automation
For decades there has been a desire for home automation —
whether that meant light-switches with mechanical timers,
basic thermostats, or coffee machines brewing in tandem with
a morning alarm clock. Early examples of smart-home systems
have been around for many years. Now much more sophisticated options are both possible and affordable. Consumers are
increasingly being given the option of better types of in-home
automation — from robot vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers
to smart blinds and curtains. Advances in sensors, software, cloud-based control, connectivity, and mobile apps are
together increasing the scope of the marketplace.

2 billion

homes will have broadband
access by 2030

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 7

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

Everything-from-home

plugs or lightbulbs, with growing adoption of more

Other drivers

The pandemic and its after-effects have led to a

sophisticated routines and device interactions.

There are numerous other background trends that

much greater focus on the home. Many workers now
split their week between an office (or other formal
workplace) and a residential setting. Home learning
and telemedicine have seen significant growth as
well. As a result, over the last three years there was
also a huge surge in investment in home appliances,
fitness systems, entertainment products, connected
kitchen products and better lighting and ventilation.
While some of these sectors have now seen drifting
enthusiasm as people are able to go back to the gym or
movie-theater in person, there has been a permanent uplift
in home electronics. Perhaps more importantly, people are
now much more capable and confident in using everything
from a video doorbell to a connected exercise bike. To many,
the idea of remote health-monitoring no longer feels unusual
or unwelcome. This fundamental shift in smart home acceptance might have occurred anyway, but it seems to have
been accelerated as a side-effect of the pandemic years.
One of the smart home surprises of the last 5-10 years
has been the importance of voice assistants with
smart speakers now often seen as the central hub of
the smart home. While many users started with information or entertainment requests (“Alexa, what’s the
weather today?” or “Hey Google, switch on the radio”),
a significant fraction have extended their scope to interacting with IoT devices. Starting points are often smart

Energy efficiency
The desire to reduce wasteful consumption of power, water,
and heat is a growing driver of smart home technology. A
combination of short-term energy cost rises, coupled with

underpin the adoption of smart home products — and
therefore also the simplicity of Matter as a further catalyst. Some of these include:
■

longer-term awareness of climate change, has led to much

Growing availability of high-quality whole-home Wi-Fi,
attached to excellent broadband, increasingly capable of

greater emphasis on new devices and systems. Some of this

100 Mbps or even more than 1 Gbps. The greater the area

has been driven by individuals wishing to reduce their CO2

of the home and surroundings with good wireless coverage,
the greater the potential for IoT adoption

footprint — or just their monthly utility bills.
■

A shift of the smart home marketplace from individual smart

Many governments have been pushing adoption of smart

devices to more integrated experiences and solutions. This

meters, as well as offering subsidies for electric vehicles

is driving interconnection of clusters of devices, often linked
to Cloud services, smartphone apps, and the web.

and chargers, heat-pumps, solar panels, and other systems.
There have been significant replacement cycles for low-en-

■

systems, driving the need for IP-based connectivity and

ergy lighting, shifts from gas to electric heating, and even the

authentication, plus the ability to update firmware and

outright replacement of old housing-stock with newer prop-

software for in-service devices.

erties designed to be climate-friendly from the ground up.
■

While there is also some concern about the “embedded
carbon” in electronics — and the power consumed by
networks and cloud-computing platforms — the balance is
strongly towards the smart home as an enabler of Net Zero,
as well as lower energy bills.

Greater focus on cybersecurity and reliability for in-home

Links between devices in the home and external
organizations, such as healthcare agencies, employers,
utility providers and municipal authorities. Reliable and
secure IP connectivity to end-devices is essential, including
the ability to support encryption and VPNs end-to-end.

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 8

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

1.2 Smart Home Device Forecasts
The market for smart home devices is believed to be in the

Definitions here can be tricky — is a connected alarm with

range of a billion units per year, and growing quite rapidly.

five sensors one unit or five/six? Smart TVs are supported

The introduction of Matter is expected to accelerate adop-

in Matter 1.0, but are not really “IoT” devices in the conven-

tion further both by increasing the number of homes likely

tional sense. But they could be considered as part of a

to start using IoT and also increasing the number of devices

smart home. In the below we reference some leading

installed (and used) in each home.

analyst firm smart home forecasts.

Popular smart home ecosystems such as Amazon Alexa,

Research firm Omdia estimated[2] that in 2022 the installed

Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, and Google Home

base of smart home devices reached about 2 billion in total

have millions of loyal users worldwide. They are familiar

globally. Omdia further stated that about 55% of broadband

with the user experience and user interface of their favorite

households in the US had at least one smart home device

ecosystem and know how things work — like how to set up

installed by end 2021, compared to 21% for EMEA, while Asia

a new device. The vast user bases of the popular ecosys-

and Oceania had a penetration rate of about 14% in 2021.

Own 3 or More
Smart Home Devices

Own 2 or More
Smart Home Devices

Own 1 Smart
Home Device

50%

tems help IoT device makers to boost their product sales
quickly and globally. Ecosystems also enable device makers

Parks Associates is somewhat more conservative about

to create automated solutions out of many devices, fueling

adoption. It estimates[3] 41% of broadband households in

the sales of a broader product line and increasing their

the US have one or more smart home devices installed but

share of consumers’ or households’ pockets. Additionally,

the numbers exclude smart TVs and speakers. Its recent

the ready-made, tested, and field-proven ecosystem user

analysis suggests that numbers of both smart homes and

experience and interface, already familiar to millions of users

multiple devices per home are rising, at least in the US.

worldwide, reduce device makers’ market risks and product

Number of Smart Home Devices Owned

40%

28%
23%

30%

20%

development costs.
10%

14%

7%

Globally, there are about 1.3 billion homes with fixed broadband connections of some type[1], a figure which is still
growing due to adoption in developing markets. This is the
theoretical maximum for potential smart home growth for
Matter, although a few non-broadband homes may have some
standalone IoT devices connected with cellular or LPWAN.

0%
Q4/2016

Q4/2018

Q4/2020

Q4/2022
@ Parks Associates

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 9

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Research firm IDC has estimated[4] shipments of around

A number of solution vendors also report useful figures

874m smart home devices in 2022, with a forecast

on smart home device usage. Cloud-based Wi-Fi vendors

of about 890m in 2023 and 1.2 billion for 2027. IDC’s

have a good view of connected devices although they

numbers for 2022 were lower than those of 2021 owing

likely have less visibility into products connected with

to a pandemic-driven spike in earlier years followed by

alternative wireless standards.

supply-chain and semiconductor issues in 2022.
Rising consumer awareness of smart home devices and
2022

2023

2027

the cost savings, convenience, and energy efficiencies

874 million

890 million

1.2 billion

despite inflationary pressures. IDC says networked video

Smart home devices

Smart home devices

Smart home devices

delivered by such devices continue to drive demand
entertainment devices — such as smart TVs, streaming
sticks, and Internet-connected set-top boxes — made up
the largest volume of shipments.
In general, non-IoT entertainment / audiovisual devices

Worldwide Smart Home Device Forecast by Shipment Volume,
Market Share, and 2023–2027 Growth Rate

may not always be best-categorized as ‘smart home’
products but there is a broad correlation between these

(Shipments in millions)

and other more utilitarian products. Also note that smart
2023 Shipments*

2023 Market Share*

2027 Shipments*

2027 Market Share*

2023–2077 CAGR*

speakers in particular often act as hubs or bridges for

Video Entertainment

284.4

31.9%

315.4

26.5%

2.6%

other IoT products.

Home Monitoring/
Security

197.8

22.2%

279.7

23.5%

9.0%

Lighting

111.7

12.5%

243.6

20.5%

21.5%

cameras, doorbells, and door locks, as well as smart

4.0%

lighting and video entertainment products, will account

Device Category

Smart Speaker

111.7

12.5%

130.9

11.0%

Thermostat

25.9

2.9%

31.5

2.6%

5.0%

Others

159.5

17.9%

230.7

19.4%

9.7%

Total

890.9

100.0%

1,231.8

100.0%

8.4%

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Home Device Tracker, March
*Table Notes: All values are forecast estimates

Home monitoring and security products such as

for the largest share and experience the highest
growth in the coming years with smart lighting devices
expected to grow fastest.

