TÜV Rheinland tests and certifies MATTER 1.0 worldwide
TÜV Rheinland now offers testing and certification for smart home products according to the MATTER communication standard of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). MATTER is the first international standard that defines uniform, cross-national framework conditions for smart home products.
More than 18 billion smart home devices are in use worldwide. Experts estimate that this figure will rise to 27 billion by 2027: from smart light bulbs and intelligent vacuum cleaners to parking lot monitoring systems for municipalities. But the national requirements and regulations for smart homes are just as varied as their areas of application. As a result, manufacturers or distributors face import and sales difficulties - consumers with corresponding performance losses in devices. The standard, called MATTER, is intended to bring order to this confusion.
Country-specific features harmonized
MATTER 1.0 is backed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance's (CSA) project consortium with a total of more than 550 participating and internationally active technology companies. This has now developed a protocol that defines standardized, cross-national requirements and framework conditions for smart home products. "Users want smart home products that can be operated intuitively while offering as many functions as possible and a high level of performance," explains Lourens Koopmans, senior expert for wireless technologies at TÜV Rheinland. "In addition, the devices should not only function in a specific smart home system, but should be able to communicate with each other in different systems. MATTER harmonizes the different technical and legal country-specific features in a standardized protocol."
Better products thanks to uniform international standards
As a result, MATTER-certified products have improved connectivity and interoperability - regardless of brand or platform. In addition, special technology standards ensure significantly more efficient and thus more power-efficient device operation. MATTER operates over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Thread, and uses Bluetooth low-energy to connect devices. MATTER 1.0-certified devices will also have an easier time with data protection in the future.
5-year forecast: half of all devices according to MATTER standard
According to estimates by technology company ABI Research, more than half of all smart home devices will ship with Matter support in the next five years. TÜV Rheinland has four of 18 laboratories worldwide where manufacturers can now have both new and existing smart home products tested for MATTER 1.0 criteria such as connectivity, performance and interoperability. "We know the different conditions, technical standards and certifications of more than 180 countries," Koopmans continued. "Our experts perform a wide variety of tests and check conformity as well as documentation regulations of the respective region. This enables manufacturers to enter the market faster and more securely."
Source: TÜV Rhineland
