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Fresh information on where the Matter protocol is going

What to take away from the three-day intensive meeting of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) group in Budapest?

Leaving aside the pride of being part of a truly select company, with the world’s biggest players such as Apple, Samsung, Google and many others, Alex Elgart highlights the unique position the company has built in a short time on the European market thanks to his work at ELKO EP.

Notwithstanding the fact that the number of manufacturers and products supporting the Matter protocol is growing very actively, we are still the only Czech company that has it in its Smart Home portfolio, and perhaps the only one that actually manufactures and offers these products in Europe.

And what else caught Alex Elgart’s eye in Budapest?

1. THE CZECH AND EUROPEAN LEADER.

A year has passed, but no one has caught up or overtaken us in that time. Asian competitors have appeared on the market, but they mostly deal only with low-cost sockets and lamps.

2. DESIGN IN EUROPE IS NOT MADE IN EUROPE.

There are smart home manufacturers in Europe and America. Many companies give themselves the fancy title of Design in Europe, but that is a really noticeable difference from Made in Europe. That’s why we are proud to prove that it is possible to develop and manufacture here in the Czech Republic, in the heart of Europe.

3. FROM HOME APPLIANCES to CAR CONNECTIVITY.

If the first wave of Matter products was in the form of various switches and controllers for controlling lights, now the main integration effort is devoted to connecting home appliances. In the near future, integration into photovoltaics or even cars is next. I am already looking forward to seeing what we will be able to control from our design switches, primarily intended for lights!

4. PROXIMITY AWAITS.

As Matter devices are in people’s homes, more and more, we are starting to actively talk about the possibility of monitoring the movement of people and objects within buildings. There has always been a need for a large number of sensors for this function, which may soon have Matter devices in them.

5. INNOVATORS TO THEMSELVES.

Yet, as a proud member of the CSA, we still feel we are close to a revolution in the ‘smart home’. We’re in a good club, having voted for many different joint activities – from new feature development to future protocol and marketing strategy.

6. NFC INSTEAD OF QR?

Towards the future, for example, it will be quite possible to pair products using NFC. Today, this is done by scanning a QR code, but the new feature should simplify this as well and it will be enough to attach the phone to the product.

7. WE CAN GO MUCH FURTHER.

I brought back a lot of inspiration, but also a surprise at how some manufacturers and developers are moving slowly in their integrations. But this is also a motivation for us to keep innovating better and more efficiently. And to maintain our status as a top player among Western smart home developers and manufacturers. Made in Europe of course.