Our Estimate
A reasonable target for growth might be adding
50 million new homes annually to the smart home
device marketplace and selling perhaps 3-4 new
devices on average per year into the existing smart
home base. But there are a lot of variables and
hard-to-predict factors — not least the growth and
adoption of Matter itself. If major ISPs and other
service providers begin major market initiatives or
if new “must-have” categories emerge with viral
adoption there could be a considerable upside to
this forecast.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 10

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

Plume reported that the average US household now has
20.2 connected devices based on an analysis of 41 million

Growth in Average Number of Connected Devices per Home
by Category (Global)

homes and 2.2 billion connected devices. In Europe,
the average number per household is 17.4, with Japan
reaching 10.3. While smartphones, computers, tablets,
and smart TVs make up the majority of devices, smart
speakers, connected lighting and appliances also account
for a sizable number.

55%
Camera

43%
A rough estimate is that about 300 million homes worldwide have at least one smart device (including TVs and
speakers) but that the average ‘smart home’ probably has
around 8 smart devices in total at present.
That average may fluctuate over the next few years
depending on the balance of new homes becoming ‘smart’
versus additional devices sold into existing IoT-centric
homes. Both are important numbers for OEMs and service
providers — as is another (unstated) figure of homes that
abandon IoT devices because they are too difficult to
onboard or operate, or offer little value.
[1] www.point-topic.com/post/global-broadband-subscribers-q3-2022
[2] omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2022-aug/omdia-global-installed-base-of-smart-home-devices-exceeds-2bn-devices-in-2022
[3] www.parksassociates.com/blog/article/04112023
[4] https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS50541723

Doorbell

38%
Hub

25%

Lightbulb

24%
Speaker

23%
Plug

22%

Smart TV

19%

Thermostat

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 11

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

1.3 Smart Home Growth Categories
The most important product categories within the broader

It is arguable whether emerging categories such as AR/VR

smart home sector are:

headsets and glasses should be classed as ‘IoT’ devices
in a smart context. Smart TVs and games consoles cannot

Home Automation Controls & Lighting

Consumer Electricals & Appliances

really be considered new smart home products. From a
connectivity standpoint, their demands on networks are
sufficiently extreme that they merit a separate discussion.
That said, TVs are included within the Matter universe and
Home Automation
& Lighting

Consumer
Electricals
& Appliances

Entertainment &
Smart-Speakers

Security & Access
Control

Health & Fitness

Other Smart Home
Products

Light Bulbs

Smart Blinds

Voice Assistant

Door sensor

Exercise Bike

Pet Tracker

Smart Plugs

Aircon Unit

Smart TV

Motion sensor

Smart Mirror

EV Charger

Light Switches

Boiler

Surround Speakers

Door locks

Fitness Watch

Solar Panel

Dimmers

Robot Vacuum

Set Top Boxes

Garage door

Glucose Sensor

Drones

LED Switch

Fridge / Freezer

Streaming Sticks

Security cameras

Eldercare Devices/
Alarms

Smart Clothing

Power Strip

Oven / Cooking
Appliances

Toys

Smoke & CO
detectors

Cardio / Blood
Pressure Cuff

Personal Robots

rate products with continued innovation and differentiation

Light Sensor

Lawnmower

Karaoke

Smart doorbell

Weigh Scales

in many areas. In addition, various other niche categories

Temp Sensor

Pet Feeder

Smart animal door

Other Fitness
Equipment

HVAC Control

Gardencare

Access control

Sport Gear
(e.g. Balls, Boots)

may turn into smart home IoT hubs in their own right.
Entertainment & Smart Speakers /
Voice Assistants

Security And Access-Control Products

Health & Fitness

Each of these top-level categories includes multiple sepa-

are also important, such as connected clothing, luggage/
pet tracking tags, and connected vehicles stored at or
near home, such as electric cars, e-bikes, and drones.

Smart Meter

Some of these products are intended to be used on a

Thermostat

standalone basis, such as smart refrigerators. Others tend

Water Pumps

to be deployed as a cluster of related devices, such as
security cameras and motion sensors, or integrated HVAC
(heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 12

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

1.4 IoT Service Providers
While many smart home device purchases are made by

■

SimpliSafe are looking to expand their historic businesses,

consumers (or sometimes landlords including building

either individually or through partnerships. They may use

owners, see section below) the world of IoT today includes

smart home devices such as new sensor types, to add

an increasing emphasis on various forms of intelligent

capabilities for monitoring or emergency response — or even

IoT services, which incorporate both product and remote

ensure that pets can enter the house without tripping alarms.

management components.
■

departments may specify — or supply — certain products

managed and monitored alarms have been available for

(or define standards and compliance rules).

decades, for instance) the growth of new and better-infurther in recent years. There are several categories of

Other organizations such as housing associations,
insurance companies, healthcare agencies, and government

While this is not an entirely new concept (remotely

tegrated smart home ecosystems has driven this much

Alarm and monitoring specialists such as ADT, SECOM, and

■

Major cloud and Internet platform companies both operate
their own ecosystems and can be expected to create
more of their own device-based services and solutions. As

service providers that are helping drive adoption of resi-

well as smart speakers, they are also involved with video

dential IoT systems:

doorbells, thermostats and even vacuum cleaners (with the
acquisition of iRobot by Amazon in 2022). Google also owns

■

Telcos, cablecos, and ISPs such as Comcast, SKTelecom,

a state in security company ADT.

and Deutsche Telekom, which are aiming to add value to
their broadband subscribers’ connectivity by providing

Central to the provision of remotely managed smart home

additional functions. There are various approaches and

services is easy device onboarding, effective monitoring,

product categories here — some attempt to add voiceassistant features to gateways or set top boxes, turning
them into hubs. Others offer standalone systems such as
home security or lighting, perhaps with partners. A number

update and backup capability, and secure networks. There
are also likely to be increasing needs to integrate between
different subsystems — for instance between alarm systems

of combined ISP/utility companies are exploring linkages

and healthcare. Also, such SPs will also want to be able to

with smart meters and energy-management.

switch easily between different device suppliers, either to
mix-and-match different products, or to mitigate risks from
supply-chain and inflation challenges.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 13

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

1.5 Types of Homes and MDUs
IoT systems sold to landlords and property owners differ

■

tech-savvy users.

from those aimed at residents living in their own smart
homes. Landlords of rental homes may require dedicated

Student accommodation, with highly demanding and often

■

Social housing, which may have regulatory requirements,

sub-systems for their domains of responsibility, such as

including perhaps IoT for energy management, security

heating or security. They are less likely to onboard new

cameras, etc.

devices ‘casually’ in the way their tenants may purchase a

■

new lamp or healthcare appliance on a whim.

healthcare devices, with strong ease-of-use requirements.
■

A large proportion of the world’s population lives in apartment blocks or ‘multi-dwelling units’ (MDUs). In some countries upwards of 70% of the population live in MDUs. MDUs
are often managed by a landlord, housing association, or
facilities-management company — perhaps taking responsibility for functions such as lighting and heating, perhaps with
centralized provisioning of broadband and Wi-Fi.
There are various categories of MDUs with differing IoT
and smart-building needs:
■

Standard new-build apartments, which will likely feature
good connectivity and some smart-building IoT and
systems for communal spaces.

■

Mixed-use buildings which combine apartments with retail or
restaurant/café facilities, plus perhaps office space as well.

■

Luxury apartments, which may have gym rooms, outdoor
areas such as pools, or dedicated parking structures. In this
case security and automation / concierge requirements will
be a driver for IoT deployments.

Retirement homes, which may need to support medical and

House conversions for example into 2-5 apartments.

For both rental properties and MDUs, some home IoT
capabilities will be delivered via B2B channels at a
building-wide level, while individual tenants or apartment-owners will still buy their own appliances and other
products via the usual retail channels. All of the above are
targets for new Matter-capable smart IoT solutions.

MDUs count
for up to

70%
of the housing,
in some countries.

