Blog

2022
January
12

Thread Kicks Off the New Year with Strong Momentum

By Jonathan Hui, VP Technology for Thread Group / Principal Software Engineer for Google

We are barely into 2022 and, following CES 2022, I couldn’t be more excited for the coming year! Last week brought many exciting Thread- and Matter-related announcements — I could barely keep up with all of it. Even the global pandemic’s shadow on Las Vegas couldn’t dampen the mood for smart home enthusiasts. If anything, there was even greater attention to products that could improve life (and work) at home. I think The Verge put it best in their CES summary:

 

“Matter — as [Project] CHIP is now called — was the darling of the show, with a full dance card and a line of admirers that stretched to the virtual Starbucks.”

 

matter

As a quick reminder, Matter is an industry-unifying application layer protocol for the smart home. Matter allows devices from any manufacturer to securely and reliably communicate directly end-to-end, and seamlessly plug into any major ecosystem. Matter benefits consumers by simplifying the purchasing process with choice and interoperability, developers by reducing cost and allowing them to focus on product-specific features, and retailers by creating confidence in smart home purchases, reducing returns, and growing the overall market.

 

In terms of protocol architecture, Matter is an application-layer protocol that leverages the Internet Protocol (IP) as its transport. Supporting IP means that Matter devices can communicate securely, end-to-end across a number of different networking technologies, including Wi-Fi and Ethernet. It also means that Matter can operate over the same network infrastructure as other IP-based devices in your home.

 

Matter’s first specification release supports operation over both Wi-Fi and Thread. The two wireless protocols compliment each other perfectly — Wi-Fi for applications that require higher throughput and Thread for low-power applications that could run for years on batteries. Because Matter, Wi-Fi, and Thread all support IP, Matter-based solutions can combine the advantages of both Wi-Fi and Thread.

 

The industry momentum and alignment behind Matter and Thread is unprecedented. Just two months ago, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) announced its largest test event in CSA history, with 134 devices and 187 participants representing over 53 companies.

 

Last week offered an early preview into what’s coming with Matter and Thread later this year.

 

HomeKit users, who started enjoying Thread technology over the past year, HomeKit
received exciting updates as well.

 

The ecosystems that Matter devices will connect into also made important announcements that will simplify device setup. Amazon announced the availability of Frustration Free Setup for Thread devices. At the same time, Google announced that Fast Pair will support Matter and Thread. With built-in support for Matter on Android, and Thread Border Routers in many existing Nest Devices, you’ll be able to use Fast Pair to quickly connect new Matter-enabled Thread devices to your network, Google Home and other accompanying apps all in just a few taps.

 

The silicon industry also took an important step forward with NXP’s announcement and Matter demo of a new tri-radio SoC that supports Wi-Fi 6, Thread, and Bluetooth LE 5.2. A single-chip solution simplifies the inclusion of Thread (especially Thread Border Router functionality) into end products, reducing end-product cost and time-to-market. For example, radio coexistence is a significant challenge and single-chip solutions can hide much of that complexity from end-product designs while offering significant performance advantages. Integrated silicon solutions should really accelerate the industry’s adoption of Thread.

 

For those of us that weren’t able to attend CES in person, Apple Insider put together a video from the show floor highlighting many of the Thread-enabled products I mentioned above. The video also shows a Matter demo by Nordic Semiconductor, with a Google Nest Hub controlling an Eve Energy, Leedarson light bulb, and Yale Lock. It’s always great to see real end-user products in action.

 

In my 20 years of working on low-power wireless technologies, I have never seen so much industry excitement and momentum around a set of communication technologies for the connected home. Work in industry standards bodies and alliances can be difficult (and frustrating!) at times. But the work on Thread and Matter is different this time around. In the collaboration I’ve seen on specification development, common open-source implementations, and test and certification programs, everyone recognizes the benefits of working together towards a common goal. I’m really looking forward to what Thread and Matter will enable in 2022, improving interoperability and reliability in the home.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS


2024
April
23-25

Thread Group Members Meeting

Toronto, Canada

Press Releases

2022
July
18

Thread Group Opens Access to Third Evolution of its Wireless Networking Protocol, Enabling Matter, Improving Seamless Connectivity in Smart Homes and Buildings

The Thread Group, an industry alliance enabling IoT convergence, and addressing challenges around secu...

