Reflecting on 2024, the Connectivity Standards Alliance marked another year of measurable progress, driving momentum in the IoT industry. The year began with a strong showing at the Consumer Electronics Show, showcasing innovative products from Alliance Members built on standards like Matter and Zigbee. Their collective commitment to the era of open standards in the smart home was on display for hundreds of thousands of show-goers. This exemplifies the real benefit of the incredible work done each day in our community to build a rich and thriving market for connected products everywhere. 

The Alliance celebrated several significant milestones this year, including the highly anticipated releases of Matter 1.3 and 1.4 and the launch of the IoT Device Security 1.0 Specification with Certification and Verified Mark. This groundbreaking initiative introduces a cybersecurity standard, unifying regional standards into a global program, and offering manufacturers a comprehensive, one-stop certification solution for their IoT devices. Zigbee continued its evolution with the announcement of the Green Power 1.1.2 revision, adding new features and testing scripts to streamline the certification process, and shared the release of Smart Energy 1.4a, building on the strong foundation of Smart Energy’s previous versions.

Throughout 2024, our Members’ efforts drew interest from all sectors, including in some of the several dozen regions developing cybersecurity labeling programs. In the spring, the Alliance and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), reinforcing a shared commitment to recognizing each other's cybersecurity labels for consumer IoT products and delivering value to Members by enabling a single certification to qualify products across multiple markets. We also welcomed the formation of the Japan Interest Group, composed of volunteer Members dedicated to advancing Alliance technologies in Japan and fostering meaningful dialogue among peers. The Alliance and its Members participated in several other jurisdictional initiatives, including the US Cyber Trust Mark, Europe’s evolving programs on cyber resilience, and more. Public stakeholders worldwide recognize our Member community as a leader in building out an interoperable and secure Internet of Things for consumers.

As a pioneering force in shaping the foundation and future of the IoT, the unwavering dedication of our membership continues to be our greatest strength. The Alliance has now exceeded 780 Member companies, with so many accomplishments to celebrate, it’s only fitting to close this year by reflecting on highlights of the collective success our community achieved in 2024.

• Collaborated with the European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (now known as Connect Europe), signifying a shared commitment to ensuring the security and interoperability of the IoT.
• Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shanghai Intelligent Lighting Association (SILA) to promote Matter adoption among China-based companies.
• The Alliance and the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Seoul, marking a significant step toward accelerating Matter adoption and supporting the growth of the smart home industry in South Korea.
• Launched the new community portal for all Members, serving as a hub for seamless access to Members-only resources and tools. Over 3.5K active users currently utilize this resource.
• Multiple technology-focused Executive One-Pagers including the Alliance One-Pager, Product Security One-Pager (Mandarin), Zigbee Security & Privacy Fundamentals One-Pager, and Aliro Power of Open Access One-Pager, all offering at-a-glance insights into our multiple standards.
• Published the Zigbee Handbook for Alliance Members, for the latest developer resources, new information that simplifies getting started, best practices, and corner cases.
• Published the Matter Handbook, a central, publicly available repository of developer resources including information on the SDK, certification, and go-to-market resources.
• The Matter blog Enabling Universal Grid-Friendly Integration for Energy Smart Appliances and More highlighted how the release of Energy Reporting and Energy Management features, as part of the Matter 1.3 specification, allows product makers to enable any eligible Matter device to report its energy use.
• The Alliance Member China Group hosted 22 events, including speaking events, training, face-to-face meetings, and a Matter Open Day.
• The Japan Interest Group held three in-person meetings and participated at CEATEC with a keynote address and a booth in the smart home pavilion.
• 13 testing and validation events and two Plugfests across Alliance technologies, including  Aliro, Matter, Product Security, and Zigbee.
• Experienced an impressive show of collaboration with 584 individuals added across our Working Groups. 
• Increased our digital marketing reach, with over 56,000 followers across social media platforms.
• Maintained a robust media presence with nearly 7,300 articles published and a total reach of almost 34 billion impressions.

This past year has been extraordinary as Members collaborated to advance Alliance initiatives and broadened our collective global impact. This would not have been attainable without the concerted efforts of all involved, and for this, we are truly thankful.

Looking ahead to 2025, the Alliance is forging a path forward with an intentional emphasis on accelerating the adoption of our standards in the market, advocating for our Members, and consistently enhancing our support to nurture our diverse and dynamic IoT community. As the new year approaches, the Alliance reaffirms its commitment to the spirit of collaboration, with a dedicated focus on building a more interoperable, secure, and connected future. Together, we are devoted to achieving this vision—and will continue to champion our mission with passion and purpose.

Warmest wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season and a wonderful new year!

Tobin Richardson

President & CEO

Musa Unmehopa

Chair of the Board