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 14

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

100 million
homes now have
smart speakers

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

2.0 Challenges for the
Traditional Smart Home

2.1 Barriers for Consumers

There has already been substantial growth in adoption of

The key challenge that Matter seeks to address is interop-

smart home devices. More than 100 million homes now

erability. There are innumerable individual consumer

have smart speakers with further large groups using indi-

IoT devices and brands. But while self-contained fami-

vidual connected devices such as vacuum cleaners, door-

lies of products — such as Philips Hue lighting or Sonos

bells, or smart lighting products. If smart TVs and utility

audio products — work well together there is much less

meters are included, the numbers are likely to be upwards

cross-brand collaboration. There are multiple layers of

of half a billion homes using some sort of connected

interoperability to consider: Networking, user control, data

device beyond phones and PCs.

management, Cloud-based features and so on. Matter is

Lack of interoperability

primarily focused on connectivity, device onboarding, and
However, there remains a large gap between ‘casual’

basic control functions.

smart households with a handful of isolated products and
those that have truly embraced automation with multiple

Smart home users experience the ecosystem challenges

home systems. Matter aims to change this.

from the opposite perspective as device makers. Users
are confused because smart home products are frag-

There are a number of reasons for this historic gulf

mented into different silos, and the smart home devices of

between the expansive vision and the in-market reality

one ecosystem cannot be controlled by the smart speaker

of consumer IoT. This section considers the separate

or app of another ecosystem and vice versa. Users might

challenges and concerns involved on both the demand

need several apps, gateways, and subscriptions for

and supply sides — that is, frictions experienced by

managing and controlling their devices, increasing the

consumers with today’s smart home ecosystems plus

hassle at home and wasting money. Consumers hesitate

parallel issues facing vendors and service providers.

to buy new devices because they can’t be sure whether

Understanding these complexities highlights opportuni-

they will work with the other devices at home, slowing

ties for the Matter standard as well as the problems it is

down the smart home adoption.

designed to solve.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 15

As well as IoT-centric product vendors there are also
much broader and more expansive smart home ecosystems, notably Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home,
and Samsung SmartThings. These organizations license
their brands and provide third party products with access
to key functions via developer kits and APIs (application
programming interfaces). But again, there is little intersection between these different IoT ‘universes’.
This has led to a range of interoperability problems for users.
A new lightbulb may not work properly with an existing platform while a smart energy meter might not work well with
a solar panel and EV charging system. A Bluetooth-connected device will not work with a Zigbee or Z-Wave hub or
controller. Each may use a separate mobile app, each with
different accounts and passwords. A seemingly simple task
— such as switching off all the lights in a room — may not
be possible without proper interoperability.
Matter brings universal interoperability between products of
different smart home ecosystems and brands and simplifies
device setup and usability. It’s an application-level protocol
built from the best pieces of existing tried-and-true protocols, including Google Weave, Apple HomeKit, and Zigbee.
Matter uses three of the world’s leading wireless technologies — Wi-Fi and Thread for operation and Bluetooth Low
Energy for easy device setup.

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

Fear of technical difficulties
While some smart home early adopters can be classed

Simplifying — and unifying — the user journey for the smart

as ‘enthusiasts’ other consumers have limited tech-

home is essential. Users are accustomed to some devices

nical abilities — or simply do not have the willpower

working very easily together, such as setting up new

to battle complex configurations and settings for

earbuds with a phone. There is no reason why smart home

new devices. Some will have experienced previous

IoT devices cannot share this type of pain-free experience.

headaches using wearables, smart TVs, or even just
Wi-Fi access points. They may be unfamiliar with
words that readers of this document may take for
granted, such as “onboarding”, “Cloud” or “bridge”.
For such people, the idea that a future home might include
tens or even hundreds of separate devices, each with their
own setup process — and worse, their own diagnostics mechanisms — is an obstacle to starting on the journey in the first
place. Having a variety of separate hubs, bridges, gateways,
routers, and mesh-nodes may be another obstacle.
While they may be open to a service provider as a channel
to simplification (and support) that still does not help with
physical installation of new devices in most cases. In addition to these worries, many existing smart devices are actually complicated to install. They may need manual entry of a
Wi-Fi password, which people may not know immediately and
need to look up. They may need an app to be installed first,
perhaps with complicated instructions for setting up a new
vendor account (and another password).

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 16

Security and privacy concerns
Consumers — and also governments and other groups such
as consumer-protection agencies — are rightly concerned
about the security of households’ IoT devices and the
networks they use. There is a broad range of potential risks
and threats here, but some of the problems include:
■

■

■

■

look uncomfortable, especially in a home environment

entirely. Others may limit adoption just for non-essential

which is inherently ‘multi-personal’. It should also be noted

applications, or constrain them to specific rooms of the

that competition authorities may start to take a dim view

house. Other users may be more permissive — but then

of smart home lock-in, especially if it affects long-lived

later experience some form of security-related incident

systems such as heating and electricity.
A separate issue concerns the smaller vendor-led ecosystems in the smart home space, where new market entrants

Many consumers have a level of loyalty to certain brands

via apps and hardware hubs/controllers. Some of these

– such as Apple or Samsung smartphones, Google online

companies will inevitably exit the market, especially during

Health and safety risks, for instance where heating systems,

services, or Amazon Alexa. However, an increasing number

EV chargers or fire alarms are compromised

economic downturns. There should be adequate mech-

of people are wary of being ‘locked-in’ to these broader

anisms in place to ensure that users’ devices are not left

Potential for smart homes to be affected by malware or

ecosystems or have perhaps experienced problems where

stranded – and that they can be easily migrated to alterna-

ransomware attacks

they have tried to blend multiple worlds in the past.

tive platforms.

Vulnerabilities in IoT products that could allow a bad actor

Difficulty of updating software and firmware to the latest

Misuse of stored data derived from smart home devices (or

Remote control of groups of devices to form parts of
“botnets” for massive denial-of-service attacks elsewhere.

3 The Matter Protocol

BROAD R ANGE OF POTENTIAL
R I S K S A N D T H R E AT S

that undermines their confidence.

Potential for harming physical security, such as by hacked

their Cloud-based back-end platforms)
■

Some users may reject any form of smart-home products

Ecosystem lock-in

versions
■

This type of ecosystem lock-in is therefore starting to

microphones

to obtain wider access to home networks
■

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

Concern about such issues can have a number of impacts.

Direct risks of surveillance, especially by cameras or

smart locks
■

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

are positioned at the center of multiple device categories,

Direct
Surveillance Risk

Harming Physical
Security

Health and
Safety Risks

Malware or
Ransomware Attacks

Vulnerabilities in
IoT Products

Difficulty in Updating
Software/Hardware

Misuse of

Remote Control of

Stored Data

Devices for Botnets

Increasingly, the sheer reach of the major platforms – from
devices, to content, to smart homes, to in-car entertainment, and even healthcare – is becoming an overt concern.
While there is often a high level of convenience associated with ecosystem lock-in there can also be challenges,
for instance when someone moves home, or even just
receives an incompatible gift. There are also associated
issues with data lock-in and portability.
This issue is exacerbated in households where people
deal with multiple ecosystems already – perhaps some
family members prefer Android, others like Apple. Some
may have a familiar Amazon Alexa, but a new partner or
roommate may be a Google or Samsung fan.

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 17

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

Multiple ecosystems to meet needs

Multiple platforms to learn how to use

A common smart home model is where consumers effec-

A particular issue around platform fragmentation is that

tively create a hybrid system made from a collection of

of the learning and familiarity requirements needed. The

products from different brands, some of which may need

learning curve may relate to device/ecosystem-specific

dedicated hardware hubs or bridges. In many cases this

terminology, different in-app icons and menu structures,

will develop “organically” as users buy separate isolated

voice commands and prompts, unique approaches to

systems and only try to link them at a later date.

creating groups or rules, re-connecting devices after
moving house, and more.

In some cases, there may be external parties driving
ecosystem decisions — utility companies may provide

While advanced device features will always need specific

smart meters, alarm and monitoring companies will have

controls there is no reason that basic smart home func-

preferred solutions, health authorities may supply specific

tionality — from initial setup to day-to-day normal opera-

telemedicine devices, and landlords or building owners

tion — should have such a diversity of user experiences.

may have their own smart-building systems.

Consumers are used to standard look-and-feel and design
language across many smartphone and laptop applica-

In some cases, there will still be multiple applications and

tions, and this should be replicated in common user-jour-

controllers in use. To most customers it will be unclear why

neys and workflows within the smart home as well.

an app used for their remote vacuum cleaner should also
be monitoring their garage door or an implanted insulin
pump. In reality some level of ‘hybrid smart home’ adoption is inevitable. But if there are options to reduce the
complexity, it should be of benefit to consumers and the
wider market.

