By Lucy Han, ABB Smart Buildings, Global Head of Building and Home Automation Solutions
At Light + Building 2024, global leaders in home and building technology will converge to explore the biggest and best advancements in the sector, with the cross-manufacturer connection standard Matter and the network protocol Thread likely to take center stage as some of the most revolutionary.
Acquiring Eve Systems in June of last year has powered a huge leap in ABB Smart Buildings’ retrofitting abilities, propelling us into a new era where residents can manage energy and their surroundings, with unprecedented convenience and safety.
The strategic move to integrate Matter and Thread smart buildings technology through Eve’s plug-in, interoperable devices, enables the rapid transformation of existing homes into smart spaces. This extends the benefits of cutting-edge technology and flawless integration to a broader spectrum of customers than ever before.
Empowering residents
As Matter solidifies its position as the revolutionary home and building connectivity standard, boasting support from industry giants such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung, it heralds a new era where existing smart home technologies can seamlessly converge into a singular application framework standard.
This consolidation signifies a crucial step towards interoperability, allowing diverse devices and systems to communicate effortlessly. The backing from industry leaders not only ensures widespread adoption, but also fosters a collaborative environment where the best features of various technologies are amalgamated, setting the stage for a unified and cohesive smart living experience.
Any Matter-supported device can be set up with customer assistants and tools, like Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings hub, without having to worry about compatibility. By allowing different devices and services to integrate flawlessly, intuitively, and securely, homes can be retrofitted to enable residents to effortlessly navigate and control their living environment.
Synergy between devices enables a cohesive and user-friendly experience, transforming homes into intelligently managed spaces that adapt to the needs and preferences of their occupants. This represents a significant leap forward in the evolution of smart living, where the retrofitting of homes becomes a dynamic process, empowering residents to enjoy a more streamlined and secure lifestyle.
A seamless future
As with any new standard, Matter will continue to evolve, expand and improve. Nearly 1,800 certified Matter products, apps, and software platforms are currently available and there are potentially hundreds of millions of devices in people's homes that can be upgraded to Matter.
Seamless integration of Eve into smart buildings underscores our commitment to pioneering solutions that enhance the quality of living and bring the future of smart homes within reach to all. Over time, Eve products will become increasingly interoperable with ABB’s smart home systems. In March a wired smart building bridge (System Access Point for ABB-free@home®) will be available, allowing other eco-systems to control ABB-free@home® devices and a Matter controller to control Matter devices from ABB-free@home®.
By committing to Matter-enabled solutions tailored for system integrators and professional installers, we’re paving the way to extend integration to increasingly larger-scale installations and mixed-use buildings. The journey really is only just starting.
With each step forward, we anticipate unlocking new possibilities with Matter playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of advanced, interconnected building systems, enhancing both efficiency and user experiences in unprecedented ways.
About the author
Lu Han (Lucy): Head of Global Product Group Building and Home Automation Solutions
Lu Han (Lucy) was appointed Head of Global Product Group Building and Home Automation Solutions (BHAS) at ABB’s Electrification Smart Buildings Division in March 2023. As a member of the Division Management team for Smart Buildings, Lucy is responsible for driving the ambitious strategic growth plan for the BHAS business worldwide. With sales of approx. 1 bn USD and a global team supporting customers, the business is core to the Division’s innovation strategy. Its digitally led portfolio drives customer value by enabling the more efficient use of energy, making homes and buildings safer, smarter, more sustainable and people’s lives more comfortable. Lucy has over 20 years’ experience in the building automation industry, with her career to date spanning across China and Switzerland. Her focus has been on sales, strategy, and product management. She joined ABB Electrification’s Smart Buildings division from Siemens, where she held the position of Senior Vice President for the connected devices business segment. In this role, she led global teams for six product lines and was involved in developing new Internet of Things (IoT) offerings. Lucy is based in Switzerland. Lucy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Building Environment Technologies from Jilin University of Architecture in Changchun, China, a master’s degree in Management Technology & Economics from ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, as well as an MBA with the IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland.
