The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and Power Matters Alliance (PMA) have agreed to merge and establish a joint organisation aimed at accelerating the deployment of wireless charging technology in consumer devices on a global scale.
The latest merger signifies that the industry is uniting toward an agreed framework that could increase the integration of wireless charging technology in smartphones, tablets and wearable computing gadgets.
A4WP board chair and president Kamil Grajski said: "The ‘standards war’ narrative presents a false choice,", Alliance for Wireless Power."
"Consider that the typical mass-market smartphone contains a multiplicity of radio technologies (Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, 3G, LTE) each built around a vibrant ecosystem, whereas other devices are single-mode (Bluetooth headset)."
"The A4WP PMA merger is in the same spirit: enable the market to apply technologies to their best use cases."
As part of teh deal, set for completion by mid-2015, both groups will integrate and feature a list of global consumer brands, supply chain and market leaders including: AT&T, Broadcom, Duracell, Flextronics, Gill Electronics, Integrated Device Technologies (IDT), Intel, Powermat, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Starbucks and WiTricity.
Power Matters Alliance president Ron Resnick said: "The key to volume economics is to combine best-in-class wireless power transfer technology with innovative cloud-based network services."
"The best-in-breed combination of A4WP and PMA assures decision-makers throughout the industry of responsible stewardship of these essential contributing technologies."
A4WP is backed by Intel, Qualcomm and Samsung Electronics, while Procter & Gamble as well as Starbucks back Power Matters Alliance.
However, another group, the Wireless Power Consortium, comprising tech firms Nokia and Philips, has shipped its ‘Qi’ standard in around 20 million devices in 2013.
