Like most projects we decide to build there are alot of options and ways to get to a solution. Our goals normally require open source with no proprietary elements, and oh yeah, No Google or MS. Some might think this limits the options, I think it's important not to bow down to the behemoth mongrols and to definitely not give them our data. As always we will never share your or our data with anyone at any price!
We recently posted our introductory investigation on the OS options and hardware controller on the Volusia Market.
Thread:
When smart devices started to come out, there was a lot of debate about the best way for them to communicate with whatever's controlling them. The problem is that wifi is actually kind of really expensive, power wise. If you can't plug the device in, wifi will suck down battery really fast. This isn't practical for tiny devices like security system door sensors, or battery powered front door locks, or a temperature sensor stuck to a wall. And wifi requires every device to have your wifi password, and its own IP address, and a reliable network, etc.
So a lot of manufacturers started making "bridges." Where the bridge plugs into power and talks with your wifi, but all the devices talk to the bridge over a low-power system like radio. This works pretty well, but obviously kinda sucks having a different bridge for every brand of everything. And because each manufacturer used its own special communication standard, they couldn't talk to each other. (Lutron light switch can't talk to a Frontpoint door sensor which can't talk to an August smart lock.)
Thread was an attempt to get all the manufacturers to agree on the same non-wifi communication standard for low-power smart devices. This actually took many years to accomplish. Once the devices were now physically able to communicate with each other without wifi, the question was how do they all speak the same language so that a single controller, whether that's Homekit or Alexa or Google, can issue commands that every device could understand. That took several more years, and that's Matter.
The neat thing is, Matter can also send commands over wifi, so existing devices that can't or won't communicate through Thread can still work that way too. The devices just need their software upgraded so that they can speak Matter over wifi instead.
Thread specifies:
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A standard/common set of specs for how low powered radios must transmit / receive data between one another to be "compatible" and intercommunicate between themselves..
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A standard/common networking protocol (based off IPv6) that allows devices to "auto discover / self configure" and establish a common data communication network (including "electing" one of the device to bridge traffic to a IPv4, IPv6, or other protocol network if it has capable hardware) between themselves without needing a dedicated centralized router. One of the biggest benefits is that a Thread network is "self healing"- new devices are automatically recognized and incorporated into the network (given a unique address, provided with routing information for their traffic etc.) and removed devices are automatically "disappeared" (address released and routing removed) - both with zero human touch.
Matter specifies:
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A standard/common set of digital responses and control commands for how devices should identify their type (e.g. Light Bulb) their status (on / off / sleep / etc.) capabilities (On / Off / Dim% / Color value / etc.), and what values should be sent to read or change the status or change values.
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A set of common authentication and security protocols that devices must use when communicating between themselves, apps, or internet hosted services.
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A common device ID / set up procedure for adding new hardware to a smartphone network (very much like the "scan the tag or enter this code" into the Home App).
Matter spec only covers certain categories of accessories (E.g. lights. locks, thermostats). Some major categories like security cameras will be supported in the future as the Matter spec evolves to also include agreements on expanded necessities like bandwidth requirements / authentication / storage / etc. standards
Matter incorporates a lot of the Apple design specs and actual code from HomeKit, so I'm cautiously optimistic that most of the current HomeKit accessories can be made Matter compatible with software and firmware updates.