The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has announced the release of Matter 1.4, which is now available for device makers and platforms to integrate into their products. This update takes a significant step forward in the Matter ecosystem. Matter 1.4 introduces enhancements that allow device vendors and platforms to improve the multi-ecosystem user experience with Enhanced Multi-Admin, create more reliable and interoperable home networks with the introduction of Matter-certifiable Home Routers and Access Points, that will help users save energy with expanded energy management enhancements, and build new and better experiences with several new device types and core enhancements.

The evolution of the Matter specification in the 1.4 release reflects the support of hundreds of Member companies and the dedication of thousands of engineers and product experts globally. With Matter products now in millions of homes around the world since its launch in 2022, Matter Working Group members continue to bring their real-world experiences, innovations, and challenges into Matter’s ongoing development, to improve and grow the smart home. Matter 1.4 reinforces our commitment to delivering simplicity, interoperability, and new experiences across the IoT landscape.

Enhanced Network Infrastructure with Home Routers and Access Points (HRAP) 

Devices such as home routers and modems, access points, and set-top boxes can now be designed or upgraded to provide more robust support for Matter-based smart homes. Matter-certified HRAP devices provide the foundational infrastructure of smart homes by combining both a Wi-Fi access point and a Thread Border Router, ensuring these ubiquitous devices have the necessary infrastructure for Matter products using either of these technologies. HRAP devices also feature a secure directory for storing and sharing Thread network credentials. This standardized approach makes it easier for users to add new Thread devices, including Thread Border Routers, to their existing Thread networks, rather than creating new ones, realizing the benefits of a unified Thread mesh network and reducing network fragmentation.

Starting from this foundation, the HRAP roadmap will continue to add enhancements to improve smart home infrastructure including support for the improvements in Thread 1.4. (Note, the version numbers between this Matter 1.4 release and Thread’s 1.4 release are coincidental and unrelated.)

Enhanced Multi-Admin 

Multi-Admin is central to Matter’s vision of choice and interoperability, allowing users to connect Matter devices to multiple smart home systems. However, sharing each device individually when managing multiple platforms can become tedious and complex as users expand their smart homes. Enhanced Multi-Admin makes smart home management easier with single user consent, enabling existing and new devices to connect to multiple ecosystems automatically. Matter 1.4 and future releases provide developers with flexible approaches to implement this optional experience based on their applications.

Enhancements to Energy Management 

Matter 1.4 expands its energy management capabilities by adding support for new device types like solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and water heaters. These additions, along with improvements to the energy management and thermostat clusters, pave the way for smarter, more automated energy management within the home.

New Energy Device Types and Capabilities

Solar Power – Existing electrical power and electrical energy support in Matter has been extended to Solar Power device types, including inverters, individual and panel arrays, and hybrid solar/battery systems. 

Batteries – These include battery walls, storage units, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), capable of discharging energy back into the home or grid, creating “virtual power plants.” Enabled by home energy management systems, they support load balancing, with any controller potentially serving as the management system.

Heat Pumps are an increasingly popular appliance for managing temperature in homes, with a growing number of incentive programs for their installation. With Matter’s energy management capabilities, these devices could forecast consumption and adjust usage during peak demand. Heat pumps can shift energy use to off-peak times, such as pre-heating the home, and some feature a “buffer tank” that functions like a battery. 

Water Heaters – Electric water heaters can be set to a preset temperature or percentage, letting users monitor hot water levels. A boost command, which enables rapid heating from multiple energy sources for situations where hot water is needed quickly, allows temporary overrides in the heating schedule, ideal for situations like hosting guests. This gives consumers more control and flexibility. Additionally, the new Water Heater Mode cluster provides users with the ability to easily toggle scheduling on and off, making it simple to adjust heating patterns when normal routines change.

Enhancements to Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE): EVSE support is enhanced by introducing user-defined charging preferences like specifying when they want their car to be charged, allowing users to choose optimal times for convenience and cost, building on the provisional features from earlier versions.

Enhancements to Thermostats: Thermostat clusters add support for scheduling and preset modes like vacation and home/away settings. Presets can be triggered through motion detection, integrated with other devices, and even automation based on calendar events.

Device Energy Management and Mode – With support for Device Energy Management, Matter 1.4 allows energy-consuming devices to adjust start times based on energy usage forecasts and power management needs. This feature is ideal for devices in optimizing their consumption patterns. The new Device Energy Management Mode cluster enables easy toggling between device-specific, local, or grid-wide energy optimization, providing greater flexibility and efficiency for managing power across the home.

Mounted On/Off and Dimmable Load Control

Matter 1.4 introduces two new device types designed specifically for fixed in-wall smart home devices that deliver electrical power to wired devices, such as in-wall switches for controlling lights, fans, and other non-smart appliances. Previously, these were typically modeled as lights, which could limit user interface or automation flexibility.

Enhancements to Occupancy Sensing

Enhancements to the existing sensor cluster now support sensing features like radar, vision, and ambient sensing technologies. The update also introduces customisable sensitivity settings and offers improved tuning for sensor and history reporting through event-based updates, providing a more precise and adaptable smart home experience. These updates serve as a foundation for future work to support new sensing techniques to enable capabilities like person detection and activity classification.

Enhancements to Battery Powered Devices

Matter 1.4 introduces core enhancements that optimise battery life and communication for Intermittently Connected Devices (ICDs) like switches, buttons, and sensors. Key updates include the Long Idle Time (LIT) protocol, which extends battery life, and a new Check-In Protocol to ensure reliable communication for low-power devices that require LIT. Additionally, quieter reporting of predictable attribute changes reduces network traffic, resulting in improved battery performance and network efficiency.

For More Information: https://csa-iot.org

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Tobin Richardson is the President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), leading a mission to simplify and unify the Internet of Things (IoT) through open, global standards. With over 695 member companies across 45 countries, CSA drives collaboration among industry leaders to create a more connected, accessible, and sustainable world. Richardson spearheaded the launch of Matter, an IP-based standard supported by major IoT players like Amazon, Apple, Google, Comcast, and Samsung SmartThings, aiming to break down IoT “walled gardens” and foster interoperability.

In an exclusive interview with Smart Home World, Tobin Richardson, President and CEO, Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), discusses ‘⁠Matter at One Year’, recent partnerships, and future plans.  

Can you briefly describe the mission and goals of the Connectivity Standard Alliance?

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) is an international community of more than 700 technology companies committed to open standards for the Internet of Things (IoT). Our wide-ranging global membership collaborates to create and evolve universal open standards for the products transforming people’s lives. With our members’ deep and diverse expertise, robust certification programs, and a full suite of open IoT solutions, the Alliance is leading the movement toward a more intuitive, imaginative, and useful world.

How does your organization contribute to developing and promoting connectivity standards in the industry?

Our organization is member-driven, we charter to provide a place where collaboration and important work can happen, on equal footing. We have mechanisms in place to allow for shared IP and a one-company-one vote structure. We have a member-led board of directors, member-driven leadership and technology committees, and various levels of participation available. Every company volunteers their time to the Alliance and its initiatives. 

We are always recruiting and expanding our membership to include full representation of stakeholders in all the areas we work in. We also engage with government bodies and regulators around the world, to align on priority areas and see where standards can make an impact – product security and data privacy are two of these new areas. 

Can you share with our professional readers the progress made by Matter, a protocol for smart home devices that was released by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (the Alliance) just over a year ago?

Matter’s roll-out has out-paced the typical adoption cycles of previous industry standards. Rather than taking years for users to replace hub hardware, software updates enable existing smart home hubs and devices to become Matter controllers. This has created a global market with up to hundreds of millions of homes ready to connect new Matter devices. 

There are Matter products from popular and innovative brands across all initially supported device categories, with products and apps in users’ homes, on their smartphones and tablets, and store shelves. These numbers are in the hundreds of millions, if not more. 

Since the release of Matter 1.0, we’ve had 24,600 downloads of the spec, more than 2,500 individual products – software, hardware, apps – certifications, nearly 33% growth in the number of companies who have joined the Matter Working Group, and the opening of an Alliance Interoperability Test Facility. There are 350 companies now participating in the Matter Working Group and over 4,700 individuals participating. We released two new updates to Matter in 2023, one in the spring with Matter version 1.1 and one in the fall with Matter 1.2

More than 280 companies, including vendors, are supporting the new Matter standard, and some are even innovating ⁠built-in Matter support and Wi-Fi sensing functionality to help operators continue to progress with Matter. Can share more details on the same?

This number has grown to 350 companies, almost double from when we announced the brand for Matter in 2021. We’re seeing companies joining the effort from all across the smart home and IoT ecosystem, and there continues to be unwavering support from our current members as well. Adoption is growing, and we continue to add new features, new device categories, and better and simpler tools for device and app makers. 

Another great thing about Matter is that it enables innovation on top of it. Matter unlocks new opportunities for companies and individuals to create new experiences that will benefit consumers and make the smart home experience richer. We’ve solved the interoperability problem while adding in common elements and language along with a high bar of security. Now it’s up to companies to create on top of it. 

On the Wi-Fi sensing part, I believe you are talking about presence sensors. These are a powerful use case for Matter as now people can use occupancy as a way to make their home smarter and more energy efficient. We’ve seen some great examples already coming to market from our members and see this as a big and important category moving forward.

What do you have to say about the recent report, ‘⁠Matter at One Year’, How will it help the industry?