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 18

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

2.2 Barriers for Suppliers
Not only consumers have experienced friction in the past

Again, Matter seeks to smooth out some of the rough

evolution of the Smart Home space. Until some of the cata-

edges by improving interoperability and standardizing

lysts discussed in Section 1.1 emerged, especially the rise of

some of the layers. This section looks at the supply-side

smart-speakers and the four major ecosystems, the consumer

challenges in recent years through the lens of Matter as

IoT market was highly fragmented and appealed mostly to

the driver of change and evolution.

enthusiasts, especially in large self-contained homes.
Device providers have had to navigate a complex land-

Multiple SKUs

scape of wireless technologies, mobile apps, Cloud, and

One of the challenges for retailers and device suppliers has

security challenges and unclear go-to-market paths.

been the need to support multiple ecosystems especially in

Specialists in narrow vertical sectors such as lighting,

physical retail stores. Often it has been necessary to stock

home appliances, or home security have had to develop

multiple versions of the same or similar products, compat-

skills or partnerships in many areas outside their tradi-

ible with Amazon, Apple, Google or Samsung smart home

tional competence. As a result, a huge amount of effort

ecosystem platforms.

has been spent on “reinventing the wheel” for basic
enablers, rather than differentiating on core capabilities,

This has knock-on ramifications in terms of shelf-space,

user interfaces, and product design.

warehouse management, stock control, forecasting,

It was also difficult for service providers and retailers to

suitability of smart home products as gifts or impulse

participate effectively — and this has largely remained so,

purchases. Many of these factors also apply to online

even in the era of Alexa and HomePod. In theory third parties

retailers as well as brick-and-mortar stores.

such as ISPs, utility companies, mobile operators, alarm
providers, and ‘prop-tech’ smart building specialists should
have been able to develop growing and sustainable businesses, yet the success stories of scaling have been rare.

staff training, customer support, and returns — and the

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 19

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

A parallel set of issues apply to the equipment vendors them-

to allocate a sizable proportion of their R&D budget (whether

uct-specific potential delays, for various reasons, the ability

selves — and their supply-chains in both directions — to

inhouse or through contractors) to areas which ultimately

to short-circuit some common bottlenecks is invaluable.

component manufacturers, and to distributors/retailers. The

have low value-add in their products, such as integration of

ability to use Matter-capable devices as a ‘one size fits all’

custom wireless implementations, developing and testing

alternative should be a major benefit in reducing SKUs (stock-

onboarding mechanisms, creating new security protocols,

counting units) for smart home retail and manufacturing.

and so on. They also need to replicate efforts (and costs) on

4 Get Involved

BARRIERS FOR SUPPLIERS
Customer hesitancy
While early adopters of a technology will often conduct

everything from packaging to marketing.

significant background research or even enjoy the process

The ideal scenario involves amortizing the costs of both

work for true mass-market adoption. Most users will be

It is not just consumers that are at risk of lock-in. Many

product development and ongoing bill-of-materials, distri-

unwilling to invest time and energy in diagnosing prob-

device and sub-system manufacturers have had to focus

bution, and support over the largest number of shipped

lems, looking up explainer videos, or trying to access

on just one or two of the major smart home ecosystems,

products. A secondary benefit of standardized compo-

complex configurations and settings menus. One failed

given the resource requirements needed to develop and

nents can be mitigating extra costs from supply-chain

attempt to hook up a basic product — perhaps a plug or

support software, certification, and testing for each.

glitches, or inflation.

lightbulb — can negatively impact consumers’ views of the

Ecosystem lock-ins

3 The Matter Protocol

of becoming a ‘smart home enthusiast’ this cannot

Multiple
SKUs

Ecosystem
Lock-Ins

Cost

Time-to-market

Inefficiencies

Delays

Lack of

Higher

Transparent Data

Certification Costs

overall smart home value proposition.
This also means that some larger IoT providers need to
implicitly help strengthen rivals for other areas of their

Time-to-market delays

There are plenty of other examples where familiar

businesses, even if they are themselves keen to carve

A key challenge for smart home suppliers and service

brands, logos, and certifications help consumers gain

out a sustainable position in the value chain. While many

providers is accelerating the time to market, both for indi-

familiarity and trust. The universally recognized Wi-Fi

have used hubs and specific wireless mechanisms for this

vidual new products or more highly integrated solutions

logo is a good example.

purpose, this has been inefficient and has created ‘silos’.

comprising multiple elements. The need for extensive
testing and certification — perhaps with many separate

Enjoying a unified experience for setting up smart home

Finally, ecosystem lock-in can limit device developers’

ecosystems — can cause significant delays, especially if

devices and applications — dependent on a standard-

addressable marketplaces — for instance if they become

problems are encountered.

ized and certified architecture with a recognized brand

constrained just to the sub-set of households that use one
or other of the major platforms.

— should go a long way to address mainstream consumer
There are also other sources of delay that vendors need to

wariness. Critically, it should increase the proportion of

consider — supply-chain friction for proprietary or single-

‘works first time’ installations, which should reduce the

Cost inefficiencies

source components, additional acceptance testing by

number of smart home IoT skeptics and help generate

Many of the issues with the current consumer IoT market

service providers or retailers, more complex and time-con-

additional pull-through sales when users recognize that

suming design of packaging and multiple marketing

the smart home can actually be simple.

ultimately relate to economic factors for suppliers. They need

messages, and so on. While there will always be prod-

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 20

Lack of transparent data collection for support
Inevitably some smart home users will encounter issues
and will contact their device vendor, retailer, or service
provider for assistance. They may also look for assistance
from in-app help functions and online forums.
But in order for that assistance to be provided effectively,
data will need to be collected securely for the support
agent (or chatbot). This may include product type, serial
numbers, software versions, usage data, or any adjacent
equipment like a hub or border router.
Having codified standards for this type of data is important
— especially where users may have multiple devices and
ecosystems operating within a single home. In particular
service providers will need to integrate smart home IoT into
their broader customer-support platforms, so that they can
holistically investigate reported issues to determine the
root cause — perhaps the device, perhaps a Wi-Fi issue, or
even a broadband infrastructure glitch.

Higher certification costs
Another corollary of multiple ecosystem participation by
vendors comes from certification overhead. Each smart
home ecosystem typically has its own procedures and
costs for ensuring compliance with various characteristics
in terms of connectivity, security, brand compliance, app
store access, and so forth.

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

Each product may need to undergo multiple sets of testing
and certification procedures, perhaps at different labs
around the world. This brings in additional logistical headaches, the need for more prototypes to be made available,
employing consultants, ensuring compatibility with other
products and previous versions for backwards-compatibility, and so forth. Greater levels of commonality and standardization should reduce this set of overheads and costs.

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 21

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

3.0 The Wi-Fi Alliance,
the Connectivity Standards
Alliance, and Matter
1

Shared Goals and
Objectives

The Wi-Fi Alliance
The Wi-Fi Alliance, established in 1999, is a global non-profit organization
that brings together technology companies to promote and enhance Wi-Fi
technologies. Its primary goal is to ensure seamless connectivity across Wi-Fi
devices, regardless of manufacturer, by establishing industry standards and

2

Coordinating Efforts for

3

Leveraging Expertise

Seamless Integration

certifying products that adhere to those standards. By working with leading
industry players, the Wi-Fi Alliance enables widespread adoption of Wi-Fi and
drives continuous innovation.

and Resources

The Wi-Fi Alliance and the Connectivity Standards Alliance (formerly known as the Zigbee Alliance) have
been at the forefront of shaping and advancing wireless communication technologies. These two orga-

The Connectivity Standards Alliance
Initially founded as the Zigbee Alliance in 2002, the organization
rebranded as the Connectivity Standards Alliance in 2021 to reflect
its broader focus on multiple connectivity technologies. Connectivity
Standards Alliance is a membership-driven consortium of companies

nizations play pivotal roles in ensuring devices can

aiming to develop, promote, and certify standards for various wireless

communicate effortlessly across various platforms and

are particularly vital for IoT applications as they enable low-power,

ecosystems. Through their collaboration, they seek
to enhance interoperability, security, and efficiency to
meet the growing demands of the Internet of Things
(IoT) and next-generation connectivity solutions.

technologies, including Zigbee, Matter, and others. These technologies
cost-effective, and secure communication between devices.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 22

Driving Innovation and Industry Adoption

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

■

through smartphones and tablets connected to 19.5

Both organizations recognize the importance of interop-

billion Wi-Fi devices in use

erability to deliver a cohesive experience for consumers.
By working together, the Wi-Fi Alliance and Connectivity

■

environments

that allow devices using Wi-Fi and other wireless technol■

Cost effective, simple deployment: An easy-to-deploy
and cost-effective foundation that requires no separate

tion helps bridge the gap between different communica-

gateways or specialized skills to deliver IoT applications

tion protocols and ensures that devices can communicate
efficiently, regardless of their underlying technology.

