Google, Apple, Samsung smart home ecosystems move toward open device standards

The Internet of Things, or the vast networks of "smart objects" now powering most of our digitally connected lives, is a step closer to living in a single ecosystem.

Google Home, Apple's HomeKit, and Samsung's SmartThings are all now accepting a new smart home testing and compatibility certification that will enable a wider array of smart gadgets to connect to your home network, according to the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). The CSA is a coalition of companies and technologists building toward universal open standards for smart devices and connected technology.

Amazon's Alexa-enabled smart home system has yet to opt-in.

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Consumer products certified with the Matter badge, as its called, can bypass individual testing and certification with each Big Tech ecosystem — the previous, oft-time consuming process — under the single standards body. Launched by the CSA in 2022, the Matter standard was designed to reimagine interoperability between smart devices on the path toward a universal connectivity standard. It harnesses multiple existing connection technologies (Thread, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ethernet) to bring products together locally. Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, LG, and smart home companies, like Lutron, iRobot, Signify (Philips Hue), and Ikea, joined the Build with Matter initiative tasked with designing the system.

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But the Matter certification and recertification process has been slow to move in the years since, and while all the major smart home providers signaled their support after the initial unveiling, none had fully phased out their individual testing requirements under the single process. According to the CSA, today's announcement hopes to simplify and streamline the future of it's universal certifications.