The Matter specification along with the SDK, testing tools, and certification program are continuing to evolve with active participation from hundreds of leading smart home engineers and product experts. Their meaningful contributions and hard work demonstrate that Matter continues to gain momentum and that the overall experience for consumers and developers will continue to improve over time.

As users connect more of those Matter devices, member companies have actively engaged with each other about their experiences and initial challenges, and are continuing to make improvements in the specification to address them. We fully acknowledge that there is more work to be done in areas including interoperability, platform feature support, multi-admin, and Thread border router connectivity. We have teams actively working on making the experience better for developers and consumers alike and are confident that Matter will continue to evolve and get better over time. 

What are the current strategic initiatives that the Connectivity Standard Alliance focuses on to enhance its impact in the industry?

The Alliance transitioned a few years ago from a single technology focus (Zigbee) to an umbrella organization where member companies can come together to solve industry challenges and foster the adoption of technology through global, open standards. In recent years, we’ve introduced new efforts for the smart home with Matter, digital access with Aliro, product security, data privacy, health and wellness, sustainability, and green power. Each of these efforts takes collaboration and consensus and can come to life as new standards, new principles, or under the guise of existing standards within the Alliance. 

Product Security in particular is one that we are excited about and will have news to share about. This group’s mission has been to create a robust certification program, rooted in industry best practices, technical excellence, and adherence to existing product security regulations in countries around the world, serving as a beacon and ensuring the security of IoT devices. The aim is to improve the overall security of IoT products worldwide, with a mark recognized by regulators and consumers that confirms a product’s security meets requirements, which also makes it easier for device makers to certify once and sell anywhere.

Can you elaborate on any recent partnerships or collaborations that have been established to advance the mission of the Connectivity Standard Alliance?

We have strong relationships with the Wi-Fi Alliance and ThreadGroup and have been able to work in partnership with them to align on the technology stack that makes up Matter. As Matter is on the communication protocol level, we need transport technologies to enable full smart home control. That’s why Matter from the start has been IP-based and has used Wi-Fi and Thread as its core transport technologies. Many of our member companies are also invested in these technologies and are active in their development and direction. 

How does the CSA approach software releases for Matter, (version 1.2)? How are these updates focused on improving the out-of-the-box experience for consumers?

The matter is unique in the world of standards in that we made it a requirement that any products can be updated via software. This allows us to continue to improve the experience for consumers by solving issues that arise, maintaining a high bar for security, and adding new features and device categories over time. We have a bi-annual release schedule currently and have issued two updates to date, one last spring and one in the fall. These updates brought under-the-hood performance improvements in the first update, nine new device categories, and additional new features to expand on the experience. 

As far as future updates go, our priority first and foremost is in making the experience better for consumers, to ensure we deliver on the promises that we have made around interoperability, reliability, simplicity, and security. Matter specification releases are the result of commitments by member companies to multiple stages of authorship, implementation, and testing. 

We’ve already identified some fixes that can help make the experience better one year that we’ll roll into a future update. For new categories and features, we have active work happening on many different fronts at all times, and once we have a combination of consensus and participation, we can move forward with additions to the specification. New features and capabilities to look out for in 2024 include support for water heaters and heat pumps, EV chargers, routers, and access points, and potentially cameras, and also a standardized set of energy management features or principles. We’re still planning for two releases this year, one in the spring and one in the fall.

Considering the slowdown in the growth of the smart home market, how does Matter plan to contribute to market efficiency and automated network ecosystems?

One of the barriers to the broad adoption of smart home devices, and the evolution of the smart home experience overall, has been interoperability. It’s been hard for the industry to achieve scale when consumers have been locked into particular ecosystems or with a limited choice of devices that work with one another. Complex and inconsistent setup processes, connectivity issues, and security concerns, and reliability have also prevented the smart home from growing. 

We are still in the early days of Matter, but the unprecedented scale of what we’ve built, in collaboration with and support from 350 global companies, solves these many challenges through open standards and we hope to solve the rest. With the speed at which the adoption of Matter is happening and the innovation happening around it, we have the best chance yet to take the smart home to the next level, making it both mainstream and ubiquitous in our lives.

Smart Home-as-a-Service Model: a. With more companies introducing subscription services, how does Matter plan to adapt to the shift towards the Smart Home-as-a-Service model?

We see a lot of potential in the smart-home-as-a-service model, with companies that have experience in the space and also with carriers and operators. In both of these cases, a central hub in the home can be Matter-enabled and then be the brain for the home, delivering connectivity, local control and control, automation and intelligence, and even applications on the edge. Operators can then recommend Matter-enabled products through their channels, and through packages or recurring billing, and then layer on services on top of these. We have many of the top global operators as members of the Alliance with many more eager to join.

What are your plans for the Indian Market? 

The Alliance is a global organization, and India is an important market for the Alliance and our members. We have member companies from India and we see the potential to have a major impact in the market across our standards and technologies. From support and tools for device and app makers to align with these standards and technologies to leveraging the technology industry’s deep experience for insight and collaboration, to having a bigger on-the-ground presence, everything is on the table for India. We don’t have any specifics to announce regarding India at this time but will keep you and your audience updated when we do.

Click here to read full February issue – https://www.smarthomeworld.in/magazine-february2024/

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At Light + Building 2024, ABB unveils enhancements to its smart home system, ABB-free@home®, including compatibility with the Matter connectivity standard and additional partner Add-ons. This integration expands interoperability, enabling users to seamlessly manage a wider array of smart home devices and customize their setups with ease.

The adoption of Matter firmware, an emerging open-source connectivity standard for smart homes, enables ABB-free@home® to integrate with various smart home ecosystems such as Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung, and more. Additionally, Matter-enabled devices will soon be compatible with the ABB-free@home® system, allowing control through the app, smart switches, or wall panels.

Christian Kruppa, Global Product Manager at ABB Electrification Smart Buildings, emphasizes the benefits of Matter integration, stating, “With the integration of Matter into ABB-free@home®, we are laying the foundation for a more open and flexible smart home experience. The addition of partner solutions enhances centralized control, providing users with greater convenience.”

To streamline home automation, ABB has integrated its ABB-Welcome door entry system into the ABB-free@home® Next app. This aligns with the concept of Add-ons, showcasing ABB’s commitment to simplifying the user experience. Notable Add-ons include EV charger and utility meter integration, optimizing charging based on available solar energy. Additionally, the Velux Add-on offers control options for motorized windows via a wireless connection to ABB-free@home® through the Velux gateway.

For More Information: www.abb.com.

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Having been a pioneer of both the Matter and Thread standards, Eve Systems has now officially begun to roll out its first out-of-the-box Matter-enabled devices. Certified following the release of Matter in October 2022, now, models of the Eve Energy smart plug will come Matter-enabled out of the box, with Eve Motion and Door and Window sensors rolling out in April.

At that time, existing owners of these products will be able to upgrade their products to Matter using the Eve app for iPhone and iPad. Using the UL-certified smart plug, the company notes that users can remotely control lights and appliances via voice commands or an app, with integrations for sensor-based activity available, as well as energy monitoring for Apple households via the Eve App.

The company also highlights that by enabling motion or contact-based rules, the motion and door and window contact sensors are powerful options to automate the smart home’s lighting, heating and more. “We set off on our journey towards Matter in fall 2020 by introducing Thread technology to our product line, starting with Eve Energy,” says Jerome Gackel, CEO of Eve Systems.

“Today, after a remarkable effort of our teams, we’ve come full circle and put the first Eve Energy in customers’ hands that not only carries a Matter badge but also certification by the major smart home platforms.”

Originally bound to the Apple HomeKit ecosystem, Eve has been one of the first adopters of both the Thread and Matter programs, having participated in the testing and validation of the specification prior to its release in October. Shortly thereafter, the company certified all 14 of its Thread-enabled devices in preparation for Matter rollouts, opening the portfolio up to broader smart home ecosystems.

Users who have purchased Thread-enabled Eve devices in the past and want to leverage Matter to use them on additional smart home platforms will still need to use an Apple device, such as an iPhone or iPad, to download the associated app to push the upgrade.

The Matter-enabled smart plug is now available on the company’s website, Amazon and soon from Apple at a price of $39.95 (MSRP) (US). Eve Motion and Door & Window will be available at a price of $49.95(MSRP) (US) starting April 17.

For more information visit: https://www.evehome.com/en-us/matter

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Smart Home World gives you an overview of CES 2023 and the latest products launched in the smart home technology segment and more…

The recently concluded CES 2023 had over two million square feet of exhibit space and had around 1,000 global brands from around the globe in Las Vegas. The conference hosted a broad spectrum of esteemed industry speakers and the most creative thinkers of the decade who discussed the latest development in their respective fields. There were 730 keynote speakers like Dr. Lisa Su, AMD, John May, John Deere, Oliver Zipse, BMW, Ed Bastian, Delta, Adena T. Friedman, Nasdaq’s and Carlos Tavares, Stellantis to name a few.

At CES 2023 the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) partnered with the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) to showcase the critical role of technology in support of the United Nations’ efforts to Advance Human Security for All.

Adding his insight on the partnership and their vision for innovation in Human Security for All, Gary Shapiro, President, and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association said, “Tech innovation gives us the tools to work toward a better world and has always been the catalyst for historic change. We are proud to partner with the World Academy of Art and Science in support of the United Nations. Now more than ever, people are looking to the tech industry for leadership as we develop creative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.”

We zoom in on one of the happening segments at the CES the Smart Home Technology segment, where numerous brands showcased their products that are compatible with the new smart home standard Matter, this protocol assures to bind all of the smart home techs together.

