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PowerKiss joins Power Matters Alliance, plans to expand wireless charging standard in Europe

zach honig
Updated ·4 min read
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Now might be the time to familiarize yourself with the Power Matters Alliance (PMA). The industry's most recognizable standard, Qi, is facing serious competition from the PMA, which has garnered support from Duracell Powermat, AT&T, smartphone manufacturers such as BlackBerry and ZTE, and even Starbucks shops, which have begun rolling out its wireless charging tech in certain outlets. Beginning soon, you may be able to charge your compatible smartphone at European McDonald's restaurants, too -- the food service giant's support comes courtesy of Helsinki-based PowerKiss, which is now ditching Qi in favor of the PMA. The move is arguably the Alliance's most significant to date, and it could bring confidence to organizations currently considering their own strategies.

It's unfortunate for consumers who may have recently invested in Qi, however -- popular wireless charging spots in major European train stations, for example, will be swapping out their infrastructure to support PMA. According to PowerKiss founder Maija Itkonen, the decision was based on the standard's new technology that enables individual charging sites to monitor usage trends and control consumption, along with significant support from companies throughout the industry. We've even heard speculation that Apple may soon announce support for the PMA standard, though we remain skeptical. Regardless, this is a major blow to Qi, though it could be a significant step forward for consumers -- that $99 Powermat charging set might seem a more-reasonable acquisition now.

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PowerKiss Aligns with the Power Matters Alliance

Helsinki, Finland -- March 13, 2013: PowerKiss, a pioneer and leader in the field of wireless power, is joining the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) - the world leading ecosystem for wireless power - in order to ensure consumers enjoy a uniform wireless power experience in all the venues they visit throughout their day. Global leaders - including AT&T, Starbucks, Otterbox, IDT, TI, ZTE, and many others – have also joined PMA in recent months.

"Consumers don't need a standards war for wireless power – they need a dependable and uniform experience," said Mats Wolontis, CEO, PowerKiss. "We believe that the PMA is well placed to benefit consumers worldwide. PowerKiss' many years of experience in offering wireless charging in public spaces is a critical asset in the roll-out of such an ecosystem."

PowerKiss recently announced that it will deploy wireless power in select McDonald's restaurants in Europe. PowerKiss currently provides over 1,000 wireless charging spots at locations across Europe, including at leading train-stations such as London's Paddington and Paris' Gare de Lyon stations, and at dozens of airports including in Barcelona, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Liverpool, Lyon, Malaga, Manchester, Newcastle, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm and Tenerife. The company plans to upgrade its existing and future installations to PMA compliance.

"Our decision to become PMA members was based on several factors," said Maija Itkonen, CMO and Founder of PowerKiss. "The PMA system has a unique layer of 'Telco Grade' intelligence that allows venues to monitor the health, usage and policies of all their charging spots. Secondly, we believe the PMA now enjoys the momentum and the necessary investment from major industry players to bring wireless power to life for consumers. This makes PMA a natural choice for PowerKiss. Finally, PMA offers a trusted and truly open framework that everyone can feel comfortable adopting."

"I want to welcome PowerKiss to the PMA" said Ron Resnick, Executive Director of the PMA. "PMA was founded to unite the wireless power industry behind a common ecosystem and standard. It is gratifying to see this coming to fruition. Consumers deserve to know that a device that can be charged at Madison Square Garden will also charge at their local coffee shop, airport or salon. At first approximation PMA is used in 100% of all wireless charging spots in the Americas – and with the support of PowerKiss, PMA is now on track to reproduce this success across Europe as well."

About PowerKiss Ltd.
PowerKiss Ltd provides integrated wireless charging solutions, which aim to release people from the inconvenience of charging cables, power sockets and empty batteries. PowerKiss is found in cafés, restaurants, hotels and airports around the world and has become a forefront player in the rapidly growing wireless charging industry. The company is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Please find out more at www.powerkiss.com.

About the Power Matters Alliance PMA was founded by Powermat Technologies and Procter & Gamble in 2012. Google's Vint Cerf – one of the fathers of the Internet – is its Honorary Chairman, and its board includes AT&T, Duracell, Starbucks and the US Government's Energy Star and Federal Communications Commission (both non-voting). A wide array of PMA-compliant products are available at leading retailers, and compatible 'wireless charging spots' have been installed at leading airports, stadiums, restaurants, gyms and hair salons. Membership of the PMA is open to all, and its technical specifications are available to all members at www.powermatters.org.