Amazon is joining in on the latest smart home protocol with support for Thread coming to its fourth-gen Echo smart speaker, bringing it in-line with Apple’s HomePod mini and more. The latest update also debuts iOS setup compatibility and Matter support for older Echo devices. And in more smart home news, the previously HomeKit-focused company Eve has made a big deal with Amazon.
Amazon shared all the details on its Matter update in a blog post today (via The Verge):
Today, we’re excited to announce our latest Matter update for Alexa, the updated Works with Alexa (WWA) certification requirements for Matter devices, and share details about how Eve Systems uses Alexa to reach more customers and accelerate the growth of their business. Our vision for the ambient home is one that just works with multiple devices across different technologies and brands, all working together on behalf of the customer.
For Apple users, the update is notable as it brings support to set up Amazon Matter supported devices on iOS.
And that list has grown, with this update, second-gen Echo, Echo Plus, and Echo Dot devices have been updated as Matter controllers. Plus fourth-gen Echo speakers have received Thread support with the release and work as Thread border routers.
As a refresher, Matter is a smart home standard coming from a collaboration between Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung, the Connectivity Standards Alliance, and more. The big idea is to make it seamless for customers to know a smart home device will work with their setup (cross-platform) and also make them faster, more reliable, secure, and easy to use.
And as for Thread, it’s a purpose made mesh networking protocol for smart home platforms and devices with direct peer-to-peer communication and self-maintaining and self-healing capabilities.
Amazon and Eve parternship
For some time, Eve was a HomeKit-only smart home device maker. And the company was early to the game as it launched Thread supported devices several years ago.
Now Amazon and Eve have struck a deal for the smart home device maker to integrate with Matter-enabled Echo devices and the Works with Alexa universe.
Last year, we published a story about Eve and our shared customer obsession, focus on innovation, and Eve’s excitement to work with Amazon to accelerate their business. Prior to Matter, Eve devices were limited to operating only within certain smart home systems. Starting today, with Alexa supporting Matter over Thread devices, Eve has the opportunity to rapidly expand as they tap into the tens of millions of Alexa customers with over 100 million Matter-enabled Echo devices already in their homes. Eve can now take advantage of best-in-class programs like Works with Alexa (WWA) and Frustration-Free Setup (FFS) to create highly differentiated and valuable customer experiences.
Here’s what Eve’s CEO had to say about the partnership:
“I’m extremely excited about bringing our devices to Alexa customers.” says Jerome Gackel, CEO of Eve Systems. ”One of our biggest challenges being at the forefront of bringing the first Matter over Thread devices to customers’ homes is to ensure they have the right infrastructure at home to connect to our devices. With Alexa’s WWA badge and Thread support on millions of Echos already in customers’ homes, creating this seamless customer journey will be vastly accelerated.”
You can check out all of Eve’s smart home products on it’s Amazon landing page and its own website.
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