Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Aware™ enhances the Wi-Fi® mobile experience

AUSTIN, Texas, April 24, 2018 -- New enhancements to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Aware™ from Wi-Fi Alliance^® enable more opportunities for personalized social, local, and mobile experiences. In addition to discovering other devices, applications, and information nearby before making a Wi-Fi^® connection, Wi-Fi Aware™ introduces direct data transfer and distance measurement capabilities without requiring Wi-Fi infrastructure. Wi-Fi Aware provides a robust solution for delivering contextual awareness of a user’s environment, even when highly dynamic, and providing efficient connectivity to deliver on an enhanced mobility experience.

New capabilities in Wi-Fi Aware provide the means to establish a peer-to-peer data connection upon successful discovery of other devices, enabling users to send files – including directions, photos, and personalized information – directly through Wi-Fi Aware without requiring an access point. Wi-Fi Aware’s data path operates at typical Wi-Fi ranges and data rates, and leverages WPA2™ security to create secure links within Wi-Fi Aware connections. While utilizing Wi-Fi Aware-specific data transfer mechanisms, users can maintain connectivity to their current Wi-Fi infrastructure network. Wi-Fi Aware also provides accurate peer-to-peer ranging, which can determine other supported devices within a specified range of the user, or can be used as part of the application itself. Ranging capabilities include geofencing, allowing applications to automatically trigger a data connection when a certain range condition is met. Wi-Fi Aware leverages energy-efficient mechanisms to continually find and deliver information and services defined by the user.

“Wi-Fi Aware delivers a high level of contextual awareness by providing users with greater understanding of nearby data and services,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance. “Mobility is at the heart of the Wi-Fi user experience, and Wi-Fi Aware's rich capabilities and personalized interactions deliver immediate, dynamic awareness of the user's surroundings and a direct method to deliver on that information.”

Wi-Fi Aware scales to accommodate many users, and works well in demanding environments, underground, and in areas where Wi-Fi infrastructure is unavailable. Mobile operators can leverage Wi-Fi Aware capabilities to offer services that rely on proximity including social networking, gaming, and wearable connectivity. Retailers can use Wi-Fi Aware to deliver relevant content, personalized recommendations, and special offers directly to customers based on user-defined preferences. Wi-Fi Aware enables users to opt-in to these services, and to take prompt action once they discover relevant information.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Aware devices which form the test suite for the certification program are:

• Broadcom BCM4361 11ac STA Reference Design
• Intel^® Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
• Marvell 802.11ac Wave2 Wi-Fi Test Bed Evaluation Kit
• Qualcomm^® mobile Wi-Fi AC2 chipset 

Native support of Wi-Fi Aware is now available with the Android Oreo operating system (OS). As additional native OS support emerges, Wi-Fi Aware will alleviate complexity for application developers by providing a standardized approach to create new and exciting experiences.

For additional resources, and to experience a range of Wi-Fi Aware use cases through our video animation, please visit www.wi-fi.org/wi-fi-aware.

About Wi-Fi Alliance^®                                                                                                                                                                                             
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance^® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi^®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 40,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.

Media contacts:
Stephanie Burke
Highwire PR for Wi-Fi Alliance
[email protected]
+1-646-838-1190 ext. 48