Yes, it does. A simple answer but did you really understand the question?
25 years ago, I started to work with MC-Link, an idea that Sven Mattison already had started to work on together with Jaap Haartsen and a few others. Ericsson joined forces with Nokia, Intel, Toshiba & IBM, and they soon started to call the projects Bluetooth. Something that we all are using today but not really notice – a common standard for short link radio that we use for connecting our devices without any cables. And this matters. But it is not the question I am referring to in the headline, although highly related.
Having the possibility to connect devices and seamlessly transferring data without needing to have the correct plug, cable or converter. This is something that simplifies your life in many ways and that gives you a convenient usage. It is technology that helps you in a way where you do not even notice that it is there, and all this between different brands and devices so that you can pick the brand/device that you prefer.
Extending this further is what Matter does. An alliance of companies that gathers over a standard way of connecting things. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or a cable make sure the devices can talk to each other. Matter is the language they share to communicate and understand each other and make sure that the data is transferred in a hazzel free way.
And how does this matter to you?
This will give the possibility for any app in your phone or computer to interact with your lamp, stereo, google device, car, bus, wallet, fridge, house & lawn mower – and for all of them to exchange information and control. A functionality that for instance would allow the following examples:
- The car tells the garage port to open when it gets close and send down the elevator to the garage in 5 minutes
- The bus ticket app in your phone address through your Sonos that it is time to leave for the bus that soon arrives
- The electric screwdriver reminds through the craftsman’s Apple watch to bring extra batteries after lunch
The possibilities are endless when things easily can exchange information when the need of using the same brand is gone. We, as users, can make our choice based on what we like in terms of design, brand and functionality and do not need to get a bunch of control units for each brand that cannot interact with each other.
So, what Matters to me is that a step of usability is taken with the help of technology. When you create solutions, it should be easy to use and not more complex, even if the solution and system behind it is complex.
It started as an idea to have a simpler way of automation in your home but extends to simplify connectivity and automation for any thing. One technical enabler to count on.
Stay tuned here when I will continue to dig further into what Matter and other technical solutions/enablers can help us with at work, at home, traveling or simply anywhere. There has been a lot of talk about digitalization and technical innovation, although I would like to rephrase the aim for the future to be humanization (the process of making something less unpleasant and more suitable for people).
Being a tech nerd I can hardly wait for all the incredible solutions the future holds, how well integrated things, devices and systems will allow information and data to be used in new innovative ways. How this will give us humans a smarter way of living with assisting functions that we understand, like & appreciate – and sometimes not even notice.
Fredrik Töörn
Head of Technology at Stratiteq
About the author
Fredrik is Head of Technology at Stratiteq and states that as most things remain to be done, it is always nice to see when true cooperation between people continues to create great technical solutions easy to use.
