In a surprise move, The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and Power Matter Alliance (PMA) on Tuesday announced they joined forces to offer even better wireless charging features to various devices in the future. That means that out of the three existing wireless charging standards, two appear ready to work together towards a greater purpose – the other standard belongs to the Wireless Power Consortium’ Qi.
PMA has deployed wireless charging stations in locations such as Starbucks and McDonald’s stores and developed the Open Network API “capable of transforming individual charging spots into a smart, manageable, global wireless power network.” A4WP has developed the industry’s only magnetic resonance technical specification under the Rezence brand. Each company will adopt the other’s wireless charging specification, a move that should further improve wireless charging technology addoption in the future.
“The combined global market for wireless power receivers and transmitters is expected to rise to 1.7 billion unit shipments in 2023, up from about 25 million in 2013,” IHS Technology associate director on power supply and storage components Ryan Sanderson said. “This liaison agreement serves to accelerate an interoperable wireless charging ecosystem seen as critical to the broad adoption by consumers.”
In related news, WiTricity, which has been working on its own wireless charging products, also announced on Tuesday that it is joining A4WP.
The full press releases follow below.
Alliance for Wireless Power and Power Matters Alliance Join Forces
Agreement Signed to Consolidate Standards and Accelerate Growth of the Wireless Charging MarketFremont, California, and Houston, Texas, February 11th , 2014 – The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and Power Matters Alliance (PMA) today announced that the two associations have signed an agreement aimed at establishing global interoperability of these two leading wireless power standards. The PMA is a leader in inductive wireless charging technology with installations in many popular venues including select Starbucks and McDonalds stores, and has developed an Open Network API capable of transforming individual charging spots into a smart, manageable, global wireless power network. A4WP, the de facto standard for resonant wireless charging, has developed the only industry sponsored magnetic resonance technical specification and is supported by a global product certification program under the Rezence™ brand.
This agreement establishes a clear path for industry consolidation by harmonizing technical standards that deliver interoperability and streamline next-generation wireless charging.
The agreement calls for the following immediate next steps:
· PMA adopts the A4WP Rezence specification as the PMA magnetic resonance charging specification for both transmitters and receivers in both single and multi-mode configurations· A4WP adopts the PMA inductive specification as a supported option for multi-mode inductive, magnetic resonance implementations
· A4WP to collaborate with PMA on their open network API for network services management
“This announcement delivers a compelling message for the industry to commit and deliver wireless charging devices now. Between the organizations, A4WP and PMA membership consists of the key players necessary to drive industry consolidation and establish a commercially viable globally interoperable wireless charging ecosystem,” said Kamil Grajski, President, Alliance for Wireless Power.
Board members from A4WP and PMA represent a cross section of industry leaders who unanimously voted to approve the agreement. Voting members included Broadcom, Gill Electronics, IDT, Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics and Samsung Electro-Mechanics from A4WP; and Starbucks, Procter & Gamble, and Powermat Technologies from PMA.
“We have listened and acted very deliberately to the overwhelming voice of the industry to simplify rollout of wireless charging technology and bring more alignment within the ecosystem. These two organizations are taking the necessary steps to get the job done.” said Ron Resnick, President, Power Matters Alliance. “Combining the standards from A4WP and PMA offer the best choices of core technologies and managed network services, delivering to consumers a seamless, easy-to-use and convenient wireless charging user experience”
“The combined global market for wireless power receivers and transmitters is expected to rise to 1.7 billion unit shipments in 2023, up from about 25 million in 2013,” said Ryan Sanderson, associate director, power supply & storage components at IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS). “This liaison agreement serves to accelerate an interoperable wireless charging ecosystem seen as critical to the broad adoption by consumers.”
This agreement demonstrates the commitment between the two organizations to drive momentum toward an interoperable global wireless power standard. It establishes the goal to create a commercially viable wireless charging ecosystem that delivers a true drop and go charging experience for the consumer. The A4WP and PMA are leading this global initiative.
