Following years of collaborative development, the Wi-Fi Alliance has released Wi-Fi Aware, a sort of always-on mechanism for device-to-device discovery that doesn’t requires a GPS, cellular or hot spot connection.
The Wi-Fi Alliance, founded in 1999, is a global nonprofit dedicated to furthering Wi-Fi technology and attendant applications. Member companies include Apple, Cisco, Comcast, Samsung, Qualcomm, Microsoft and many other players both large and small.
According to a Wi-Fi Alliance announcement, Wi-Fi Aware provides a “real-time and energy-efficient discovery mechanism that provides an immediate on-ramp to rich here-and-now experiences. Wi-Fi Aware will make it easy to find information and services available in an area that match preferences set by the user – and is optimized to work well even in crowded environments.”
Potential use cases would be a gamer using Wi-Fi Aware to find a nearby online competitor, a friend to share a video with, or even access location-specific information like interior maps or tourist information.
In addition to continuous discovery, Wi-Fi Aware works across device brands to share data bidirectionally and users can opt-in or out of identity disclosure through the app interface.
“Wi-Fi Aware exemplifies the continued innovation in our industry and our commitment to a terrific Wi-Fi user experience,” Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, said. “Wi-Fi Aware makes that user experience even richer by delivering immediate, dynamic awareness of the user’s environment.”
“The future of mobile applications is being driven by a more location-based, context-aware and personalized approach,” Rich Karpinski, principal analyst at 451 Research, said. “Wi-Fi Aware has the potential to put Wi-Fi at the forefront of those experiences, enabling social and local applications to come to life because users discover what’s nearby in real time, accessing the experiences they want – when and where they want them.”
In a lighter appraisal, Farpoint Group analyst Craig Mathias told PC World, “This could have enormous applications in singles bars on Friday night.”
