The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and Power Matters Alliance (PMA) have signed an agreement aimed at enabling these wireless power standards to work with each other. PMA has previously focussed on inductive wireless charging technology, with installations in some Starbucks and McDonald’s stores, while A4WP - which uses the Rezence brand - has developed a magnetic resonance technical specification.
Each association will now adopt key aspects of the other’s technology. PMA is expected to adopt the A4WP Rezence specification, with A4WP adopting the PMA inductive specification. However, there are no suggestions that the organisations will merge.
Board members from A4WP and PMA include Broadcom, Intel, Powermat Technologies, Procter & Gamble (which owns Duracell), Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics and Starbucks.
Ron Resnick, President of the Power Matters Alliance, said “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. 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.”
Figures from IHS Technology show that 1.7 billion wireless power receivers and transmitters are expected to be shipped worldwide in 2023, up from about 25 million last year. The A4WP and PMA are two of the three major wireless charging players; the third is the Qi standard from the Wireless Power Consortium.