Proven WPA3™ security: Proven WPA3™ security to
protect information exchanged in personal and enterprise

Standards Alliance seek to create harmonized standards
ogies to coexist and interact seamlessly. This collabora-

Pervasive connectivity: Seamless control of IoT devices

■

Backward compatibility: Stands the test of time,
minimizing risk of premature obsolescence and ensuring
legacy devices can easily connect

Matter leverages inherent strengths of Wi-Fi to deliver

■

interoperability between devices using a common appli-

Location awareness: Wi-Fi Location™ delivers submeter-level location information that allows a range of

cation layer and data model, allowing devices to commu-

location-aware IoT services for industrial and smart city

nicate across multiple IP network technologies. Wi-Fi

environments, such as asset management, network

is uniquely suited to support IoT products and appli-

management, and geo-fencing

cations with its wide-ranging capabilities and prolif-

■

Reliable, sophisticated connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi

eration as a global standard. Matter over Wi-Fi bene-

6E networks deliver sophisticated network efficiency,

fits from these Wi-Fi CERTIFIED competencies while

diagnostics, management, and optimization capabilities,
allowing devices such as manufacturing robots and

connecting over 19.5 billion installed Wi-Fi devices.
■

drones to remain connected even as they move or
“roam” throughout home or industrial networks

Standards-based, interoperable technology: A wide range
of device manufacturers and common Wi-Fi standards

■

Flexible network topology: In addition to a traditional

deliver a growing range of IoT applications that vary in

Wi-Fi connection through access points, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED

performance, power, and latency requirements

EasyMesh®, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Aware™, and Wi-Fi
CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct® offer a variety of network
topologies to different IoT environments for scalable and
customizable options
Source: “Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ and Matter provide ideal IoT connectivity

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

The collaboration between these two groups brings

Matter operates at the third (application)

together expertise from diverse backgrounds, including

tier of a 3-tier architecture

4 Get Involved

telecom, consumer electronics, and industrial and
commercial. As they develop new standards, they
encourage adoption by a broader range of manufac-

Physical

turers, further accelerating the growth of connected

Network technologies such

ecosystems. This, in turn, enhances user experi-

as Wi-Fi and Thread

ences and expands the capabilities of IoT devices
in both residential and commercial settings.
By collaborating on interoperability, security, innovation,
and simplicity, they pave the way for seamless connec-

Networking
Protocols such as TCP/IP v6
and UDP

tivity across an ever-expanding array of devices and
applications. Their efforts drive the adoption of reliable
and efficient IoT solutions, ultimately enriching our lives
through a connected, smart, and secure ecosystem. As
technology continues to evolve, the collaboration between

Application
Matter, Alexa, HomeKit,
Home etc.

these two industry-leading alliances remains essential in shaping the future of wireless communication.
The Matter protocol is aimed at reducing the dependencies between devices and IoT platforms such as
Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home.
It should enable easier product certification, simpler
and common onboarding for users, and a consistent (and secure) set of connectivity options.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 23

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

3.1 Design Principles of Matter
The underlying design goals and principles

in-home networks and devices if broadband connec-

The underlying principle here is to standardize core func-

Another core design principle of Matter is simplicity. It

for the Matter protocol are:

tions or cloud services experience outages.

tions while still enabling product vendors to differentiate

is designed not only to be simple for users to interact

in hardware and for higher-level software functions. In

with but also simple for developers. The intention is to

■

Native IP architecture for the smart home

Reliability of the Matter standard is achieved by applying

addition to allowing consumers (or landlords/building

limit repetitive tasks in product creation, reduce the

■

Standardized and reliable network connectivity options

field-proven and well-known standards such as Wi-Fi

owners) to create and operate their own local smart home

need for low value-add work on underlying connec-

Simplicity for device onboarding and administration

and IPv6. The first release of the Matter protocol is

■

IoT networks, the architecture provides a platform for a

tivity, and to shorten times to market for devices.

based on Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Thread network layers

variety of other innovative use cases. Examples include:

■

Accessible royalty-free and open-source software with
democratic contributions by members

for data transport plus BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)
for commissioning (onboarding) of new devices.

Managed smart home IoT networks delivered by a variety of

with standardization and the attendant economies of

service providers

scale by suppliers. Leading IoT silicon providers —

The use of AI for personalization of networks, recognizing

such as this report’s sponsor Silicon Labs and others

using these technologies still require normal develop-

device preferences, inferring room layouts, suggesting

— already offer software development environments

ment and certification from the relevant bodies (such

device groups and clusters, or making recommendations for

that allow developers to start working rapidly, with

■

Inherent security

Thread is a mesh-capable low-power wireless tech-

■

Trustworthy and transparent certification processes

nology based on IEEE 802.15.4 standards. Products

■

Cloud-friendly systems, but with full offline capabilities as well

■

Blending standardized basic functions with enablement of
software and use-case extensibility and product/vendor
differentiation

currently supported but may be considered in future.

Sophisticated building management, for purposes such as

computational power required for devices (MCUs)

code is available at no cost. Ecosystem members

physical or cyber-security, or for tracking and implementing

is minimal, with memory requirements of less than

large and small have contributed to the implementa-

software updates appropriately

128kB RAM and less than 1 MB flash memory.

can contribute to the GitHub repository. The source

that devices are inherently Internet/Cloud-capable
without the need for additional hubs and gateways.
But while there is a strong synergy between Matter
and Cloud-based IoT services, there is also well-engineered capability for continued local control of

Intelligent automation — for instance closing blinds during

which requires low processing overhead so that

Wide availability of Matter components

Matter’s native IP architecture is important as it means

■

support for Matter over Wi-Fi or Matter over Thread.

efficiency or variable-cost utility supplies.

■

existing legacy IoT devices and hubs

configurations or additional functions.

Matter has been designed specifically for the IoT,

The Matter software platform is open source: anyone

Ability to provide backward compatibility / integration with

■

the sunniest part of the day, or optimizing for energy

Power, compute, and memory efficiency

■

■

as Wi-Fi Alliance). Others such as 4G/5G cellular are not

■

(e.g. semiconductors) and tools

Chipset choice and tool availability should increase

■

tion with the lead sponsor of this paper — Silicon Labs
— being one of the most prolific. Using Matter is royal-

These functions can leverage both local real time

ty-free although use of the Matter logo on commer-

processing and data (such as historic consumption

cial products and packaging requires devices to be

patterns) in the Cloud. Because Matter is a standard-

certified by the Connectivity Standards Alliance.

ized application-layer protocol, the user journeys or UX
for Matter-certified devices are likely to be functionally similar although use cases and the design/performance of the devices themselves may differ widely.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 24

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

3.2 Network Topology & Device Roles
The Matter standards define a stereotype of a local

■

between devices on the Thread network and devices or services

(home) network architecture with associated roles

on other IP networks, ensuring that data is correctly sent and

for different nodes and devices. These include:
■

■

received.

Matter Devices: IoT end-devices themselves in various pre-

■

Network management: The border router helps maintain the

assigned and defined categories (discussed separately in

Thread network’s health by providing management and monitoring

this report)

functions, ensuring that the network remains stable and reliable.

