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Intel joins Alliance for Wireless Power's Board of Directors

The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), a consortium working to establish a new wireless charging standard, hasn't been around for terribly long -- Samsung and Qualcomm joined forces to create the organization just over a year ago -- but it's planning to make waves as quickly as possible. One of the most effective ways to do exactly that, then, would be to persuade large players in the mobile industry to join along, and Intel certainly meets that qualification. The company announced this afternoon that it has officially joined the A4WP's Board of Directors. This move doesn't guarantee that we'll be soon seeing Intel-powered devices with built-in wireless charging capabilities, but it's at least a solid indication that the folks in Santa Clara are mindful of (and intrigued by) the potential that near-field magnetic resonance tech holds.

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Intel Joins Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) Board of Directors

Takes Active Role by Supporting Technical Specifications and Standards that Help to Fuel
an Ecosystem of Innovative, Interoperable Charging Solutions

FREMONT, Calif., June 19, 2013 – The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) today announced that Intel has joined the A4WP with a board of directors seat. Intel joins existing A4WP board member companies including Broadcom, Gill Industries, Integrated Device Technology (IDT), Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

"We welcome Intel's contribution and collaboration to create and deliver new capabilities enabled by the next-generation wireless power transfer (WPT) technology based on the A4WP technical and interoperability specifications," said Dr. Kamil A. Grajski, A4WP president and board chair.

A4WP technology, which uses near-field magnetic resonance technology, is uniquely capable of enabling the simultaneous charging of multiple devices and the flexible positioning of devices to be charged in multiple dimensions and at power levels and charging times that meet consumer expectations.

"Intel believes the A4WP specification, particularly the use of near-field magnetic resonance technology, can provide a compelling consumer experience and enable new usage models that make device charging almost automatic," said Navin Shenoy, vice president, PC client group and general manager, mobile client platform division at Intel. "In joining A4WP, we look forward to working alongside other member companies and contributing to standards that help fuel an ecosystem of innovative solutions capable of simultaneously charging a range of devices, from low-power accessories to smartphones, tablets and Ultrabooks."

The A4WP is an independent standards organization composed of more than 40 global, technology industry leaders. A4WP's technical specification benefits both industry and consumers alike. Specifically, the A4WP specification leverages broadly adopted wireless technologies (e.g. Bluetooth Low Energy), which simplifies development and manufacturing. For industrial designers, the A4WP specification utilizes a near-field magnetic resonance technology that provides increased flexibility for charging solutions to be installed into all types of products and surfaces (cars, furniture, etc.). Finally, for consumers, the A4WP specification supports simultaneous charging of multiple devices with widely differing power requirements and it delivers "spatial freedom," which lets consumers "drop & go" multiple devices onto a charging surface - without having to hassle with accurate positioning or alignment.