The latest Smart Home Technology and Products that were launched and were well-received include smart light automation from Nanoleaf, an AI Oven from Samsung, and an LG Artcool air conditioning system that’s disguised as a piece of wall art. Plus, security cameras, robot vacuums, a new ‘shower pod’ system from Kohler… We have compiled some of the most trendsetting products and appliances from various segments:

Smart Products & Appliances

Schneider launched a new home energy management solution for homeowners seeking savings, comfort, and energy independence. The new Schneider Home energy management solution includes a home battery for clean energy storage, a high-power solar inverter, a smart electrical panel, an electric vehicle charger, and connected electric sockets and light switches – all controlled by the easy-to-use Schneider Home App. The Schneider Home solution orchestrates home energy by bringing together utility power, solar, backup battery, and EV charging.

Samsung’s SmartThings Station is easy to set up. When a user powers the device on for the first time, pop-up messages will appear on a user’s Samsung Galaxy smartphone to help guide users through the connection process smoothly. A smart home hub helps multiple devices, including thermostats, lighting and power outlets, seamlessly interconnect with other devices connected to the smart home server so they all work together to create a harmonized environment. SmartThings Station makes it easy to automate pre-set routines created via the SmartThings mobile App without requiring users to control individual devices manually. When leaving home, the SmartThings Station can turn Off power outlets and unused appliances to save energy and activate a security system. Users might also want a gaming routine, which could activate specific TV and lighting settings and turn on Do not Disturb mode.

Samsung’s new Bespoke AI Oven is promising to be that virtual chef. The oven’s smart camera is capable of food recognition and burn detection, which means it can recognize up to 80 different dishes and recommend cooking settings for each of them. With the SmartThings App, this new smart oven also promises to recommend meals based on your workout stats, diet goals and the ingredients you have at home.

Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with Family Hub + features a 32-inch vertical touchscreen, which is twice as large as previous models. You can use this screen to view or share photographs from Google Photos library, control your SmartThings devices and make digital shopping lists for Amazon deliveries. You can also use it to watch TV.

LG’s ArtCool Gallery Air Conditioner has a 27-inch LCD screen, which can display any photos you pick in the accompanying LG ThinQ App. That certainly makes it a bit more attractive than your average metallic rectangle. The AC has a dual inverter compressor, which apparently uses up to 70 percent less power than standard AC products. It also operates at noise levels as low as 20 decibels.

Eve MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit connects your smart home setup without the need for new voice-controlled window covers. The kit includes an all-important USB-C rechargeable motor. The blinds can be controlled using Eve’s App or the Apple Home App. It’ll also connect to your smart home setup via Thread and will soon get Matter support.

Roborock’s S8 series offers the top two models – the S8 Plus and S8 Pro Ultra –that have auto-emptying powers that see the vacuums empty their collected debris into the docks. It has powerful suction and dual roller brushes, which helps them pick up more dirt and avoid pet hair tangles.

French startup Neoplants launched a tiny plant that effectively cleans in-home air pollution. The palm-sized baby houseplant, dubbed Neo P1, is bioengineered to capture and contain the most dangerous indoor air pollutants in homes. The Neo P1 is a single bioengineered plant shown to clean ambient in-home air pollution more effectively than up to thirty standard houseplants.

The new Masonite M-Pwr Smart Door is the first residential exterior doors to integrate power, LED welcome lights, a smart lock and a Ring Video Doorbell into the door system. The technology connects residential front doors to a home’s electrical system and wireless internet network. Whether at home or away, the Masonite M-Pwr smartphone App enables users to program and control motion-activated LED welcome lighting as well as to confirm whether the door is open or closed.

The OmO Smart Can is a new and first-of-its-kind self-sealing and touchless trash can.  A built-in motion sensor and compatible features with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant give you a hand-free approach to tidying up.  When it’s time to take out the trash, an internal thermal sealing mechanism seals trash in and opens the inner bin for a ready-to-throw bag.  A replacement bag automatically deploys once the bin closes back up and is ready for the next dispensation.

TP-Link launched Tapo. The brand features a wide array of products, including indoor and outdoor cameras, motion sensors, window/door contact sensors, and an IoT hub to tie it all together. The Tapo C220 Pan and Tilt Camera is designed to provide privacy when required by hiding the lens in a physical chassis. Users can remote control the process through the associated app. In standard mode, it works as a fully featured 2K QHD pan/tilt camera with up to 110 degree per-second pan and tilt for stronger motion-tracking. It also features built-in AI for a person, pet, or vehicle detection and more.

Trova Safes debuted an updated version of TROVA HOME, its biometric smart home safe. The safe leverages an App and a wireless connection via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to allow only paired users to unlock it with their fingerprint or face ID verification. An update on the original design also now allows consumers to simply tap their phone instead of the biometric verification on the TROVA app.  

Smart Lighting

Nanoleaf Sense+ Control and Skylight comprise three products – the Sense+Smart Light Switch, Sense+ Wireless Light Switch, and Nala Learning Bridge – which can learn your routines and adjust the brightness and colour of the lights. Nala, which is built into the bridge and can act as your smart home hub.

GE Lighting Cync Dynamic Effects launches four new smart lighting products including Smart Hexagon panels, and Smart Neon-Shape Lights that can be bent or shaped any way you like. GE Lighting has also launched new Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs that come in Aline versions or for its indoor floodlights. You also don’t need a bridge or hub to use them, as they’re controlled over Wi-Fi using the Cync App.

Smart Security

Lockly’s Flex Touch Pro is shaping up to be a better option for renters or Airbnb owners – it helpfully brings a fingerprint reader to your existing lock. At the door, you get a pretty elegant fingerprint reader, which can apparently store up to 99 prints. It comes with a Wi-Fi hub, you’ll also be able to remotely grant or deny people access to the door, or also check up on it using the likes of Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

Sedimentum AG showcased Smart Home Emergency Detector. This contactless emergency detector device offers a solution, called SAFE-Living, which is an intelligent emergency detection service that will increase safety and autonomy in households. The emergency detectors from Sedimentum are installed on the ceiling and work contactless and autonomously.

Bosch Global Software Technologies’ AIShield is an AI-security solution designed to protect AI-based medical devices in the face of emerging security threats. AI systems are at the epicenter of security, safety, and privacy concerns in the healthcare industry. AIShield provides vulnerability analysis and end-point protection against novel AI threats. It ensures patients’ safety by protecting AI-based medical devices (including cloud) against critical breaches and attacks targeted for manipulation and misbehavior.

The EcoFlow Delta Pro portable home battery and ecosystem have an expandable capacity of up to 25kWh, the Delta Pro can fully recharge in under two hours and harness multiple power sources (the grid, solar power, wind, and gas). The full ecosystem has enough power— on just one charge—to meet an average family’s emergency power usage for about one week. The Delta Pro boasts a base capacity of 3.6kWh that increases to 10.8kWh with two extra batteries, and up to 25kWh with ecosystem products like a smart home panel and smart generators.

Health and Wellness

Kohler Sprig system brings aromatherapy to your existing shower. The Sprig connects you to the showerhead and infuses the water with scents, oils, and other skin-boosting ingredients via Kohler’s Sprig Shower Pods. The Kohler’s pods will initially be available in six different scents lavender, chamomile, or eucalyptus to name a few.  The shower Pods will be available in the first few months of 2023.

The Withings U-Scan is a puck-like sensor that attaches to your toilet and can analyze your pee for its nutritional balance, to read PH, carbohydrate, and vitamin C levels. It can also be used for female cycle-tracking, too. If you share a home with someone, fear not – thanks to a thermal sensor, it can appear automatically detect when someone is using and even identify ‘stream signatures’ using a low-energy radar sensor.

LG, forged a partnership with sleep tech startup Asleep that will allow LG’s smart home appliances to detect when a user is sleeping and adjust appliance settings accordingly. Asleep’s Sleeptrack API, measures sleep and can relay that data to products and services from other companies.

DozzyCozy Technology specializes in using technology and humanized design to solve all sleep disorders and problems with a smart pillow born of humanized design with AI technology. The AirCozy Interactive Smart Pillow comes in three different models: Air-Cozy Classic, AirCozy Premium and AirCozy Anti-snoring. The AirCozy Interactive Smart Pillow is covered by many international patents and does not only detect your sleeping position in real-time and automatically adjust the height of the pillow to accommodate to the sleeping position, but also offers music streaming and five built-in different white noises.

CardieX Unveils CONNECT Pulse Dual Health Monitor. This dual blood pressure and arterial health monitor. The company says Pulse will also be the world’s first arterial health monitor to incorporate a full suite of patented and trademarked heart and vascular health parameters beyond traditional blood pressure, enabling clinicians, patients and consumers alike to gain more advanced insights into cardiovascular health.

Nuvilab an AI healthcare startup, is an AI food scanner that allows a user to scan their food and receive nutrition information about what’s on their plate, a version of which the company is planning to offer as an API.

NoWatch is a health-tracking watch that uses a current to monitor metrics like blood pressure, stress, thinking level, and mood, as well as notify the user about their stress and emotion levels. Its mission is to push back against overstimulation, anxiety, and stress that can come from a deluge of notifications.

Sleep Number, a leader in sleep health, innovation, science and research, introduces smart furniture designed to complement the 360® smart bed platform. Innovated using sleep science and insights from Sleep Number’s highly accurate, longitudinal data, the smart furniture creates an ideal environment to support sleep health. Advanced sleep and wake routines, ambient circadian lighting, noise reduction and mobility aids help individuals fall asleep and stay asleep. The smart furniture provides an integrated sleep experience that is designed to be a modifiable form factor for aging and recovery, offering expanded consumer benefits and delivering confidence for individuals aging in their homes.