Matter Commissioners: Devices capable of onboarding or

■

Security: It plays a role in maintaining the security of the network

“commissioning” others over BLE. Typically this will involve

by managing secure connections between the Thread network and

a smartphone, tablet or similar device, either with an app

other IP networks, including handling encryption and decryption

performing the commissioning function, or as a native

processes.

function of the underlying operating system (e.g. iOS or
Android) itself.
■

Routing and connectivity: It manages the routing of messages

Matter Controllers: Devices which act as the hubs for

■

Matter Bridges: These link Matter controllers and devices
to other (legacy or proprietary) IoT protocols including
Zigbee, LoRa, and Z-Wave.

one or more Matter ‘fabrics’, performing key pre-defined
functions for controlling onboarded devices. Such functions
might be — for example — on/off/dim for a lightbulb, or a
timer function for a connected plug or smart blinds. Matter

network architecture. It is important to note that devices

natively by the OS itself, or separate apps. Additional more

can support multiple roles at the same time and that

complex functions may be supported in specific vendor

all Matter devices can communicate with each other

Matter Controller

Thread Border Router

Matter Bridge

via IPv6 regardless of chosen transport protocol.

Thread Border Routers: These connect Wi-Fi devices to
Thread devices and vice-versa. They perform the following

Many of these functions can be combined together in a

functions:

single device or application especially where only basic

■

Matter Devices

are also implicitly recognized as part of the Matter

controllers will often be smartphones either supported

products or applications outside of the Matter definitions.
■

Wi-Fi-capable home gateways and mesh extenders

Network translation: The border router translates Thread

functionality is needed or where integrated “ecosystems”

networking protocol messages into standard IPv6 messages that

are supplied by vendors. There will be other scenarios or

can be transmitted over other IP networks such as Wi-Fi.

customer groups where it makes more sense to separate
out the capabilities perhaps if they are added over time.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 25

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

It seems likely that most smart

Some visions of the market suggest that in the

Support for new Matter device types is driven by Connec-

homes will end up with:

medium term it is likely that most device-specific

tivity Standards Alliance members’ priorities and the tech-

apps will disappear — in a similar way that few head-

nical definition of use-cases. Project teams are considering

phones need a separate app. Most consumers do

devices such as security cameras, home electrical appli-

A home broadband gateway, which includes a

not want five, ten, or twenty apps to control all their

ances, robot vacuums, smoke/carbon monoxide sensors,

Wi-Fi access point and (if it is newly-supplied) a

home devices. What is less clear is which UX layers

electric vehicle charging, and home energy management.

Thread Border Router function

will remain from the various possible candidates:

3 The Matter Protocol

CUSTOMER DEVICE
CONNECTION PROCESS
Smart Devices

Future developments may include toys, health and wellness
One or more Wi-Fi mesh extenders or smart

■

Native device OS

devices, but these are likely further out, or perhaps may fall

■

Central smartphone controller app (either

under other Connectivity Standards Alliance initiatives.

speakers, which can also support Thread and
Matter. These may belong to different fabrics /

the same brand as the handset or that of a

ecosystems.

One or more smartphones, which can act as

third party such as Amazon Alexa)
■

as the home ISP, mobile network, or perhaps a dedicated

commissioners and controllers for Matter devices,

Central Smartphone
Controller App

managed service provider

using a mix of native OS functions and vendor/SP
apps.

Branded smart home apps from service providers, such

■

Separate apps for home automation (e.g. heating, security),
health, fitness and entertainment devices

Smart Devices

Various smart home Matter devices. Some of
these will support a Thread mesh capability.

The likelihood is that a mix of customer inertia and /
or apathy, ecosystem lock-in, and bundling with
other systems will drive clarity over time. However,

A subset of homes will use Matter Bridges

in some countries or demographics there may be

either to connect existing legacy devices or

local issues — such as much-loved local home

in some cases to extend the Matter fabric to

system brands, or perhaps regulatory interven-

new (and still proprietary) device clusters.

tion — that may lead to different outcomes.

Separate
Apps

Mobile Device

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 26

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3.3 Matter over Wi-Fi,
Matter over Thread
Matter supports Wi-Fi and Thread wireless transport technologies. The two are largely complementary, although Wi-Fi
is currently the most popular choice as measured by the
number of smart home devices deployed (Thread is compar-

For additional reliability and interoperability, Matter devices
using Wi-Fi are required to be certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance in order to also be Matter certified by the Connectivity
Standards Alliance. Matter can run above any certified Wi-Fi

atively new).

device of any generation including Wi-Fi HaLow. According

In most cases Wi-Fi also forms the main IP network back-

Wi-Fi devices have already been certified for Matter only a

bone for hundreds of millions of homes across the globe,

few months following the release of the first Matter protocol.

connecting both IoT devices and compute/entertainment-oriented products such as laptops, tablets, smart TVs, games
consoles and smartphones. Most Cloud-delivered services in
the home will transit Wi-Fi at some point, either via a standalone home gateway or (increasingly) a whole-home mesh

to the Connectivity Standards Alliance several hundred

The growing use of camera modules, real-time sensors, and
display screens even on basic products may shift connectivity choices towards Wi-Fi in the future rather than towards
narrowband options. In addition, the growth of service/

network.

subscription-based products for the smart home, often linked

Wi-Fi is in most cases will remain a prerequisite for at least

need for better IP-based in-home connectivity and onward

some parts of a Matter-based network. Thread devices

(secure) broadband links to the Cloud.

to data collection, storage, and analytics, will also drive the

require border routers to connect to the Wi-Fi backbone (or
Ethernet backbone), unless home gateways have Thread
capability built-in. Given that most gateways are expected
to have long lifetimes, it may be costly for ISPs to supply
upgraded Thread-based replacements routinely for existing
subscribers.
Other Protocols

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 27

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

Performance improvements

Why smart home IoT developers
should consider Wi-Fi 6

Future Wi-Fi 6E/7 for 6 GHz IoT

Will Matter improve the performance and reliability of smart

Historically most smart home IoT devices have used basic versions

Although many in the Wi-Fi industry rightly focus on the opportuni-

home networks and services? The short answer is a yes and

of Wi-Fi — often relying just on the 2.4GHz band and earlier vari-

ties offered by the newly allocated 6GHz unlicensed band, it should

the reasons are multiple but fairly obvious. First of all, Matter

ants such as Wi-Fi 4/5 (802.11n or .11ac) with lower-cost compo-

be recognized that most home IoT products are unlikely to exploit

devices need to be certified to carry the Matter logo, which

nents. These have typically had significant technical limitations, as

6 GHz spectrum in the near future. In general, the two key design

means they will need to go through rigorous interoperability

discussed above.

requirements for consumer IoT are:

dard. The Matter logo and certification process is in this sense

The Wi-Fi6 standard — which was released in 2019 — is gradually

■

Low cost of manufacturing

a stamp of quality and a credential that the device will func-

being adopted for wireless IoT applications, driven partly by the need

■

Good range including hard-to-reach areas of a home, garden, and

tion up to at least the requirements of the Matter standard.

for better, more reliable multi-user performance in locations with a

testing and adhere strictly to the requirements of the stan-

surrounds such as basements, sheds, and external walls and rooftops

high density of devices. Given that smart homes may have twenty
There is no law stating that IoT devices need to be Matter

or more Wi-Fi devices, this emphasis is becoming more urgent. It

For this reason, many of today’s IoT products and corresponding

compliant — but in that case they would not be permitted to

uses techniques including MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple in/out) for

chipset platforms still use the 2.4 GHz band only, which offers good

carry the Matter logo. Similarly, Wi-Fi-based devices using

better beamforming and simultaneous streams as well as OFDMA

range and good penetration through walls and floors. Using this

the Matter designation will also be required to be Wi-Fi certi-

radio waveforms to support more bandwidth. This is important — for

band also typically means more affordable components and hence

fied, which removes another frequent source of errors, lack of

example — when used for HD video from security cameras.

lower device costs.

Wi-Fi 6 also represents the first time IoT device and ecosystem

But there are exceptions to this: High-definition video cameras and

developers are able to control device “wake cycles” and hence drive

displays, smart TVs, and AR/VR wearables are likely to be high-

down and better control power consumption for Wi-Fi-connected IoT

er-margin devices in need of more bandwidth. These will tend to

devices. The Target Wake Time (TWT) feature is expected to drive

employ higher performance Wi-Fi perhaps including the new 6 GHz

more mass-market adoption of battery-operated Wi-Fi-connected

band as well as the more typical 5 GHz band. Add to this that Matter

IoT devices, such as sensors, actuators and similar products.

would likely be well-optimized for the new sub-1 GHz 802.11ah

interoperability, and malfunction.

version of Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi HaLow) which is specifically designed for
While initially comparatively costly, the price-points of Wi-Fi 6 chips
has fallen in recent years, which combined with Matter support may
change the calculus for all but the lowest-margin IoT devices in future.

low-power and long-range usage.