2022
June
13

Thread Group Establishes New Marketing Chapter in China

The Thread Group, an industry alliance addressing IoT convergence, and challenges around security, energy footprint, and architecture at the network layer, today announced the addition of a Regional Marketing Working Group in China to educate...

2021
November
03

Amazon Joins Thread Group Board of Directors

The Thread Group, an industry alliance addressing IoT convergence, and challenges around security, energy footprint, and architecture at the network layer, today announced the addition of Amazon to its Board of Directors. Amazon’s increased backing of Thread Group further demonstrates its commitment to Matter, over both Thread and Wi-Fi, and to supporting a broad range of smart home protocols, which benefits both device makers and their customers.
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Please provide your contact information below and we will keep you informed about our activities.


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NEWSLETTERS

In The News

2024
January
10

Thread Border Router Fix Should Improve Smart Home Networking

By: Apple Insider

Read More

2024
January
09

Thread Group Unveils Credential Sharing Feature to Propel Smart Home Interoperability

SamMobile

Read More

2024
January
08

Thread Group to Fix Smart Home Protocol's Biggest Problem

Thurrott

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PAST EVENTS

  • CES 2024 January 9-12, 2024  Las Vegas, Nevada  
  • Thread Group Members Meeting Oct 23-26, 2023 Budapest, Hungary 
  • Thread Group Members Meeting April 25-27, 2023 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
  • CES 2023 January 5-8, 2023 Las Vegas, Nevada 
  • Thread Group Members Meeting OCTOBER 25-17, 2022 Málaga, Spain 
  • Light+Building 2022 OCTOBER 2-6, 2022 Frankfurt, Germany 
  • WEBINAR: Thread 1.3.0  SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 Watch Webinar, View Presentation 
  • Thread Group Members Meeting APRIL 26-28, 2022 Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Thread Group Members Meeting OCTOBER 5-7, 2021 Virtual
  • Thread Group Members Meeting APRIL 20-22, 2021 Virtual
  • Thread Group Members Meeting NOVEMBER 3-5, 2020 Virtual
  • Works With By Silicon Labs SEPTEMBER 9-10, 2020 Virtual Conference Endorsed by Thread Group Read More
  • WEBINAR: How to Keep Your Solar Plant Safe With Google's Full-wireless OpenThread System SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 View Presentation 
  • IoT World US AUGUST 11-13 2020 Virtual Event Endorsed by Thread Group
  • WEBINAR: IoT Convergence With Thread And Project CHIP  APRIL 21, 2020 Listen to Webinar, View Presentation 
  • Thread Technology Day NOVEMBER 22 2019 Taipei, Taiwan View Presentations 
  • Smart Home Summit NOVEMBER 20-21 2019 San Francisco, California View Presentation 
  • Thread Group Members Meeting NOVEMBER 5-7 2019 Zug, Switzerland, Hosted at Siemens 
  • Arm TechCon OCTOBER 8-9 2019 San Jose, California, Thread Endorsed Learn More
  • WEBINAR: New Membership Tier, IPR Considerations And Certification
    MAY 30, 2019 View Webinar
  • Internet of Things World
    MAY 13-16, 2019 Santa Clara, California Thread Endorsed  
  • WEBINAR: Dotdot + Thread: Learn About The Specification And Streamlined Certification Programs
    JANUARY 30, 2019 View Webinar
  • Connections Summit At CES
    JANUARY 8, 2019 Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Wireless Congress
    NOVEMBER 14-15, 2018 Munich, Germany
  • Arm TechCon
    OCTOBER 16-18, 2018 San Jose, California
  • Thread Group Members Meeting
    OCTOBER 16-18, 2018 Munich, Germany
  • Particle Webinar: Going Beyond The Connected Home
    OCTOBER 11, 2018 View Webinar
  • Spectra
    OCTOBER 3, 2018 San Francisco, California
  • Thread Group Members Meeting
    JUNE 26-28, 2018 Austin, Texas
  • Thread Webinar: Developing IoT Devices With Thread
    JUNE 20, 2018 View Webinar
  • Connections
    MAY 22-24, 2018 San Francisco, California
