The wireless charging space is undergoing some consolidation today with an announcement that The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and Power Matters Alliance (PMA) have signed an agreement aimed at establishing global interoperability of the two standards. 

The PMA focuses on inductive wireless charging technology with pilot programs active in Starbucks and McDonald’s stores. The PMA has also developed an Open Network API capable of transforming individual charging spots into a smart, manageable, global wireless power network. 

Meanwhile, A4WP, which focuses on standards for resonant wireless charging, has developed magnetic resonance technical specification and is supported by a global product certification program under the Rezence brand.

The agreement between the PMA and the A4WP includes the PMA adopting the A4WP Rezence specification as the PMA magnetic resonance charging specification for both transmitters and receivers in both single and multi-mode configurations. The A4WP will adopt the PMA inductive specification as a supported option for multi-mode inductive, magnetic resonance implementations. 

“This announcement delivers a compelling message for the industry to commit and deliver wireless charging devices now,” said Kamil Grajski, President of A4WP. “A4WP and PMA membership consists of the key players necessary to drive industry consolidation and establish a commercially viable globally interoperable wireless charging ecosystem.” 

The PMA and A4WP go up against the Wireles Power Consortium (WPC), which currently boasts “tens of millions” of Qi wireless chargers deployed primarily in home and office settings.