About The Alliance for Wireless Power
The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) is an independently operated, not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a global wireless charging ecosystem based on Rezence™ technology. Members include board of director companies Broadcom Corporation, Gill Electronics., Integrated Device Technology, Inc., Intel Corporation, Qualcomm Incorporated, Samsung Electronics Co., Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Co., and WiTricity Corporation. A4WP’s mission includes evolving and publishing Rezence technical specifications, maintaining global testing and certification processes, and actively promoting the benefits of Rezence technology throughout the consumer electronics industry. For more information visit http://www.a4wp.org.About Power Matters Alliance
PMA is a global, not-for-profit standards organization chartered to ensure global interoperability for wireless charging. PMA was founded by Powermat Technologies and Procter & Gamble in 2012. The PMA board also includes Duracell, Starbucks and the US Government’s Energy Star (non-voting). PMA compatible ‘wireless charging spots’ have been installed at leading coffee shops, airports, stadiums, restaurants, gyms and more and PMA-compliant products are available at leading retailers. Membership in the PMA is open to all, and its technical specifications are available to all members at http://www.powermatters.org.WiTricity Joins Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP)
Rezence Emerges as De Facto Magnetic Resonance StandardFremont, Calif., – The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) announced today that WiTricity, a leader in highly resonant wireless power transfer technology, has joined the A4WP with plans to innovate and incorporate the Rezence™ specification in their design and development efforts. WiTricity’s cooperation with the A4WP is a demonstration of industry consolidation, making Rezence the emerging de facto standard for magnetic resonance-based wireless charging products.
The A4WP’s Rezence near-field resonant technology delivers a consumer-friendly wireless charging experience. Rezence offers unique benefits including simultaneous charging of multiple devices with differing power requirements, ‘spatial freedom’ for additional reach in the z-direction, and eliminating the hassle of accurate coil alignment – all on a single charging surface or in a charging region.
“With Rezence product certification well underway, the A4WP is clearly leading the charge to bring magnetic resonance-based wireless power to the consumer market,” said Dr. Kamil A. Grajski, president of A4WP. “WiTricity’s membership further builds momentum toward the global harmonization of magnetic resonance technical standards that, in turn, fosters the confidence and tools necessary to rapidly grow a global wireless power ecosystem.”
“WiTricity strives to put wireless power everywhere, and joining the A4WP is a part of our strategy to engage closely with the influential organizations that will help make that vision a reality,” said Eric Giler, CEO at WiTricity. “We are pleased to join forces with the A4WP and its member companies to encourage standards consolidation and accelerate the commercialization of products that will bring the ease, convenience, and innovation of resonance-based wireless power to every corner of the globe.”
WiTricity joins the A4WP as a sponsor, becoming the eighth member of the board of directors, which includes Broadcom, Gill Electronics, IDT, Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics and Samsung Electro-Mechanics. General membership has grown to more than 80 companies, including industry leaders such as CSR, Delphi, Fujitsu, Haier, Hitachi Chemical, LG, NXP, ON Semiconductor, Renesas, SanDisk, and Texas Instruments.
The A4WP’s Rezence technical specification benefits both industry and consumers alike. For equipment manufacturers, the Rezence specification leverages the broadly-adopted wireless technology, Bluetooth® Smart, to simplify development and manufacturing. For industrial designers, the Rezence specification utilizes near-field magnetic resonance technology that provides increased flexibility for charging solutions to be installed into all types of products and surfaces (cars, furniture, etc.) Finally, consumers benefit from simultaneous charging of multiple devices with differing power requirements and the ability to ‘drop-and-go’ without having to accurately position each device over the transmit coil.
For a video demonstration of A4WP’s Rezence-enabled spatial freedom, visit http://www.rezence.com/media/multimedia.
About The Alliance for Wireless Power
The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) is an independently operated, not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a global wireless charging ecosystem based on Rezence technology. Members include board of director companies Broadcom, Gill Electronics, IDT, Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and WiTricity. A4WP’s mission includes evolving and publishing Rezence technical specifications, maintaining global testing and certification processes, and actively promoting the benefits of Rezence technology throughout the consumer electronics industry. For more information, visit http://www.a4wp.org.About WiTricity
WiTricity is the industry leader in wireless electricity delivered over distance and holds the foundational patents for Highly Resonant Wireless Power Transfer technology. The company was founded in 2007 to commercialize an exciting new technology for wireless electricity invented by world-renowned physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). With a growing list of global clients in industries including consumer electronics, automotive, medical devices and defense, WiTricity has emerged as the leader for IP and expertise in highly resonant wireless power transfer. For more information, visit http://www.witricity.com. Follow WiTricity on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
