Yandex smart home control centers have begun to receive support for the Matter protocol, which makes it easy to combine devices from different manufacturers into one system. One of the features of the standard is the ability to control equipment without being tied to the manufacturer’s servers, which allows Matter-enabled devices to connect to any compatible control centers.
The company confirmed to Kommersant that it has begun testing the connection of devices that support the Matter protocol, which allows you to connect smart home components (lighting fixtures, smart sockets, switches and relays) via local wireless communication without being tied to a specific ecosystem (Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, etc.). “Those to whom it is available will see a notification in the Smart Home with Alice application,” said a Yandex representative.
The Matter protocol was developed by the CSA alliance, which includes more than 270 companies: Apple, Google, Huawei, Tuya, etc. According to TelecomDaily CEO Denis Kuskov, Yandex, which announced the availability of Matter support even before the finalization of the standard, at the end of 2021, will remain a member of CSA even after the division of the company's assets between the Dutch and Russian structures.
Matter-enabled devices can use Wi-Fi and Thread wireless connectivity to connect. The Yandex smart home certificate, as reported by Kommersant, lists only “Matter via Wi-Fi” devices.
According to the director of the Restore network, Rasim Lemberansky, the Matter standard is designed to solve the problems of market fragmentation. However, as The Verge writes, Matter accessories do not yet meet the goals of the standard developers. In particular, when directly connected to Matter hubs, devices lose some functions (for example, lighting effects) and even communication. Also, simultaneous work with several ecosystems is not implemented.
Yandex is the first smart home platform holder in the Russian Federation to officially launch Matter support. According to Stanislav Soltitsky, deputy director for strategic development of Marvel Distribution, the prospects for mass implementation of the standard are still unclear. “The Zigbee protocol, which is already in Yandex speakers, was also intended to be universal, but remained niche,” he says.
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