Entertainment Segment:

Naim launched NSC 222: a streaming pre-amplifier that lets you keep things simple without compromising on sound. NSC 222 features Naim’s latest headphone technology (as featured in the excellent NaimUniti Atom Headphone Edition), for a leveled-up solo sonic experience and a 5.5-inch full-colour screen. It can be controlled easily via the Focal & Naim App, the smart Zigbee remote-control handset or via the unit itself. 

dbx-tv’s Total Cal in-home audio measurement and tuning system is now available for adoption by consumer electronics manufacturers. Total Cal was selected as a 2023 CES Innovation Award Honoree for its ability to improve the sound of televisions, soundbars, and portable/home speakers.

Eyesafe DTX blue has Light mitigating display technology, which utilizes and recycles high-energy blue light directly in the display stack to reduce toxicity, while improving colour gamut and luminance. This breakthrough technology enables manufacturers to meet rigorous standards for health with advanced blue light protection and improved display performance. 2

XGIMI Rolls Out Magic Lamp

XGIMI, the global manufacturer of premium home, portable, and laser TV projectors, is showcasing its Magic Lamp projector; this three-in-one product integrates a ceiling lamp, smart projection, and home audio. XGIMI’s powerful portable projectors, the Halo and Halo+ feature a powerful built-in battery, 1080p FHD imagery, and intelligent screen adaption technology, that delivers a premier visual experience

Hisense ULED X

With a 110-inch screen, 8K resolution, the Hisense ULED X creates a completely immersive viewing experience. Regardless of a change in ambiance, content, or scenario, the viewer receives the best display experience through active intelligent backlight control and a new proprietary 8K chipset. The 110 ULED X is equipped with the highest quality viewing technologies, including a Mini LED backlight, peak brightness up to 2500 nits, and unmatched HDR image quality performance.

CES 2023 has set a new benchmark for itself and has initiated a new thought process in the industry to be more sustainable, energy-efficient, and secure. Additionally, with Wi-Fi 7 becoming mainstream and Matter-certified home products being rolled out, we can expect to see a significant uptick in demand for smart home products. With more innovation, the possibilities are endless and we are excited to see how the industry will continue to grow in the coming year.

For More Information on CES Visit: https://www.ces.tech/

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In Conversation with Smart Home World, Koen Dekyvere, Export Manager, Basalte discusses the growth and expansion strategies of Basalte, their focus on creating an intuitive user experience, expanding their product line to include a wide range of smart home solutions and it’s plans to expand its presence in different markets around the world, specifically, in the Indian market.  

Can you tell us about your role at Basalte and the company’s emphasis on design and innovation in the home automation and control space? 

As the export manager at Basalte, I am thrilled to be a part of a company that is at the forefront of design and innovation in the home automation and control segment. I have been with Basalte since 2008 and it has been an exciting journey to be a part of the growth and success of the company. In my role as Export Manager, I am responsible for managing the company’s operations and strategy in all the countries where we do not have our own sales team.

We have our own sales teams in countries like Germany, Belgium, Holland, Spain, and China. We provide local technical support and conduct training and visits with designers and consultants. For all the other countries, we work together with local partners depending on the country or territory. For example, in India, we have a distribution partnership with Smato Technologies who take care of all commercial actions and technical support.  

How are Basalte’s products designed to be scalable and adaptable for different types of homes and buildings? 

At Basalte, we are dedicated to creating products that not only function perfectly but also exude luxury and refinement. Our focus on the high-end luxury market enables us to develop products that cater to the most exclusive and demanding interior designs and architectural masterpieces. Our products are designed to be highly adaptable and can be used in a variety of settings including commercial, industrial, schools, airports, and hospitals. 

We have made sure that our products are compatible with the major standards, systems and protocols worldwide such as Matter, KNX, Crestron on the CresNet Bus and Lutron. These are some of the most widely used light control systems in the market and we believe in offering our customers the flexibility to choose the system that best suits their needs. Additionally, we have expanded our product line to include a comprehensive solution, including a server with user interface, Basalte Home App, design speakers, and sound system integration to third-party audio-video products. Our aim is to bring the complete user interface for the Intelligence home and develop all products that serve that purpose.

We have a team of professional and senior engineers who are continuously researching upcoming trends in the home automation market and developing drivers and two-way automation drivers specifically for those needs. They ensure that the quality of our products is at the highest level, with a focus on making them easy to install, program and maintain so that once they are installed, customers do not have to worry about after-effects or maintenance of the product. The idea is that the products are “fit and forget” and will last forever.

Can you discuss the role that user experience plays in the design of Basalte’s products, and how the company approaches this aspect of its product development?

At Basalte, user experience is a key aspect in the design and development of our products. We understand the importance of creating solutions that are intuitive and easy to use for the end customer, which is why we put a lot of emphasis on this aspect of our product development. Our focus on the high-end luxury market allows us to create products that are tailored to the needs of the most demanding customers, and we strive to make them as simple and user-friendly as possible.

We approach user experience from a holistic perspective, considering not just one product but the entire product line. We believe that all our products should work seamlessly together and that the user interface should be consistent across the entire range. This allows us to create a complete and cohesive solution that is easy to use and understand for the end customer.

We also consider feedback from our system integrators and dealers, but always keep the end customer in mind. We believe that technology should be simple and easy to use, and avoid making products too complex. For example, our motion sensors are small and flat, and fit perfectly in a high-end residential setting, while also being easy to use. We also keep the number of buttons on our keypads to a minimum and rely on other devices such as remote controls and touch screens to control other functions.

In short, user experience is a key aspect of our product development at Basalte and we approach it from a holistic perspective, keeping the end customer in mind and striving to create simple and easy-to-use solutions.

Can you discuss the role that research and development play in the evolution of Basalte’s product line and the company’s overall direction?

At Basalte, we believe in staying at the forefront of innovation and technology. That’s why we invest heavily in research and development to constantly improve and evolve our product line. We understand that the smart home market is constantly changing and evolving and we strive to keep up with the latest trends and advancements in the industry.

One of our major achievements is the development of a complete front-end solution for the intelligent home. This includes not just controlling lights, blinds, and temperature, but also music and AV integration. We have also introduced a multi-room audio solution, design speakers, the Miro universal remote, and third-party AV integration. This is all in line with our mission to create a seamless and intuitive user experience for our customers.

Our R&D team is constantly working on new and exciting products, and we are proud to announce that in 2023, we will be launching the Adelante Luxury Door Phone. This product was first introduced at the Light & Building trade fair, and later at ISE Barcelona. This new product is a perfect example of how we are always pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the smart home market.

How does Basalte approach the Indian market and what strategies does the company use to increase its sales and expand its presence in this market?

At Basalte, we understand the importance of having a targeted approach when entering new markets. In order to increase our sales and expand our presence in the Indian market, we will be implementing a threefold strategy. Our first steps in India were taken over 10 years ago through different partners, which allowed us to learn about the market and any difficulties that come with it, such as project follow-up, local sales and technical support, import and shipping issues, etc.

Now, we feel that the time is right to take things in India to the next level. We have recently appointed Smato Technologies as our new national distribution partner in India. This partnership allows us to have better control over the market, and our dealers will benefit from local support and supply, as well as local marketing and sales activities. We believe that this will largely contribute to more project leads for our dealers and increase awareness of Basalte among architects, designers, and decision-makers.

We also believe that by working with a local distribution partner, we can develop the market in a better way and accelerate growth in the Indian market. Smato will handle the coordination of the price structure, coordination of projects, and communication with architects, designers, consultants, and project developers. In the past, we have handled the Indian market in a retroactive way, but now, with Smato as our main actor in India, we can do it in a more proactive way, by approaching projects and proposing our solutions to customers.

Furthermore, we want to make sure that Basalte is not just seen as a keypad brand, but as a luxury home automation ecosystem. The main role of our partnership with Smato is to enhance education in the market about Basalte’s products. This will be done through a threefold strategy which includes visiting top-tier interiors and architects with physical demo kits, working with limited but good quality system integrators that can maintain after-sales service, which is an integral part of the Basalte solution and the third is to continue to educate the market about our products.

How does Basalte plan to continue expanding and growing as a company in the future, both in terms of its product line and its presence in different markets around the world?

As a company, we at Basalte are constantly striving to improve and evolve our product line, as well as expand our presence in different markets around the world. In terms of our product line, we are always looking to increase our share in smart home projects, and even increase the total smart home budget by offering an intuitive and luxurious experience to the customer. We are developing further on some products based on KNX and Bluetooth technology, and have recently launched our door phone system, Adelante. In addition, we see huge potential for growth in AV Solutions, speakers, audio integration, and access systems.

In terms of expanding our presence in different markets, we have recently invested in expanding our North American team, and have just closed a deal to set up an office, showroom and training center in Salt Lake City. We are also investing in other parts of the world such as Germany, Holland and Spain, by setting up showrooms and training centers in these locations. This will bring the Basalte concept closer to the end customer, and ultimately create more projects with a small number of dealers, but a larger growth in the number of projects.

In India, we are thrilled to be working with Smato Technologies as our exclusive distribution partner. We believe that with their knowledge and expertise in the Indian market, we will be able to increase our sales and expand our presence in this market in a meaningful way.

