Wireless Power Consortium Debuts New Lower Cost Membership Class for Small Businesses

PISCATAWAY, N.J., Aug. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) today announced the debut of a new membership class for small businesses, Small Business Associate. The new membership class makes it easier for companies with annual revenues less than $10 million to develop products with Qi, the world's most widely-adopted wireless charging standard.

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"As an early stage company focused on driving new business models and innovative products to market, the new Small Business Associate level of membership is a substantial benefit," said Soren Nielsen, Founder & CEO of Devant Technologies, which joined under the new membership class. "It allows us and other fast-growing companies to focus critical resources on product development and deployment, which will bring more fresh ideas and resources to support the growth of Qi wireless charging."

The Small Business Associate membership is open to any company with annual revenues of less than $10 million and allows for a reduced fee of $2,000 for the first 12 months of membership.  After 12 months, the Small Business Associate will automatically become a normal Associate member and pay standard membership fees.

"No other wireless charging solution can match Qi's vibrant ecosystem of products," said WPC Chairman Menno Treffers. "We want to make it easier for companies like Devant Technologies, who are focused on truly disruptive innovation, to become part of that ecosystem and ultimately provide consumers with more choice in products that offer a superior user experience."

Based in San Diego, California, Devant Technologies is developing a breakthrough Qi-compatible wireless charging system that will be integrated in out-of-home locations such as nightclubs, cafes, restaurants, and more. Its products, expected to launch in 2013, will make it easy to charge on the go, and provide opportunities for extended relationships between Devant's partners and their customers.  Other future Devant products will be deployed by the company in support of disaster relief and other cause oriented events.  The company's innovative solutions already caught the attention of leading consumer technology and telecom companies, who are partnering with Devant to bring its products to market in public places.

Devant's products will be fully compatible with the growing ecosystem of over 200 mobile phones and accessories like the Google Nexus 7 tablet and smartphones including the Motorola Droid Razr MAXX, Samsung Galaxy S4, Nokia Lumia 1020, and Google Nexus 4. Qi devices are sold by mobile carriers worldwide including AT&T, China Mobile, NTT DoCoMo, O2, Sprint, Telefonica, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Qi is backed by more than 150 leading companies of the WPC including: Blackberry, ConvenientPower, Energizer, HTC Corporation, Royal Philips, LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility Inc., Nokia Corporation, Panasonic, PowerbyProxi, Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation, Texas Instruments, Toshiba Corporation, and Verizon Wireless.

For more information, visit: www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com

For hands-on reviews of Qi, visit: www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com/blog/48/hands-on-with-qi

About Devant Technologies

Devant Technologies, Inc. is based in San Diego, California.  Devant Technologies develops and deploys elegantly designed and integrated technology solutions benefiting smartphone consumers, businesses and communities, ultimately contributing to smartphone utility and delight.  Our partners span the continents, and are gearing to bring Devant products and extended ecosystem to the United States and beyond during the second half of 2013.

About Qi and the Wireless Power Consortium

In December 2008 a group of leading consumer electronics companies created the Wireless Power Consortium to establish Qi as the interoperable global standard for wireless power. The more than 150 members of the WPC include Blackberry, ConvenientPower, Energizer, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Royal Philips, Samsung, Sony, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, Verizon Wireless, and infrastructure providers such as wireless operators, furniture, and automotive parts companies. As the leading wireless charging standard worldwide, Qi has brought more than 200 new wireless charging products to market. Qi products are available in North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, India, Africa, and Australia.

SOURCE Wireless Power Consortium