When the new smarthome standard Matter gets underway in 2022, one manufacturer will definitely be there: Eve Systems. The Munich-based company has announced that it will integrate the technology into the majority of its current devices. Specifically, this means sensors, sockets, controllers and control units that support the Thread wireless protocol.
„We will make the first models compatible via software update in time for the launch,“ explains Jerome Gackel, CEO of Eve Systems during a press event at the beginning of October. The rest will follow gradually. The current planning provides for three rounds of updates.
Four units will make the start in mid-2022:
- the Eve Energy adapter (Europe/North America)
- the Eve Door & Window opening sensor
- the battery-powered Eve MotionBlinds
- and an all new Eve Motion sensor, which is scheduled for launch in the first half of 2022.
To follow later in fall 2022:
- the Eve Light Switch (Europe/North America)
- the radiator controller Eve Thermo
Finally, in the end of 2022:
- the Eve Weather outdoor sensor
- the indoor sensor Eve Room
- as well as the UK-/ and Australia-version of Eve Energy
There is currently no mention of the Eve Aqua smart irrigation controller or WLAN products like the Eve Cam. One reason for this could be that the Matter committees first have to determine which product categories will be included in the first version of the standard. Smaller providers like Eve in particular have to keep a tight rein on their development capacities. That’s why they tend to focus on likely candidates. Thermostats, motion detectors or plug adapters have a better chance of making it into the initial selection than a lawn sprinkler.
Update-capable from year of manufacture 2020
Thread-enabled Eve products of the latest series will benefit from the free update. In some cases, they were already introduced in 2020. Those who are unsure whether their copy at home belongs to it (some models are in the fourth generation already) can look on the Internet. The manufacturer has set up a kind of family tree in its support area (link). The fact that updates are possible at all is due to a forward-looking product policy: Eve relied on a particularly advanced wireless chip from Nordic Semiconductor for the last generation change.
“Eve products have two euros worth of extra hardware resources that no one currently needs.”
Jerome Gackel, CEO of Eve Systems
This chip not only allows the radio protocol to be changed from Bluetooth to Thread via a firmware update – it also offers sufficient memory and processing power to subsequently upload the software for Matter. „The devices effectively have two euros worth of additional hardware resources that no one needs at the moment,“ explains Eve CEO Gackel. „This investment is now paying off – through future-proof products.“
For the manufacturer, Matter means a great opportunity. The company is on a growth trajectory; according to Jerome Gackel, the increase in the past fiscal year was 42 percent. However, Eve has so far only served Apple users with its HomeKit products. The new standard, which applies to more systems, also opens up the target group of households with Alexa, Google Assistant or other smart home control systems. The market for Eve products will thus multiply overnight.
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