Our goal is to provide our customers with a sophisticated and performant Basalte ecosystem that offers an intuitive and luxurious experience. By expanding our product line and building strong partnerships, we believe that we will be able to achieve this goal and continue to grow as a company.

The post In Conversation with Koen Dekyvere, Export Manager, Basalte appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

Tuya Smart a global IoT development platform service provider, hosted Tuya Day with leading companies and associations at CES 2023 in the City of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Under the main theme “Be in It” of CES 2023, Tuya created its booth and hosted Tuya Day under the theme of “Be in Smart” to demonstrate its consistent effort in improving the production efficiency of global resources and enhancing the product value of global customers to support them with digital and smart transformation by leveraging Tuya’s IoT technologies.

The event featured leading brands and associations from around the world, including Arm, BARDI, Bluetooth SIG, CLEANLIFE, Connectivity Standard Alliance, Google Home, Hama, ioXt, JOIEEM, Lloyd’s, Silicon Labs, and Wi-Fi Alliance. The partner representatives spoke about connectivity protocols, and smart solutions and shared joint Tuya case studies.

Alex Yang, Co-Founder, and COO of Tuya Smart hosted the first-panel discussion on Matter’s ecosystem. The speakers shared how ecosystem players can promote Matter via partnership.

Chris Lapre, Head of Technology of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (the Alliance), said, “The continuous evolution and upgrading of Matter, the expansion of its application scenarios and new markets are contributed from the collaboration of the Alliance members including smart device manufacturers, security certification enterprises and others. Building and maintaining the Matter ecosystem is also key to the development of Matter. Alliance members like Tuya, play an active and crucial role in the promotion and application of Matter. They will attract more customers to join the Matter ecosystem and innovate Matter from customers’ feedback through a variety of real-world implementations.”

Rob Alexander, Principal Product Manager of Silicon Labs said, “The market for smart, connected devices holds unprecedented opportunity, but challenges remain. Open standards, like Matter, can help everyone in the industry adopt the same protocols without expensive licensing. Tuya’s role is important for global developers. Tuya chose Silicon Labs MG24 SoC as one of the chips, jointly enabling customers to quickly get mass production of Matter devices and support consumers to mix and match among ecosystems like some of the ones you’ll see today including Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, and the countless intelligent, connected devices from locks to lightbulbs and beyond.”

Kevin Po, Group Product Manager at Google, shared with audiences their recent product updates to support Matter. Now, consumers can use existing Nest devices like the Nest Mini and Nest Hub to control Matter devices and use Android Fast Pair to set up Matter devices. Moreover, Google will Matter-enable more Nest devices in 2023 and release Google Home App iOS support too. Tuya has been an early access partner with Google Home and will continue working together to grow the Matter vision of interoperability, choice and openness in the home with users and Tuya’s partner ecosystem.

“If smart devices are to scale, it’s crucial that they are secure, reliable and seamless to use,” said Chloe Ma, VP of China GTM, IoT Line of Business at Arm. “Standardization will drive the advancement of IoT and we are working closely with the Alliance and partners such as Tuya, to ensure the Arm ecosystem is ready to support developers in building Matter-compliant devices.”

Later in the day, Tina Yu, General Manager of Eurasia and North America of Tuya Smart, hosted the second-panel discussion on the commercialization of Matter. Speakers shared their thoughts on the future application scenarios of Matter devices. They also talked about the future of intelligent interconnection of consumer electronics.

Jon Harros, Head of Certification and Testing Programs at the Connectivity Standard Alliance first described the blueprint of Matter in 2023, and said, “People can reach the Alliances’ official website, and see there are more than 500 products listed that are either being certified or have been certified by the Alliance. These include a range of products, software components, Apps, and more. They constitute our ‘universe’ of Matter applications. As an early participant in Matter, Tuya has been actively promoting the use and implementation of Matter. Its Tuya-enabled hardware ecosystem and development platform will enable more manufacturers to quickly penetrate the smart home and smart device markets, and attract consumers.”

Justin Miller, Founder, and CEO of CLEANLIFE, said: “Since our collaboration with Tuya in 2017, Tuya continuously supports us with product development, and they always share with us new ideas and opportunities. This mutual partnership has been extremely beneficial in helping us become an industry leader in smart lighting. Now, Matter gives our brand and products more credibility to be able to work with the prominent brands that are a part of the Alliance through shared interoperability and also allow easier integration with mainstream smart device systems such as Apple Home, Samsung Smart Things, etc. And with Tuya’s help, we strongly believe that we can easily and quickly pivot our plans to Matter compatible. We expect Matter to help expedite the path to market and enhance the user experience for the whole industry and provide a platform for all 220+ brands in the Alliance to succeed together.”

Ryan Maurice, CEO of BARDI, said, “Thanks to our collaboration with Tuya, BARDI has grown very fast. We are at equal playing grounds with other Tuya-enabled brands in Indonesia thus being able to focus on competing in quality of product and service. While Matter joined in, it unlocks the pool of opportunity for BARDI as now the competition is not only on our quality of product and service but also competition on the platform supporting us. Compared with other local brands, our Tuya-enabled devices have a faster response time to voice commands than other platform-enabled devices. Moreover, the accuracy and speed that Tuya’s engineering team delivered to us are praiseworthy. Thus, I believe that with Matter’s adoption, BARDI will gain much more opportunities to penetrate local families. “

Juergen Hirschbeck, Head of Smart Home Product Portfolio Management of Hama, said, “Happily our company will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. As the No. 1 brand for accessories and becoming the leading brand of retrofit Smart Home in Europe, the adoption of Matter will play a central role in our future. We plan to expand more categories such as home security and climate control, improve the compatibility of our product portfolio, and realize seamless smart scene connection for consumers. The significance of our collaboration with Tuya is that we can quickly realize our approximately 18,000 products to be Matter-capable to meet the expectations of consumers as soon as possible and to place Matter as the One Smart Home Standard of the future in the heads of consumers and trade-partners alike. “

Alessandro Kon, Head of R&D of Lloyd’s, said: “Lloyd’s has more than 20 years of experience in the electronics and smart house market. We offer our clients a wide range of solutions for their security, lighting, comfort, or energy through our website and our retail partners. Matter is bringing more opportunities to the smart home market, it allows customers to not have to think about compatibility when it comes to making a choice, they can focus on their demands as well as we can also just focus on developing products that cover our customers’ needs. Through the Tuya IoT development platform, we developed our App ‘Lloyd’s smart’. Now, Tuya’s latest achievements of Matter make us see the possibility of quickly integrating into the Matter ecosystem. We will continue to deepen our collaboration with Tuya and accelerate Matter application process in the market.”

So far, Tuya has launched more than six categories of Matter device solutions, including light bulbs, switches, gateways, sockets, and more. And Tuya has already helped its global customers such as Arlec, BARDI, CALEX, CLEANLIFE, Hama, Intcomex, Laser, LinkJapan, Lloyd’s, Mirabella, Positivo, Simon Electric, Tecnolite, and many other enterprises to integrate into Matter ecosystem rapidly.

In the future, Tuya will continue fulfilling its commitment to building an open and neutral IoT ecosystem to provide customized, convenient, and reliable Matter device solutions and all-in-one services for global partners, strengthen its cooperation with Connectivity Standard Alliance members and provide more operational smart scenes for consumers.

The post CES 2023: Tuya and Partners Shared Insights on the Matter Ecosystem appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

Samsung Electronics unveiled its new Neo QLED, MICRO LED and Samsung OLED lineups alongside lifestyle products and accessories. Speaking about the new products launched, Cheolgi Kim, EVP of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics said, “In 2023, we are pushing boundaries of innovation to offer consumers more than just premium picture quality, but a holistic, premium device experience tailored to what they need and want out of their connected home. With SmartThings, our advanced technology is seamless and intuitive, making life more sustainable, accessible, and enjoyable every day.”

Samsung’s latest suite of Neo QLED 8K and 4K televisions’ picture quality is powered by Samsung’s advanced Neural Quantum Processor, which supports the Quantum Mini LED-lit TV with 14-bit processing and AI upscaling, enabling features such as Shape Adaptive Light Control and Real Depth Enhancer Pro for a three-dimensional, lifelike picture.

Samsung’s 2023 Neo QLEDs also go beyond just a clear picture, with a high-resolution panel and Samsung’s proprietary algorithm that powers Samsung’s new Auto HDR Remastering. It uses AI deep learning technology to analyze and apply real-time High Dynamic Range (HDR) effects on Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) content on a scene-by-scene basis, making SDR content brighter and livelier for absolute immersion.

In addition, SmartThings users no longer need to purchase a separate SmartThings dongle to connect and control Zigbee and Thread devices. In 2023, the SmartThings Zigbee & Matter Thread One-Chip Module will be directly built into Samsung products. And for the ultimate connected device experience, SmartThings automatically syncs devices for easier control of not just Samsung devices but also third-party appliances and IoT devices for seamless connections. 

The Samsung Gaming Hub, the new home for gaming on Samsung Smart TVs, offers users unlimited access to thousands of their favorite games from partners such as Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna and Utomik with no downloads, storage limits or consoles required. Moreover, it is the most intuitive gaming experience where players can simply switch on their TVs and play.

In 2023 by pairing Samsung TVs with Samsung Soundbars, these devices will offer the most powerful, customizable and personalized ecosystem available to date.

