Consumers Rank Wireless Power Charging in Top 20% of Lifestyle Demands According to Market Research

HONG KONG - Wireless Power Consortium pursues universal wireless power to fulfill consumer need

Citing syndicated and proprietary international market research from sources including Ipsos Vantis, AcuPOLL(R), and Frost & Sullivan, the Wireless Power Consortium (the Consortium) continues to drive toward an interoperable wireless power standard for consumer devices requiring up to 5 Watts of power. The studies, conducted in 2007 and 2008, focused on teens, adults, and seniors from around the world and illustrate a very strong demand for a power solution that converges with the growing international wireless lifestyle.

“In the last 18 years, we have tested over 35,000 concepts at AcuPOLL, and wireless power rates in the top 20% of all the ideas we have ever presented to consumers for evaluation,” said George Brown, Vice President of Sales for AcuPOLL Research, Inc.

The groups surveyed in the research said wireless power would fulfill a real need for them, and they see this technology as an innovative, universal alternative to current options for charging their electronic devices. The research also states that more than 80% of consumers surveyed see wireless power as something they would use with virtually all of their electronic devices and they expect to use it every time they charge them.

“The market research we have studied expressed an outstanding interest in a universal wireless power solution,” said Menno Treffers, Chairman of the Wireless Power Consortium. “It is this obvious need with consumers that is driving our goal of providing the specification for low-power devices.”

Standardization Prevents Proliferation of Incompatible Wireless Charging Stations

Consumer research scores wireless battery charging as a leading new product feature in the range of feature-rich possibilities. Wireless battery charging is transcending specialized niches, including electric toothbrushes and water purification systems, to become a mainstream feature in mobile phones, remote controls, cameras, MP3 players, video recorders, PDAs, Bluetooth(TM) headsets, and other battery operated consumer products. This new development promises to eliminate the need for multiple chargers, greatly reducing the clutter in consumers’ lives and adding new levels of convenience by offering a single interoperable power source to service multiple devices.

Like the wired chargers moving toward standardization through micro-USB, the wireless power industry’s move toward standardization through the Consortium’s pursuit of a universal wireless power solution is driven by the rising consumer demand for more convenient charging solutions.

The Wireless Power Consortium

Established 17 December 2008, the Wireless Power Consortium’s mission is to create and promote wide market adoption of an international wireless low-power delivery standard for compatibility across electronics devices. The nine founding members include ConvenientPower Limited, Fulton Innovation LLC, Logitech International SA, National Semiconductor Corporation, Olympus Corporation, Philips Electronics N.V., Sanyo Co. Ltd., Shenzhen Sangfei Consumer Communications Company Limited, and Texas Instruments Incorporated.

The Wireless Power Consortium welcomes and invites all interested companies to join as members. More information can be found at wirelesspowerconsortium.com.

Source: Wireless Power Consortium

Amanda McLafferty, +1-616-855-6368, wpc at contextmg.com