Tech Blogging was always on our roadmap and we thought that it would be the perfect opportunity for us to start this Blogging series by explaining to all of you out there, the whole journey when it comes to IoT (Internet of things – a.k.a. Devices that can connect to the internet); there it all started from, where we are today and also the future of Home Automation.
A few years back, we started seeing home appliances that would be able to connect to the internet. That technology then evolved into Appliances, Sensors and Relays that can communicate together through their own dedicated app. Although that was cool back then, we ended up with our Smartphone full of different applications to control these devices.
Why you might ask? Simple, because we mere mortals are not tied to a particular vendor. We do not get anything for free, so there is no reason why we should be so loyal to keep buying devices from that specific brand.
To solve this issue, we have some options. One can use Apple Home Kit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and so on…but that did not solve the problem completely; it only solved a portion of it.
Today, we have a few other options, (Home Assistant and Hubitat to name a few) to solve this issue, however one needs to be a techy (geek) to be able to configure it, maintain it and troubleshoot issues sometimes too…because of course, nothing is perfect.
With the help of these Platforms, one would be able to have all the IoT Devices communicate through them, thus removing the requirement of having an App for every Brand on your Smartphone. Not only that, with these Platforms one can also create automations so you wouldn’t even need to touch your phone.
Lets grab the following scenario: you are at home with the AC switched on, light are on, radio on (or better Spotify on your smart speaker). You had to leave your home so you grab your smartphone, get into your car and leave. Home Assistant would know you left and would switch everything for you automatically.
Errand done and you’re heaving back home. Home Assistant knows the Temperature inside and outside your house….and since it knows you’re 1km away from home, it will switch on the AC for you. You arrive at home and you’re greeted with a cool environment.
That is just one example…
Now, back to the matter at hand (pun intended). Matter is a communication standard that was released this November with the intention to streamline everything a bit better. With the help of Matter, one will be able to have IoT devices compatible only with Google Home that work through WiFi to communicate seamlessly with other IoT Devices communicating only with Apple Home Kit that use ZWave to operate.
As you can imagine, this opens a whole new world of possibilities for SmartHome enthusiasts and professionals alike.