For More Details: www.samsung.com/firstlook,

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In the month since Matter 1.0 was released, Matter momentum has continued to accelerate. On 3 November 2022, CSA members showcased their Matter products at a launch event in Amsterdam, with a wide array of categories including motion blinds, occupancy sensors, weather devices, smart plugs, door locks, lighting, gateways, platform components, and Matter-based software applications. Since the release, 190 products have received certification or are in the queue for testing and certification. 

The transition from standards development to standards adoption is clearly accelerating, with 4,400 downloads of the new Matter specification since its release and 2,500 downloads of the Matter Software Development Kit (SDK) from GitHub. With the launch of the Matter certification program for both hardware and software products, there are now eight authorized test labs in 16 locations across nine countries, making it easy to bring Matter products to life.  

“This is a major inflection point for the IoT. As we become more connected and break down the walls between the digital and physical world, we need to work together to make those connections meaningful. Matter and our membership are tackling this challenge head-on,” said Tobin Richardson, President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance. “With collaboration, inclusiveness, and a deep sense of responsibility to the market and consumers, Matter has the power to create a more connected, safe, and useful Smart Home.”

CCS Insight, a leading European analyst firm, notes that purchase intent for smart devices is on the rise, with 35 percent of households in key European markets intending to purchase smart home products in the next 12 months. Additionally, in recent research by Parks Associates, a US-based firm, interoperability is top-of-mind with consumers, where 73 percent of US households that own or are planning to buy a smart home device say interoperability amongst products is important when choosing which smart home device to buy.

As part of the Matter launch event in Amsterdam, over 100 media and analysts representing 15 countries learned about the latest certified Matter devices, and heard from member leaders on key topics including energy management, security, and empowering Matter developers. Those attending in person were able to see live Matter product demonstrations from 20 companies. A similar event will be held in China.

Members including Silicon Labs, Schneider Electric, Tuya Smart, and Amazon spoke individually about their perspectives on Matter as they relate to their position in the IoT ecosystem.

“The promise of Matter is the accelerated proliferation of connected things by bringing simplicity and interoperability to consumers who can now mix and match products from different ecosystems with greater ease and reliability. And the foundation of Matter’s interoperability begins at the silicon level,” said Matt Johnson, CEO of Silicon Labs. “Silicon Labs is proud to have contributed our breadth of protocol support, depth of wireless expertise, and focus on the IoT to Matter’s development.”

“As a global specialist in energy management and automation, we believe open standards, technology and interoperability of connected products are essential in bringing energy to all, making our homes more sustainable, and energy efficient,” said YiFu Qi, Executive Vice President, Home & Distribution Division, Schneider Electric. “We are innovating to bring Matter-ready technology to help homeowners globally achieve net zero homes, by making it easier to utilize the full power of sustainable home energy management systems.”

“Tuya Smart is committed to breaking down barriers between different smart product brands and categories and creating a more open and neutral IoT ecosystem for the global intelligence market,” said Alex Yang, Co-Founder and COO of Tuya Smart. “As a Board member of the Alliance, Tuya participated in Matter’s early development, application, and promotion. We also believe that with our extensive and growing partnerships in the IoT industry, the era of connecting everything in a smart way will come soon.”

“As services like Alexa continue driving rapid smart home adoption, Matter presents a new opportunity to further simplify development for device makers and add to the customer experience of smart home devices from a range of different companies and brands,” said Marja Koopmans, Director of Smart Home & Health at Amazon. “As an Alliance board member, founding company and long-time contributor to Matter, we look forward to introducing this open standard to over 100 million Echo and eero devices to make it easier for customers to set up and control their Matter-certified smart home devices.”

With the initial launch of Matter, a variety of popular smart home product categories are supported including lighting and electrical, HVAC controls, window coverings and shades, safety and security sensors, door locks, video players, protocol bridges, and controllers embedded in many different kinds of products.

Looking beyond the initial release, work has begun and is ongoing for new device categories. In addition to teams working on cameras, home appliances, and more advanced energy management use cases, at the event the Alliance announced the formation of new teams to work on closures (such as doors and gates), environmental quality sensors and controls, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and ambient motion and presence sensing. The Alliance called on all interested companies looking to develop connected solutions in these areas to join the Alliance and build what’s next in Matter.

Since the release of the specification, twenty companies have joined the Alliance. To learn more about Matter and to be a part of the next generation of the IoT, become a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance here.

Learn more about the Alliance’s certification programs and how your devices can become Matter certified here.

The Alliance conducted nine test events and a final Specification Validation Event (SVE) prior to the launch of Matter. Companies that successfully participated in the SVE and can proceed with certification applications include:  Amazon, Apple, Assa Abloy, CAME S.p.A., Espressif Systems, Eve Systems, GE Lighting a Savant Company, Google, Grundfos Holding A/S, Infineon Technologies, innovation matters iot GmbH, Latch, LEEDARSON, Legrand, LG Electronics, Longan.Link, Lumi United Technology Co., Ltd., mui Lab, Nanoleaf, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP Semiconductors, OPPO, PanKore, Qorvo, Resideo Technologies Inc., Samsung Electronics, Schlage, Schneider Electric, Sengled, Shenzhen CoolKit Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen ORVIBO Technology Co., Ltd., Signify (Philips Hue and WiZ), Silicon Labs, Somfy, TCL, Texas Instruments, Tridonic, Tuya, ubisys, and Universal Electronics.

The post Smart Home Innovation Set To Accelerate With Matter appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

Amazon held its annual fall hardware event on September 28th. The release of new Echo and Ring devices, as well as support for matter and upcoming over-the-air updates for items from earlier generations, were among the announcements made.

New Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock—Even Better Audio, New Temperature Sensor, Tap Gesture Controls, eero Built-in, and Upgraded Display

Amazon introduced the next generation of Echo Dot and Echo Auto, giving users more options to bring the convenience of Alexa to every room of their home and into their car. In addition, Amazon announced a new generation of Echo Dot Kids with new designs, significant audio improvements to Echo Studio, and a host of new features for Alexa—including a new Fire TV experience on Echo Show 15. 

“A true ambient experience is there to simplify your day-to-day life when you need it and fades into the background when you don’t. This generation of Echo devices are designed with this vision in mind,” said Nedim Fresko, Vice President of Amazon Alexa Devices. “With the upgraded audio and compact form factors, each of these new devices gives customers more ways to make Alexa a seamless part of their day. And, with the new sensors and technology built into Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock, customers can have Alexa do even more on their behalf.”

The All-new Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock are the most powerful yet. The redesigned audio architecture features a custom full-range driver and the highest excursion speaker of any Echo Dot, delivering clear vocals and up to double the bass of the previous generation—all within the same compact, spherical form factor.

The Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock have new sensors that enable more contextual Alexa experiences—like the ability to ask Alexa to automatically turn on the smart fan when it gets too warm inside. The new generation also adds an accelerometer to enable new tap gesture controls, so users can simply tap the top of the device to pause and resume music, dismiss timers, or end a call. Powered by the AZ2 Neural Edge processor, Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock enable more experiences to be processed on the edge—resulting in even faster responses for tap gestures, ultrasound motion detection, and on-device execution for some of the most common requests to Alexa.

The new Echo Dot with Clock includes upgraded high-density dot technology, offering a more vibrant and dynamic way to see information at a glance. Now, in addition to the time, users can view the name of a song title or artist, the weather, a calculation or unit of measurement, calendar event times, and more features when they ask Alexa for information.

Additionally, for the first time, Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock feature eero built-in, which makes them the first Echo devices to serve as eero mesh Wi-Fi extenders and improve coverage in a home. After account linking, eero built-in can add up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to the existing eero mesh Wi-Fi network. The eero built-in will roll out to 4th Gen Echo on October 20. 4th Gen Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock will also receive over-the-air updates to receive eero built-in functionality in the coming months, so users can get more value out of the devices they already own.

Echo Dot Kids—New Designs and Interactive Features

Echo Dot Kids, the popular kids’ smart speaker, now comes in new Owl and Dragon designs, and soon will feature new Alexa voices to help bring Owl and Dragon to life for Amazon Kids+ subscribers. Kids can hear greetings, jokes, facts, songs, and more from the perspective of an Owl or Dragon, transforming Alexa into a fun, immersive experience.

Parents and guardians can access easy-to-use parental controls to set daily time limits, filter explicit songs, and review activity in the Amazon Parent Dashboard. Echo Dot Kids comes with a two-year worry-free guarantee and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, the only kid-focused content service that gives families access to thousands of ad-free books, games, videos, Audible books, songs, and Alexa skills.

Echo Studio—Now with Enhanced Audio Technology

Echo Studio is already the best-sounding Echo speaker—and now it’s getting even better with new spatial audio processing technology and frequency range extension. The custom-built spatial audio processing technology is designed to enhance the stereo sound, making music and movie soundtracks feel closer to the listener with greater width, clarity, and presence. It mirrors the performance of a Hi-Fi stereo system, so vocal performances are more present in the centre, while the stereo-panned instruments are better defined on the side, creating a more immersive sound experience that reproduces the artist’s intent. Additionally, frequency range extension technology delivers better performance, improved mid-range clarity, and deeper bass. Along with Echo Studio, this spatial audio processing technology is available on Echo Show 15 and will roll out to other compatible Echo devices in the future. 

These upgrades are in addition to Echo Studio’s existing support for both Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio.

