The CSA is Destined to Be the Go-To Standards Association

By Rich Nass

Executive Vice President

Embedded Computing Design

November 23, 2021

Blog

The CSA is Destined to Be the Go-To Standards Association

The more I dig into the Connectivity Standards Alliance, aka the CSA, the more intriguing it becomes.

The organization has two huge elements behind its momentum. First, it has the backing of some of the biggest names in the industry. That includes some along the the lines of Google, Apple, Amazon, NXP, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, Schneider Electric, and so on. A relative who’s who in our space.

The second thing pushing the CSA to the forefront is the spaces covered by its charter. In a nutshell, the organization is attempting to make connectivity easier (and more secure) for consumers.

One recent piece of news from the CSA: Infineon is joining the CSA’s Board of Directors. The company's strengths in smart home and security will bring valuable experience and leadership to the Alliance, particularly the Matter Working Group. According to the CSA, Matter is the foundation for connected things, assuring reliability and security for devices that work together seamlessly.

Another intriguing Alliance member (intriguing to me at least) is Schneider Electric. Again, doing some digging, I discovered that Schneider’s tentacles go further into the consumer space than I realized, particularly in Europe.

As a board member and active contributor to the Matter protocol development, Schneider believes that interoperability is the key for future homes, and Matter holds the keys to that unification.

The Schneider Electric’s Matter implementation roadmap includes creating Matter-compliant smart home products, bridging to connect existing and new systems, and advocating for more Matter-compliant interoperability. These are clearly the foundation for moving the standard further and in the best interests of the consumer.

Richard Nass’ key responsibilities include setting the direction for all aspects of OSM’s ECD portfolio, including digital, print, and live events. Previously, Nass was the Brand Director for Design News. Prior, he led the content team for UBM’s Medical Devices Group, and all custom properties and events. Nass has been in the engineering OEM industry for more than 30 years. In prior stints, he led the Content Team at EE Times, Embedded.com, and TechOnLine. Nass holds a BSEE degree from NJIT.

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