Merged Wireless Power Groups Now Known As AirFuel Alliance

After announcing their merger, the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and Power Matters Alliance (PMA) have revealed that they are now known as AirFuel Alliance. The combined forces of both wireless power groups have declared their commitment to keep on pushing and developing wireless power transfer technology via inductive, resonant, and other future standards in order to provide not only mobile users, but also wireless carriers, the consumer electronics industry, and even retailing companies with more efficient charging technology.

As explained by Ron Resnick, the president of the newly formed organization, AirFuel Alliance’s technology will pave the way for the swift commercialization of more wireless charging compatible devices. In a world that is increasingly becoming mobile, wireless charging technology certainly needs to keep up with the demands of consumers who use their smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, and other gadgets while on the go. After all, what use is a mobile world when one still needs to find a  power outlet in order to charge batteries.

AirFuel Alliance also announced that brands associated with the former A4WP, Rezence, and PMA, like Powermat Technologies and WiTricity, to name just a couple, will be discontinued. Moving forward, products will be carrying the AirFuel Alliance brand identity as well as its official logo, which the merged organization plans to establish as the new symbol for quick, easy, and accessible wireless charging technology.

Part of AirFuel Alliance’s overall goal is to continue to support the use of multimode systems. These are functionalities that operate with both versions of the wireless charging standard. The organization is also looking to explore new technologies outside the use of magnetics technology through the uncoupled working group. 

Ever since the organization was unified back in June earlier this year, the AirFuel Alliance has done well in completely integrating its various teams and committees to serve one purpose. Last month, the group hosted the first ever joint inductive and resonant “plugfest” in the whole world. During this plugfest, 14 companies tried out over 40 receivers and transmitters in order to properly evaluate compliance and commercial acceptance. 

To date, the AirFuel Alliance now consists of 195 member companies. These include board of directors companies like AT&T, Broadcom, Duracell, Flextronics, Gill Electronics, Integrated Device Technologies, Intel, MediaTek, ON Semiconductor, Powermat Technologies, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Semtech, Starbucks, and WiTricity. 

Despite the promise of unification and progress brought on by the formation of the AirFuel Alliance, it should be noted that there is still one other competing standard for wireless resonance charging existing. This is the Qi standard that is being currently supported by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).