Echo Auto—Compact Design and Flexible Mounting Options to Enable Smart Features in Your Car

Echo Auto comes in a new, slimmer design and includes a new adhesive mount for more placement flexibility in a car. The device is built with five microphones designed to hear your requests over music, the air conditioner, and road noise. With Echo Auto, add Alexa to your car to listen to music, make calls, and even get roadside assistance hands-free when you run into vehicle trouble. Just say, “Alexa, call Roadside Assistance” to connect with an agent who can request help on your behalf, and you’ll only pay for the services you need, like if you get a flat tire or if you run out of gas.

Amazon Upgrades Fire TV with Third Generation Fire TV Cube and New Alexa Voice Remote Pro

Amazon also announced upgrades to its industry-leading Fire TV family, including the next-generation Fire TV Cube—Fire TV’s most powerful streaming media player yet—and Alexa Voice Remote Pro, a premium remote with an all-new Remote Finder and customizable buttons.

“The all-new Fire TV Cube is a big step forward for Fire TV—it’s the fastest, most powerful, and most versatile streaming media player we’ve ever made,” said Daniel Rausch, vice president of Amazon Entertainment Devices and Services. “This Fire TV Cube’s powerful processing and Wi-Fi 6E support deliver an incredibly smooth streaming experience, and HDMI input means you can instantly extend the simplicity of Fire TV and hands-free Alexa control to your home entertainment system. With Alexa Voice Remote Pro, we’re making it easy to find a misplaced remote and get to the apps and content you love.”

Fire TV Cube—Enhanced Power and Speed

The third generation of Fire TV Cube is Amazon’s best Fire TV streaming media player yet, with a new octa-core 2.0 GHz processor that makes it 20% more powerful than the previous generation. The supercharged processor increases app launch speeds, making this Fire TV’s smoothest and most fluid streaming media player experience to date. Fire TV Cube can be controlled entirely hands-free with Alexa and includes support for cinematic 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio. Plus, it offers a range of new features, including an HDMI input port, Wi-Fi 6E support, and Super Resolution Upscaling.

An industry-first, Fire TV Cube includes an HDMI input port, giving customers the flexibility to bring their entertainment devices together by directly connecting compatible cable boxes, Blu-ray players, and more devices. Now, customers can just say, “Alexa, tune to ESPN on cable” instead of manually changing inputs to get to the content they want. With Fire TV Cube, customers can easily control live TV, cable boxes, and on-demand streaming via Fire TV’s Alexa Voice Remote or hands-free with Alexa. Fire TV Cube also features an additional USB port for easy connection to compatible webcams for video calling with Alexa Communications—simply say, “Alexa, call mom” to connect with family or friends from the largest screen in the home.

Fire TV Cube is the first streaming media player in the industry with Wi-Fi 6E support, giving customers with a compatible router the ability to enjoy a smooth entertainment experience with less interference from other Wi-Fi devices in the home. It also features a new Ethernet port if you need a wired network connection.

New to Fire TV Cube is Super Resolution Upscaling, which provides enhanced picture quality by seamlessly converting HD content into 4K for greater detail, contrast, and clarity. With Super Resolution Upscaling, content—from movies originally made in HD to grainy family photos—will look sharper on a 4K display.

Alexa Voice Remote Pro—Remote Finder Feature, Customizable Buttons, and Backlighting

Alexa Voice Remote Pro is a new premium remote built to help customers spend more time streaming and less time searching for the remote. It introduces a Remote Finder feature to help customers find misplaced remotes more easily. Simply say, “Alexa, find my remote” or use the dedicated Remote Finder button in the Fire TV app, and Alexa Voice Remote Pro’s built-in speaker will emit an audible ring to attract your attention.

Two new customizable buttons make getting to your favourite content and Alexa commands quicker and easier. You can personalize your remote by programming these buttons to create one-touch shortcuts to favourite apps, channels, and anything Alexa can do. For example, you could choose to program a button to have Alexa dim the lights, check the weather, or start an Alexa Routine for movie night. Alexa Voice Remote Pro also includes motion-activated backlighting that automatically illuminates the buttons when the remote is picked up in low-light settings.

Alexa Voice Remote Pro is compatible with Amazon Fire TV smart TVs, and Smart TVs with Fire TV built-in.

Smartest TV Lineup Ever—Fire TV Omni QLED Series

Amazon introduced the Fire TV Omni QLED Series—a new addition to the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series and the first-ever TV lineup to feature the new Fire TV Ambient Experience. Reimagining what users can expect from a smart television, the Omni QLED Series combines the Omni Series’ trademark performance, value, and hands-free Alexa controls with new ambient features that turn the TV into an always-smart device when not streaming. 

The Omni QLED Series features a new stunning 4K Quantum Dot Technology (QLED) display with a full-array local dimming of up to 96 zones, plus support for both Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, providing an immersive, cinematic experience. Plus, with hands-free Alexa, users can find apps, discover shows, manage playback, and control the entire Ambient Experience using their voice. The Omni QLED Series is available for pre-order starting today and will ship in the coming weeks. 

“We’ve all been buying so-called smart TVs for decades, but they’re really not all that smart—and for much of the day, they’re not beautiful or useful either,” said Daniel Rausch, vice president of Amazon Entertainment Devices and Services. “The Omni QLED Series delivers stunning artwork, glanceable information, hands-free controls, and so much more–it reimagines what customers can expect from a smart TV.”

Premium 4K Picture Quality

The Omni QLED Series’ premium picture quality creates a truly cinematic experience for the home. The vibrant wide colour gamut 4K QLED display delivers vivid, lifelike picture quality with rich colours and full-array local dimming. Up to 96 dimming zones provide heightened contrast that adjusts independently to increase or reduce lighting intensity, unlocking details in dark areas and revealing subtle tones that might be lost in the brightest parts of the picture.

The Omni QLED Series offers the latest in picture quality formats to provide the best viewing experience with built-in support for HDR10+, HLG, and, for the first time on Fire TV, Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive. A new Adaptive Brightness feature also uses the Omni QLED Series’ ambient light sensor to dynamically change brightness levels, providing optimal contrast across content sources, formats, and lighting conditions.

Ambient Experience 

The Omni QLED Series is the first Fire TV to feature the all-new Ambient Experience, which completely transforms the largest screen in your home. When not streaming, the Omni QLED Series uses its built-in presence sensors to detect when a person enters the room and switches to the beautiful and informative Ambient Experience. Instead of a blank screen, the TV uses the power of Alexa to enable you to see helpful information, manage your smart home, listen to or discover new content, and view artwork or family photos. The new Fire TV Ambient Experience can be controlled hands-free and includes:

• Gallery-quality art and personal photos: With the Omni QLED Series, users can turn their television into an in-home art gallery or personal photos display. You get free access to a growing collection of more than 1,500 gallery-quality photos and curated art pieces with a broad range of artistic styles that will suit any taste. With no monthly subscription required, the collection of photography and fine art includes diverse work from artists who capture unique natural environments and landscapes from around the world—from the Arctic to the deep ocean—as well as abstract motion pieces, calm motion landscapes, and Impressionist paintings. You can also choose to display collections from The National Gallery of Art and The Art Institute of Chicago. Learn more about the art collections by asking things like, “Alexa, when was this painted?” or “Alexa, tell me more about this artwork.” Coming later this year, you can also get ready to support your favourite soccer team with a selection of custom images from FOX Sports ahead of its coverage of the biggest international soccer tournament. The TV can also showcase your personal photo collections and cherished moments. Just ask, “Alexa, show me pictures from last summer,” or ask “Alexa, where was this photo was taken?” to learn more about any image.
• Alexa Widgets: Powered by Alexa, new widgets are optimized for the TV, providing glanceable information to keep you informed throughout the day. See your schedule with Calendars and Reminders, leave Sticky Notes for other family members, control other smart devices like a thermostat or Ring doorbell through Smart Home Favorites, view the latest news headlines, and much more. Widgets can be customized, collapsed, or expanded to match what your home needs. Just ask, “Alexa, what widgets can I add?”
• Hands-free Music: The Omni QLED Series Ambient Experience puts music right at the centre of the room, with or without the television screen on. You can listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks, or ask Alexa to start playing audio from services like Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, Apple Podcasts, and Audible.
• Content Discovery: Alexa’s deep integration with the Omni QLED Series will help you discover what to watch next. The “What Should I Watch” widget provides you with entertainment recommendations based on the day’s top-trending video titles on Fire TV. You can also ask Alexa to help choose a show based on recently released titles, genres, and much more. Just say, “Alexa, show me new comedies” or “Alexa, play Thursday Night Football,” and Alexa will help guide you to a title that is right for you.
• Alexa Routines: You can use thousands of Alexa Routines and Skills to control your smart home and entertainment settings. For example, just say, “Alexa, start my day” to kick-start a routine that displays a motion image of a sunrise, shows the weather, and plays your favourite music.
• Privacy and Control: The Omni QLED Series puts you in control of the Ambient Experience. You can electronically disconnect the far-field microphone with the flip of a switch. Features can also be easily tuned to your preferences, such as turning presence detection off and setting quiet hours for glanceable information.

Broad Content Selection

Fire TV places content at the centre of the television experience, making it easier for you to discover and enjoy a wide variety of entertainment and apps. You can choose from a broad selection of premium and ad-supported streaming services, with more than 1 million episodes and movies available. You can also enjoy a wide selection of free ad-supported streaming services like Amazon Freevee and the Amazon News app for local or national news and recently added content rows show free videos across categories, such as trending movie trailers, food and kitchen, and sports news and highlights.

