Good News for Matter: Apple, Google, and Samsung Support Alliance Lab Testing

The Connectivity Standards Alliance, the group of companies working towards better smart home connectivity through the Matter standard, has agreed a streamlined certification process with Apple, Google, and Samsung. If you’re ever wondered if an item of smart home gear was Matter compatible, but could only find reference to “Works With Google Home” or similar, things are about to change.

What is Lab Testing For?

When you buy smart home kit, you’ll see a logo on the box, stating “Works With…” alongside logos for Matter (and sometimes Zigbee).

Certification of Matter devices requires an additional process for manufacturers, where items are put through tests in the Interop Lab. Not only do they have to achieve certification for each “Works With” ecosystem, the device produces also need to complete the process to achieve a CSA certificate.

This is clearly not the best way to do things.

The CSA has announced that the Alliance Interop Lab test results will be accepted by Apple for Works With Apple Home, with Google and Samsung following suit later this year for Works With Google Home and Works With SmartThings certification. So, third party smart home gear manufacturers no longer have to jump through testing hoops to get their devices working on all thre ecosystems.

What Difference Does This Make to Buying Smart Home Tech?

Other CSA members are likely to be added to this list in the future – Amazon Alexa devices are conspicuous by their absence.

Here’s how the CSA announced it:

“Recognizing the need for a more streamlined end-to-end certification process, the Alliance is excited to share that Apple has begun accepting Alliance Interop Lab test results for Matter devices for Works With Apple Home, and that Google and Samsung will be doing the same for their respective Works With Google Home, and Works With SmartThings certifications later this year, underscoring the credibility and reliability of the Alliance’s testing programs.”

While the immediate benefit is that smart home manufacturers can streamline certification and release, it also helps the consumer. Moving forward, if an item is labeled as Matter compatible, it can also display the “Works With…” badge for other ecosystems. Manufacturers test once, and you should get to use the device with any smart home ecosystem displayed on the packaging.

That’s good news for everyone!