Introducing Wi-Fi Aware: A New Technology That Lets You Instantly Connect All Your Devices

After three long years of research and development via a joint effort by some of the world’s biggest tech companies, a new technology is born, and it is going to bring Wi-Fi to new heights.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is a non-profit trade organization that aims to advance Wi-Fi technology and its many applications. The group consists of high profile tech giants like Apple, Intel, and Microsoft, as well as hundreds of other tech-related companies. And now it is releasing Wi-Fi Aware.

Basically, Wi-Fi Aware lets devices that are Wi-Fi enabled to detect and communicate directly with other devices nearby, apps, or even databases, without having to rely on cellular data or a web connection. 

When a user has installed an application that leverages Wi-Fi Aware, the user’s device will keep on transmitting and receiving broadcasts from other devices within the area. Users can even choose to allow applications to both publish availability and subscribe to receive information and as well as process requests to connect.

In more ways than one, Wi-Fi Aware will be competing with other existing technologies like Bluetooth (which uses low energy to broadcast) and simple push notifications to make a unique version of GPS that works indoors. For instance, when a user enters a branded product into Facebook and then activates proximity alerts, Facebook will then be able to alert the user whenever there is a store nearby that sells that branded product. 

The point here is that devices will become continuously aware of each other’s presence, especially those within the vicinity. What is more interesting about this is that the devices will not only blindly detect and connect to each other, but instead they will do so depending on how useful or relevant connecting to another device is to the user’s needs or preferences. 

Also, as explained by Edgar Figueroa, the President of the Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi Aware is remarkably power efficient. Figueroa even claims that Wi-Fi Aware is even more power efficient compared to traditional Wi-Fi technology. 

What does this mean for mobile users? For starters, Wi-Fi Aware will have no problems working in a crowded setting, such as a sports stadium or a Taylor Swift concert. Users often complain about problems with taking calls or sending text messages in places and events that draw a huge number of people. But with Wi-Fi Aware, the signals remain as strong as ever. 

Is Wi-Fi Aware the future of mobile? It it hard to tell at this point. But Figueroa boldly says that we can expect social media giants like Facebook or Twitter to deploy applications that can support Wi-Fi Aware in the next few months.