Amazon Introduces Halo Rise—A First-of-its-Kind Bedside Sleep Tracker

Amazon introduced Halo Rise—a new, multi-purpose bedside tracker dedicated to helping improve your sleep. Halo Rise uses built-in sensor technology, quietly working in the background to provide highly accurate insights and personalized sleep analysis. 

“Quality sleep is an incredibly important factor in our overall health and well-being. In today’s busy world, getting more and better sleep is one of the areas that customers ask us about the most, which is why we’re tackling sleep head-on,” said Melissa Cha, vice president of Amazon Smart Home and Health. “Halo Rise is designed to work intelligently in the background and give you an entirely new and effortless way to manage your sleep and achieve sleep-life harmony.”

Innovative Ambient Technology

Powered by contactless, low-energy sensor technology and machine learning, Halo Rise accurately senses respiration and movement patterns to determine your sleep stages throughout the night. It uses a sleep algorithm that has been trained and validated against overnight polysomnography—the clinical gold standard for sleep analysis. Halo Rise harnesses powerful ambient technology that’s always ready, automatically starting your sleep session when you get into bed with no buttons to press or batteries to charge. After you wake, you’ll receive a detailed sleep summary, including a graph showing time spent in each sleep phase—REM, light, and deep sleep—along with a sleep score and information about your sleep environment. 

Sleep Smarter, Sleep Better

Great sleep is influenced by a number of factors, including your room’s environment and how you wake up. Built-in environmental sensors measure your room’s temperature, humidity, and light levels throughout the night. It integrates with the Amazon Halo app, which provides science-backed recommendations on how to optimize the room’s sleep environment. In the morning, a wake-up light simulates the colours and gradual brightening of a sunrise, creating a natural and gentle wake experience, while the smart alarm monitors your sleep stages and wakes you at the ideal time for getting up, helping you to start the day feeling rested and alert.

“Sleep is a central pillar of good health, and the benefits of consistent, sufficient sleep are well-documented, touching on nearly every aspect of our mental and physical well-being,” said Dr Carolyn D’Ambrosio, associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “Yet research shows that one in three adults don’t get enough sleep. With its comprehensive approach, Halo Rise is leading the future of sleep technology.”

Better Together with Alexa

Halo Rise works even better with Alexa, making it easier to check your sleep insights and personalize your sleep experience. For example, use a compatible Echo device to ask Alexa how you slept, sync Alexa with the Halo Rise smart alarm to be woken up by your favourite song, or combine Halo Rise with other smart lights that can be controlled using just your voice. You also have the ability to use Halo Rise as part of a personalized Alexa Routine. For instance, when you get into bed, Alexa can automatically dim the lights in the bedroom, turn off the TV, and start a relaxing meditation. Additionally, you can ask Alexa to pull up your sleep data on Echo Show, with the last night’s sleep report viewable on the device’s display.

Versatile and Sustainable Design

Halo Rise features a compact and multi-functional design that sits on your bedside table. The device includes a digital clock, a semi-circle of powerful 300 lux LEDs that form the wake-up light, a small alarm speaker, environmental sensors, and buttons to activate features. Those features include adjusting the light’s brightness for reading, starting a sunset simulation, and snoozing your alarm. With 100% recycled aluminium and 100% recyclable packaging, Halo Rise is also certified as Climate Pledge Friendly.

One Service, Many Benefits

Halo Rise is the latest addition to Amazon Halo, which includes an ever-expanding suite of innovative features and premium content as part of the Halo membership that can help you eat nutritiously, move more, and become more mindful—all factors that are shown to impact the quality of sleep. Available via the Halo app, existing membership offerings for Halo Rise customers include:

• Discover: A growing catalog of sleep resources, mindfulness programs, exercises, and meditations designed to help you build healthy habits and discover what works best for your individual health and wellness journey. These resources include sleep programs from BetterSleep, Mayo Clinic, and Halo experts designed to help you fall asleep quicker and snooze more soundly.
• Fitness and Movement Health: Staying active and improving physical movement, along with getting restorative sleep, all help prepare the body to handle the demands of everyday life. Using just a smartphone camera and the Halo app, Movement Health uses computer vision and machine learning to assess mobility, stability, and posture, then recommends a custom program of corrective exercises and fitness content to help you be more active.
• Nutrition: A balanced diet can positively impact your sleep and is a critical part of your overall well-being. With a library of over 850 wholesome recipes from partners including WW, Lifesum, and Whole Foods Market, Halo Nutrition offers a tailored weekly menu that syncs to your existing Alexa Shopping list and other Amazon apps—streamlining all grocery needs into one place.

Amazon Introduces the New Blink Wired Floodlight Camera and Blink Mini Pan Tilt

With the addition of two new Blink products to their Blink family, Amazon now offers customers even more security and peace of mind. The Blink Wired Floodlight Camera includes a smart security camera and powerful LED lighting all in one, a streamlined design, and Amazon’s AZ2 silicon to process videos without going to the cloud. The Blink Mini Pan Tilt is a new mount that works with Blink Mini to enable you to see a wider field of view and remotely pan and tilt to follow the motion.

“The Blink Wired Floodlight Camera is our first wired floodlight device, and it adds to the existing lineup of easy-to-use, reliable, and affordable security devices that help customers keep an eye on their homes,” said Mike Harris, chief operating officer at Blink. “With all-in-one security and lighting design, and a price below $100, it offers a mix of performance and value that’s hard to beat. Plus, it leverages the intelligence of Amazon silicon, enabling us to offer features such as computer vision and local video processing for the first time.”

Blink Wired Floodlight Camera—Advanced Features at an Affordable Price

The Blink Wired Floodlight Camera is designed to offer high performance for those looking for a hardwired security solution in an affordable package. Support for preferred motion detection zones means you can focus on the areas that are most important to you, and new person detection provides the ability to limit motion alert notifications to only when a person is present. Blink Wired Floodlight Camera’s enhanced motion detection features are built on the capabilities provided by Amazon’s AZ2 Neural Edge Processor, which also enables video content to be processed locally on the edge.

The Blink Wired Floodlight Camera provides 2600 lumens of LED lighting, 1080p HD live view and crisp two-way audio. Setup is easy using an existing wired connection, and you can easily store video clips locally with a Sync Module 2 via a USB flash drive (sold separately). With a Blink Subscription Plan, you can also store video clips and photos in the cloud.

Blink Mini Pan Tilt—Adding New Functionality and Flexibility for Blink Mini

The new Blink Mini Pan Tilt adds a motorized mount to the Blink Mini to help keep an eye on even more of your home. With Mini Pan Tilt, you instantly gain the ability to remotely pan left and right, and tilt up and down, using the Blink app—getting corner-to-corner, 360-degree coverage of any room. If you already have a Blink Mini, you can easily add just the mount via a micro-USB, and you can place it on a table or countertop, or connect via a tripod or wall mount (sold separately) for additional functionality.

eero Announces New Power-Over-Ethernet Devices and Services for Pro Installers and Businesses

eero, an Amazon company, also introduced a new range of solutions for professional installers and businesses. The eero PoE 6 and eero PoE Gateway are Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) devices that can be easily installed and use wired infrastructure to deliver fast, reliable wifi throughout homes and businesses. Additionally, eero for Pro Installers and eero for Business, two new services, simplify wifi installation, set-up, and management for professional installers and small businesses.

“At eero, we started with a vision of bringing simple, reliable, and fast wifi to customers across the globe, and now our wifi solutions are in millions of homes around the world,” said Nick Weaver, co-founder and CEO of eero. “As we look for ways to continue to solve challenges for new types of customers, we’re thrilled to expand our offerings to professional installers and small businesses with these new PoE products and services.”

eero PoE 6 and eero PoE Gateway: A New Class of eero Devices for Pro Installers and Businesses

For professional installers who set up home wifi networks and businesses building a PoE-enabled network, eero PoE 6 and eero PoE Gateway are simple to set up using wired infrastructure, easy to manage via the eero mobile app, and, like all eero products, will continue to get better over time with automatic software updates for the latest security patches, bug fixes, and feature upgrades.

eero PoE 6 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 PoE access point that provides up to 2,000 square feet of coverage and supports more than 100 connected devices. It supports 160 MHz channels and wireless speeds up to 1.5 gigabits per second (Gbps). It can go almost anywhere ethernet cable can be pulled—making it easy to flush mount to ceilings and walls.

The eero PoE Gateway is a high-performance wired gateway that supports Internet Service speeds up to 10 Gbps with two 10 gigabytes (GbE) ports and eight PoE-enabled 2.5 GbE ports. The eero PoE 6 powers a range of PoE devices like access points and security cameras with an available 100 W of PoE power output when used with the 140 W eero power adapter.

eero for Pro Installers: Making Wifi Installation and Management Easier for Professional Installers

With eero for Pro Installers, professional installers gain access to a new set of software tools designed to help quickly set up a customer’s wifi network and manage issues remotely through the eero app. This five-year license provides access to premium eero Insight features in the eero app, including network health monitoring and remote network management. It also includes the ability to easily transfer networks from installers to customers—and it is included with eero PoE 6 or eero PoE Gateway when purchased through authorized professional installers.

eero for Business: Setting Small Businesses up with Flawless Connectivity

eero for Business is a set of hardware and software capabilities built for small businesses with limited or no IT support that delivers a professional-grade wifi solution and dedicated customer support to make deploying and managing wifi networks easier. It supports multiple SSIDs for a protected internal and public guest network, captive portal management to create a customized guest wifi experience for visitors through personalized welcome screens, and includes eero Insight and eero Secure for the business.

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