At NXP, we’ve spent years contributing to industry standards, partnering across different markets, and helping developers bring smart, secure, connected products to life. But sometimes, what we need isn’t another white paper or webinar, it’s an open, honest conversation.
That’s the idea behind Conversations at the Edge or as we like to call it CATE, our new monthly video series. It’s an entirely new platform where we explore the challenges and opportunities that come with building intelligent products at the edge of innovation. And what better place to do it than in our Smart Home Innovation Lab in Austin, Texas. Not to present slides, but to talk shop in our collaborative workshop.
This series grew out of the kinds of conversations Neal Kondel (my season one cohost) and I were already having every day, both internally and with customers. We kept hearing the same thing: "There’s so much happening with Matter, Autonomous Buildings, AI, Security... How do we keep up, and where do we start?"
So, we decided to roll the camera and talk about it. Season One of our new show focuses on Making with Matter, a topic that’s near and dear to our work at NXP. Matter is quickly becoming the backbone of the smart home ecosystem with its open-source, IP-based protocol designed to simplify device interoperability across brands and platforms. But while Matter promises a better end-user experience, for developers, it can still feel like a maze of certification requirements, shifting platform support and decisions around which wireless technologies to use.
That’s what CATE aims to address. It’s a place to break down the complexity, share what we’ve learned, and help you make smarter decisions using the tools and solutions we’ve created to unlock your innovation.
In Episode one, Neal and I take a step back and assess the current state of Matter. Since its launch in 2022, the standard has come a long way. We’ve seen consistent, twice-yearly updates from the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), with new device types added and expanded support from major platforms like Apple, Google and Amazon. But 2025 is shaping up to be the year when Matter truly enters the mainstream, moving from "what is this?" to "How do I integrate it into my next product release?"
We talk through some of the areas where we’re seeing some exciting traction:
One of the takeaways from Episode one is that Matter has transcended from being a technical curiosity to a practical necessity. The conversation has evolved from "What is Matter?" to "How do I implement it in my product line?" And that’s a sign of maturity in the standard and growing trust from the industry.
But adoption still comes with friction. Complex onboarding processes, fragmented platform support and certification challenges remain top concerns. In the episode, we talk candidly about how NXP is helping solve those challenges through:
While we love the smart home, future seasons of CATE will shift focus to other domains like factory automation, intelligent energy management and the latest advances in healthcare. But for Season One, we’re continuing to dig deeper into Matter, with the newt two episodes:
We’ll also be inviting more voices to join us. You’ll get to hear from product teams, engineers and ecosystem partners who are living these challenges and finding creative solutions in the real world.
We designed this series for the people doing the hard work, building products, making decisions, and trying to keep up with a dynamic technology landscape. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the pace of change, you’re not alone. Our goal with Conversations at the Edge is to cut through the noise, provide clarity, and hopefully make you feel a little more inspired about what’s possible.
NXP's new video series explores the challenges and opportunities that come with building intelligent products at the edge of innovation. Watch Episode One now.
This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to keep the conversation going. Let us know what you think about the show, what topics you’d love to see us cover and of course what questions you’d like to see answers to
Sujata Neidig has over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry and is currently Director of Marketing for Wireless Connectivity where she drives product marketing and standards efforts for IoT connectivity. She also represents NXP on the Thread Group and Connectivity Standards Alliance’s Board of Directors as well as serving as Thread Group’s VP of Marketing. She is based in Austin, TX.