A4WP and PMA Join Forces to Standardize Wireless Charging

The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) unanimously agreed to combine their standards and technologies to provide a more cohesive wireless charging experience.

Iliza Sokol

Feb. 14, 2014

2 min read

The objective of the A4WPrsquos Rezence specification is to closely match realworld charging situations while minimizing the difficulty to build compliant products Image courtesy of A4WP — The objective of the A4WP’s Rezence specification is to closely match real-world charging situations, while minimizing the difficulty to build compliant products. (Image courtesy of A4WP.)

Two leaders in wireless power recently signed an agreement to establish global interoperability and streamline next-generation wireless charging. The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) have established a path for industry consolidation. They are combining their respective standards for resonant and inductive wireless-charging technologies.

According to the agreement, PMA will adopt A4WP’s Rezence specification as the PMA magnetic-resonance charging specification for transmitters and receivers in both single- and multimode configurations. Rezence is an industry-sponsored magnetic-resonance technical specification, which is supported by a global product-certification program. In addition, A4WP will adopt PMA’s inductive specification as a supported option for multimode inductive, magnetic-resonance implementations. A4WP also will collaborate with PMA on the latter’s open-network application programming interface (API) for network services management. The API aims to merge individual charging spots into a smart, manageable, global wireless power network.

Board members from each association voted unanimously to approve the agreement in an effort to provide consumers with a seamless, easy-to-use, and convenient wireless-charging experience. Recent numbers from analysts at IHS Technology forecast that the global market for wireless power receivers and transmitters will rise to 1.7 billion unit shipments in 2023—up from about 25 million in 2013.

About the Author

Iliza Sokol

Associate Digital Editor

Iliza joined the Penton Media group in 2013 after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BS in Advertising and Marketing Communications. Prior to joining the staff, she worked at NYLON Magazine and a ghostwriting firm based in New York.