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 28

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3.4 Matter for Legacy Devices
(Zigbee, Z-Wave, & Others)
For many users — and also device developers — integrating

They will want to protect their investments and engineering

close attention to this migration. Zigbee is being updated for

existing legacy smart home devices into a Matter network

skills and ensure that their customers’ existing systems are

better support and coexistence, for instance with meshing

will be an important consideration. While some homes will

not left stranded. They will often want to keep smartphone

and enhanced hub specifications. Zigbee Direct will add

be completely new to adopting IoT and can be ‘Matter-only’

apps to allow configuration and use of advanced features.

support for BLE as a way to connect smartphones with indi-

the majority of initial Matter product sales are likely to be

It is unrealistic to expect an immediate or total cut-over to

vidual devices.

made to homes with heterogeneous device environments.

Matter, Thread, and Wi-Fi.
But the other technologies’ ecosystems are unlikely to sit still

Today, many smart home devices use different connectivity

Support for legacy Zigbee and Z-Wave devices is especially

and wait for Matter’s focus on Thread and Wi-Fi to displace

technologies to those included in the Matter standard. These

important since the installed base of such devices world-

them. They will likely continue to improve their propositions

have included Zigbee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, LoRaWAN, DECT

wide is in many millions. Z-Wave alone cites 3000+ devices

and look to compete directly or indirectly. Some may seek to

and a wide variety of proprietary alternatives — as well as

and 100+ million shipped smart home devices[1]. Careful

have their technologies included as official additional options

wired ethernet and USB connections. A number of devices

thought is needed to smooth the transition and boundaries

within Matter, although it is unclear how non-IP based

(such as alarms) use cellular radios — either normal 4G/5G or

between legacy devices, any relevant hubs and smartphone

networks could be treated on a level basis.

low-power NB-IoT and Cat M. Some devices such as wear-

apps, and a new Matter network and controllers.
Overall, these issues will increase the importance of Matter

ables act as peripherals to mobile phones, essentially acting
We believe that bridges — plus appropriate multi-protocol

bridges — but also means that specific vendors may

software platforms — will be an important means to incor-

carefully scrutinize their timing to avoid cannibalization

The question is then what happens to legacy devices

porate legacy devices into existing smart home fabrics.

and replacement of their existing customer bases. Some

already in homes or to existing (and new) product portfolios

Many vendors are unlikely to want to abandon their existing

vendors are likely to be more interested in getting their

that lie outside of Matter’s current reach.

hub strategy or capabilities and IPR relating to non-Matter

Matter controllers into the market, or selling new Matter-en-

connectivity. Bridges should ideally have developer-facing

abled devices, before looking at legacy device support.

as extensions to their cellular or Wi-Fi connections.

It is important to recognize that many important device designers

APIs that abstract any underlying complexities from linking

and manufacturers have sunk time and effort into creating excel-

Matter and non-Matter ecosystems.

lent products and ecosystems that use other network technol-

The bridging option outlined above means that Matter’s
legacy device support allows consumers to incorporate

ogies. They may also have advanced functions and applications

The Connectivity Standards Alliance — which oversees

existing smart home devices into a Matter fabric indirectly

that do not map exactly to Matter’s specifications.

Matter was historically known as the Zigbee Alliance, so

via bridges, and then gradually migrate to a full Matter-com-

the Connectivity Standards Alliance and its members pay

pliant network as the network expands or is updated.
[1] https://www.z-wave.com/learn

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 29

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

3.5 Ease of Onboarding
and Multi-admin
Interoperability is the primary feature of Matter in that

All Matter devices use a setup code accessible in the form

The Matter standard requires that certified Matter devices

all certified Matter products are required to interoperate

of a QR code, a number written on the device, or number

support at least five so-called ‘Matter Fabrics’ — ‘Fabric’

seamlessly regardless of manufacturer and smart home

residing in an app. In some cases apps may advise the user

in this case meaning an individual ecosystem network for

device ecosystem as well as regardless of their role (device,

of the discovery of a new Matter device via text or even

example within the home.

controller, border router, bridge, etc.). This primary function

voice messaging. The communication with the device during

of Matter is expected to drive faster smart home device

the setup phase takes place via Bluetooth LE. The final part

And of course for manufacturers the multi-admin principle

uptake via increased consumer purchasing confidence —

of the process is taken care of by Matter’s multi-admin func-

shortens time to market and reduces development costs

but also critical for future uses of Matter in other segments

tionality, which permits the user to add the device to his or

because they no longer need to create an entire family of

such as industry, healthcare, automotive, and so on.

her Matter smart home networks of choice.

device versions for the sole purpose of linking a product to
various smart home IoT ecosystems each requiring compli-

Another critical component for vastly improving the smart

Multi-admin is another marquee feature of Matter and one

ance with a proprietary protocol. One Matter certified

home IoT user experience is onboarding of devices. Matter

that holds great promise in driving smart home IoT market

device is enough.

has streamlined and carefully defined the onboarding

growth by removing barriers to consumer freedom of

(commissioning) process for smart home IoT devices.

choice, installation, and use. For consumers, Matter allows

Onboarding processes for different devices are not

smart home devices to connect to hubs and other devices

expected to be exactly identical but functionally equivalent

from a multitude of compatible ecosystems — even at the

and comprising a few easily recognizable steps. Currently

same time.

— for non-Matter devices — studies show that some 36%
of users experience difficulties in setting up smart home

This means that a device can form part of several smart

devices by themselves[2]. The aim of Matter onboarding is

home networks concurrently and can be managed from

that such difficulties will be a thing of the past for the vast

a variety of Matter controllers also belonging to different

majority of smart home IoT users.

ecosystems. The multi-admin feature removes a great deal of
confusion and complexity from consumers’ smart home IoT
device purchasing decisions and adds real use case value in
that for example sensors or other types of IoT devices can be
used in various contexts. For example: A motion sensor can

[2] https://csa-iot.org/newsroom/setting-up-devices-with-matter/

be used for both a lighting system and a security system.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 30

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

3.6 An Open-Source Approach
to Development

3.7 Focus on Security
and Privacy

Open-source development is at the core of the Matter

Smart home consumers are naturally concerned about

For security and privacy all Matter devices are required to

concept. Code for the Matter reference implementation is

security and privacy. Device manufacturers are equally

provide proof of identity via certificates so that data can

available to all manufacturers on an open-source, royal-

concerned as are future ISPs providing or perhaps even

only be shared between ‘trusted’ devices. In general Matter

ty-free basis including security modules. Any member of

controlling Matter-capable devices for example as parts of

applies the principles of GDPR in its design. Add to this

Connectivity Standards Alliance may contribute to the stan-

a smart home ISP bundle or Cloud-based service. Security

that WPA2 (Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5) and WPA3 (Wi-Fi 6) standard-

dard with a wide variety of ecosystem members (both large

threats include product malfunction through remote control,

ized security and encryption protocols are incorporated in

and small) having participated already. The contributions

DDoS attacks, data & privacy breaches, intellectual property

any certified Wi-Fi device also certified by Matter. Matter

from firms such as Apple, Google, Amazon and this report’s

theft, and some breaches could even result in potential harm

devices are also required to support OTA (over-the-air) firm-

sponsor Silicon Labs helped accelerate development of the

to humans. Security breaches can be very serious indeed

ware updates either by means provided by the Matter itself

protocol.

and systems must be designed to protect against them.

or via proprietary means.

The objective has been to maximize ecosystem breadth

To protect users Connectivity Standards Alliance has

in terms of device designers, software developers and

designed Matter to meet exacting security standards from

service providers, while reducing barriers to new market

manufacturing of devices through to installation and main-

entrants. This also ties in with product quality, where it is

tenance. As a starting point every Matter device is authen-

essential that even the smallest supplier can create secure,

ticated and every message is encrypted. Matter security is

reliable and interoperable solutions — dedicating most of

self–contained and does not rely on the security of other

their resources to IoT function and user experience, without

protocols below, which also means there is no need to

attempting to “reinvent the wheel” in critical areas such as

add additional security features on top. A Matter reference

security. An additional benefit is that broader community

implementation (code) including security modules is avail-

participation in creating the underlying stack should result in

able to all manufacturers on an open-source basis. Secu-

additional use-cases being captured by the process.

rity in Matter is designed with resilience and agility in mind,

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

Connectivity Standards Alliance says.
While the platform itself is without cost, use of the Matter logo
on commercial products and packaging requires devices to be
certified by the Connectivity Standards Alliance.

