It's about to be way easier to make a smart home. Here's what you need to know - CNBC

Imagine asking Apple's Siri to crook disconnected your Amazon Fire TV. Thanks to a caller modular called Matter, soon astir astute location devices from antithetic brands volition enactment together.

Matter, backed by the biggest names successful tech including Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung, aims to lick a cardinal symptom point. Right now, if you privation to power your lights oregon your thermostat oregon a astute plug, you request to marque definite it supports Apple HomeKit oregon your Amazon Echo oregon Google Home Hub. But, with Matter, you'll beryllium capable to bargain airy bulbs, airy sensors, colored airy bulbs, HVAC systems, thermostats and much without worrying if they'll enactment with the strategy you person astatine home.

The archetypal Matter devices are starting to deed the market, though astir caller appliances that enactment it won't beryllium disposable until adjacent year.

"Before Matter, the astute location merchandise you purchased would lone enactment with your circumstantial location device, similar your Apple HomeKit, Amazon astute speaker, oregon your Samsung Smart Things hub," says Michelle Mindala-Freeman, caput of selling and subordinate services astatine the Connectivity Standards Alliance which is the consortium behind Matter. "Now, you tin say, 'I truly similar that Nanoleaf colored light,' and you don't person to interest astir which astute location instrumentality it's compatible with due to the fact that it's supported by Matter," she says.

About 280 different companies are moving to enactment Matter. Aside from the ones already mentioned, immoderate of the biggest names see ADT, Assa Abloy (which makes August Home and Yale astute locks), Ecobee, Facebook, Haier (parent of GE Appliances), Hisense, Ikea, iRobot, Kwikset, LG, Panasonic, Roku, Schlage, SimpliSafe, Sonos, Spotify, Tesla and Whirlpool.

Look retired for a logo that shows Matter compatibility. "Over time, we judge the logo for Matter volition go arsenic ubiquitous arsenic the awesome for Bluetooth oregon the awesome for Wi-Fi," says Mindala-Freeman.

The certification process is inactive underway. "Since we released the spec successful October, we've certified implicit 200 products, some hardware and bundle products, and we person a clump much queued up, says Mindala-Freeman.

A fewer brands volition rotation retired firmware updates to their products that are already connected the marketplace this year. These see Eve, which makes astute plugs and sensors, arsenic good arsenic Wix which makes astute airy bulbs.