  • Light + Building
    MARCH 18-23, 2018 Frankfurt, Germany
  • Smart Energy Summit
    FEBRUARY 19-21, 2018 Austin, Texas
  • Strategies In Light
    FEBRUARY 13-15, 2018 Long Beach, California
  • Digital Experience! @ CES 2018
    JANUARY 8, 2018 Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Thread Group Members Meeting
    NOVEMBER 15-17, 2017 Lisbon, Portugal
  • Thread + One IoT Stakeholders Summit
    SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 Munich, Germany
  • Thread Group Technology Workshop
    SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 Munich, Germany
  • Thread Group Members Meeting
    JUNE 27-29, 2017 Vancouver, Canada
  • Connected Plus
    JUNE 20-21, 2017 Vancouver, Canada
  • CONNECTIONS 2017
    Speakers Panel: Connected CE Strategies: Building Product Ecosystems
    MAY 23-25, 2017 San Francisco, California
  • IoT World Speakers Panel: Understanding The Complexity And Interoperability Of IoT Platforms
    MAY 16-18, 2017 Santa Clara, California
  • CABA Forum
    APRIL 26-28, 2017 Santa Clara, California
  • Thread Technology Workshop
    MARCH 27, 2017 Mountain View, California
  • Thread Group All Members Meeting
    FEBRUARY 14-16, 2017 Atlanta, Georgia
  • CONNECTIONS Summit At CES
    JANUARY 5, 2016 Las Vegas, Nevada
  • CES 2017
    JANUARY 5-8, 2016 Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Strategies In Light Europe
    NOVEMBER 23-24, 2016 London, UK
  • Internet Of Things World
    NOVEMBER 21-22, 2016 Dublin, Ireland
  • Thread Group All Members Meeting
    NOVEMBER 15-17, 2016 Lisbon, Portugal
  • Wireless Congress
    NOVEMBER 9-10, 2016 Munich, Germany
  • Electronica
    NOVEMBER 8-11, 2016 Munich, Germany
  • CONNECTIONS Europe
    NOVEMBER 2-3, 2016 Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Smart Home Summit
    NOVEMBER 1-2, 2016 Palo Alto, California
  • Thread Group Webinar
    JUNE 28, 2016, 2016 Online
  • Smart Home World
    JUNE 21-22, 2016 London, UK
  • Computex CPX Conference
    MAY 31-JUNE 4, 2016 Taipei, Taiwan
  • Connected Conference
    MAY 25-27, 2016 Paris, France
  • Connections
    MAY 24-26, 2016 San Francisco, California
  • CES Asia
    MAY 11-13, 2016 Shanghai, China
  • Informa IoT World 2016
    MAY 10-12, 2016 Santa Clara, California
  • Thread Group Open House
    MAY 10, 2016 Shanghai, China
  • SMAHome
    APRIL 21-22, 2016 San Francisco, California
  • IoT West 2016
    APRIL 19-21, 2016 Taipei, Taiwan
  • Thread Group All Members Meeting
    MARCH 22-24, 2016 Redwood City, California
  • Wearable Tech Show 2016
    MARCH 15, 2016 London, UK
  • Strategies In Light
    MARCH 1-3, 2016 Santa Clara, California
  • CES
    JANUARY 6-9, 2016 Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Thread Group All Members Meeting
    NOVEMBER 18-19, 2015 Evian Resort, France
  • Cedia
    OCTOBER 16, 2015 Dallas, Texas
  • Internet Of Things World Europe
    OCTOBER 5-7, 2015 Berlin, Germany
  • Thread Open House
    OCTOBER 5, 2015 Berlin, Germany
  • Connected + Conference & Exhibition
    SEPTEMBER 28-29, 2015 Toronto, Canada
  • IoT Security 2015
    SEPTEMBER 22-23, 2015 Boston, Massachusetts
  • Thread Group All Members Meeting
    JULY 23-24, 2015 Austin, Texas
  • O'Reilly Solid, Platforms, Devices And Interoperability In The Smart Home
    JUNE 25, 2015 San Francisco, California
  • Pepcom! Digital Experience
    JUNE 18, 2015 New York City, New York
  • IoT Silicon Valley Meetup
    JUNE 18, 2015 Mountain View, California
  • Connections, Innovative Partnerships: The Connected Home Panel
    MAY 19, 2015 San Francisco, California
  • Internet Of Things World 2015
    MAY 13, 2015 San Francisco, California
  • Mobile World Congress
    MARCH 5, 2015 Barcelona, Spain
  • Stack Tutorials & First All Members Meeting
    FEBRUARY 9-11, 2015 San Jose, California
  • Thread Group Information Event
    SEPTEMBER 30, 2014 Google Campus, Mountain View, California
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