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 31

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

‘Trusted Roots’ (PAAs) & services for issuing Matter
certificates
All Matter devices must be issued with certificates of

Matter is the first time at least within a decade that a

authenticity and the scheme to deliver and maintain such

new and comprehensive application-layer security and

certificates has been meticulously crafted — for maximum

privacy protocol has been created from scratch to serve

security — by the Connectivity Standards Alliance and

connected devices. The method makes sure that only

contributing companies and organizations. The hierarchy of

Matter certified and authenticated devices can connect

the scheme includes PAAs (Product Attestation Authorities,

to a Matter home network while maintaining Matter archi-

otherwise known as ‘trusted roots’) and PAIs (Product Attes-

tecture of multi-admin and multiple controllers as needed.

tation Intermediates).

It also allows secure unicast, multicast, as well as secure
software updates.

All manufacturers are required to act as PAIs in order that
they (or another accredited service) can issue Device Attestation Certificates (DACs) to individual Matter devices. The
DACs provide immutable identities to each Matter device,
they ensure authentication of all Matter devices, and maintain an accounting trail back to trusted root sources. As a
result, it is nigh on impossible for rogue manufacturers to
create knock-off Matter devices that jeopardize security.
The Matter security mechanisms use blockchain (distributed
ledgers) so that authentication takes place locally and does
not require Internet access for any verification.
In the hierarchy of Matter security a ‘trusted root’ PAA —
such as Digicert — issues a PAI to the member (typically a
member) from Digicert’s PAA. The member can then issue
DACs that can be signed by Digicert as the trusted root. In
the end the DAC of a device will contain a product ID and a
vendor ID, which will uniquely identify and follow the device
throughout its lifecycle.

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 32

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

3.8 Certification and Testing
Certification of Matter products takes place at independent,

One crucial choice that needs to be made early on is the

authorized test laboratories accredited for Matter testing by

selection of a network transport option for your device.

Connectivity Standards Alliance. To speed up time to market

Since Matter is an IP-based protocol that operates as an

including certification, Connectivity Standards Alliance has

application layer on top of technologies like Wi-Fi and

made sample application libraries for certain device types

Thread, a network transport layer that achieves the neces-

available for free. Connectivity Standards Alliance also says

sary certifications from relevant standards organizations is

the goal is fully to automate testing so as to shorten device

required. Appropriate certification is also required if a Matter

development times.

device use Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) for commissioning
(which many do). By ensuring any of these technologies

As noted above, use of the Matter logo requires device

used in your devices are properly certified by the appro-

certification, to give customers confidence that smart home

priate standards organization early on, you will be prepared

devices will work together out-of-the-box whether from a

to complete the appropriate Connectivity Standards Alliance

single supplier or a diverse range of brands.

Attestation of Network Transport Protocol forms during the

The focal points of Matter certification include:
■

Interoperability: Devices must work together seamlessly,
regardless of the brand or manufacturer.

■

Security: Devices must be proven to be secure and protect
the privacy of users.

■

Ease of use: Devices should be easy to set up and use.

■

Future-proof: Devices are designed to be future-proof,
meaning they will continue to work with new classes of
devices and other updates, as they are developed.

The overall certification process includes pre-certification testing, formal testing, and test-harness training to the
Matter smart home standards.

application process.

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 33

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

4.0 Get Involved
The Connectivity Standards Alliance brings together a

Market Growth and Adoption

global consortium of companies to develop and promote

By aligning their projects with these standards, developers

an open, standardized approach to connectivity. For devel-

can tap into a larger customer base and reach a wider audi-

opers in the rapidly evolving tech landscape, joining the

ence. This can lead to faster market adoption and increased

Connectivity Standards Alliance can bring a myriad of bene-

demand for their products

fits and opportunities.
Influence and Impact
Interoperability and Compatibility

Developers who actively participate in Connectivity Stan-

Developers who engage with the Connectivity Standards

dards Alliance working groups and committees have the

Alliance can contribute to shaping these standards, leading

chance to shape the future of connectivity technologies.

to better integration between devices from different manufacturers and minimizing compatibility issues.

Active participation in the Connectivity Standards Alliance
offers developers a unique chance to contribute to the

Innovation

advancement of global connectivity standards, drive innova-

This collaborative environment fuels innovation by allowing

tion, collaborate with industry leaders, and gain early access

developers to share ideas, insights, and best practices,

to emerging technologies. By actively engaging with the

which can lead to the creation of novel products and

Connectivity Standards Alliance, developers can position

services. The Connectivity Standards Alliance’s working

themselves at the forefront of the technology landscape,

groups offer a platform for developers to drive innovation

leading to enhanced career opportunities, increased market

and collectively solve technical challenges.

presence, and the satisfaction of playing a pivotal role in
shaping the future of connectivity.

Early Access to Emerging Technologies
By participating in the development process, developers can
influence the direction of these technologies and ensure
that they align with their own projects and goals.

Delivering on the Smart Home IoT Promise | 34

1 Drivers for Matter Adoption

2 Challenges for the Traditional Smart Home

3 The Matter Protocol

4 Get Involved

Silicon Labs

About the Author

Prominent, influential & outspoken technology industry

About Silicon Labs

Dean Bubley
Founder & director, Disruptive Analysis

wireless & IoT sectors. Numerous clients among global

Silicon Labs is the leading provider of silicon, software,
and solutions for a smarter, more connected world. Our

analyst, futurist and consultant, specialising in telecoms,
telecom operators, vendors, startups, regulators, investors
and industry bodies. Speaks at 30+ conferences & other
events per year.

industry-leading wireless solutions feature a high level
of functional integration. Multiple complex mixed-signal
functions are integrated into a single IC or system-on-

Key research areas:
■

chip (SoC) device, saving valued space, minimizing overall

regulation

power consumption requirements, and improving customer
end products’ reliability. We are the trusted partner for the
world-leading consumer and industrial brands and small

■

Impact of AI & blockchain on Internet & telco value chains

■

Next-generation voice, video, UC & messaging technologies
& business models

and medium sized companies. Our customers develop solutions for wide range of applications, from medical devices to

■

■

WiFi (offload / onload / connnection management)

■

IoT & enterprise wireless, including private cellular, LPWAN,

Silicon Labs is a leading contributor to Matter specification

eSIM & spectrum strategy

automation, smart home, industrial IoT, and other application
areas to connect a wide range of networks and devices—
regardless of the underlying network protocol.

5G & 4G mobile broadband technologies (radio, core,
policy) & services

smart lighting to building automation, and much more.

updates and our broad wireless expertise spans building

Business strategy, technology evolution & telecom policy/

■

Broad futurism & implications for technology, government &
society

Writes reports under both Disruptive Analysis brand, and
as Associate Director in charge of the Network Futures
research programme at STL Partners. Collaborates on
consulting projects & workshops with various other independent analysts.
</reference>

<statements>
1. Interoperability has been a chronic pain point in smart home deployments, historically fragmenting ecosystems around vendor‑specific hubs and protocols. Matter, an open, IP‑based application layer specification from the Connectivity Standards Alliance, aims to address this by providing a common data model and control layer across devices using Wi‑Fi, Thread, Ethernet, and Bluetooth LE for commissioning. All certified Matter products are required to interoperate regardless of manufacturer or ecosystem, and support multi‑admin control so that devices can be managed by multiple platforms such as Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and SmartThings.
2. Interoperable devices and hubs built around Matter and Thread, offering seamless setup and multi‑ecosystem control, will shape product requirements across categories, from lighting and locks to appliances and energy devices. Vendors are expected to differentiate via advanced features (AI, energy, health) rather than basic connectivity, while Matter 2.0+ features around energy management and security will nudge products toward richer telemetry and standardized control interfaces.
</statements>

Begin the assessment now. Output only the JSON list, without any conversational text or explanations.