Intel, WiTricity Sign Wireless Charging Deal - Analyst Blog

Intel Corporation INTC recently inked a licensing deal with WiTricity Corp., a wireless power transfer company, to make efficient, high performance wireless charging solutions in an effort to do away with plugs and cables. Neither party was available for comment.

The latest move follows Intel's recent announcement of designing a cable-free laptop by 2016. As a part of the alliance, Intel can integrate Witrcity's patented resonance-based charging technology into laptops, tablets and other Intel-powered devices, which will make it possible to wirelessly charge devices.

With the growth in the number of devices per person (tablet, smartphone, wearables), Intel anticipates a growing demand for the elimination of cables and plugs. This would be possible only if devices could be charged wirelessly. So Intel is working to make this a reality as part of its next-generation Skylake platform.

Intel's Skylake microarchitecture will follow the current generation Broadwell and will be based on its 14nm process technology. This could help it expand share at hardware partners like Apple AAPL, which has expressed interest in magnetic resonance charging in the past.

WiTricity Corporation, a Watertown-based company founded in 2007, creates devices for wireless energy transmission using magnetic resonance. It offers end-to-end technology transfer for companies integrating its technology into their products. Industries such as consumer electronics, automotive, medical devices and defense are included in its list of global licensees.

Both Intel and WiTricity are members of the organization Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), which has developed the Rezence specification that uses magnetic resonance for short-distance wireless charging. A4WP also includes other leading chipmakers, mobile device makers and other technology companies.

Intel is applying a number of strategies to increase its foothold in mobile, wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT) markets. The company has announced 130 design wins for Android and Windows-based tablets that will launch this year. This will help to reduce its dependence on the PC market, which is at present suffering from declining sales worldwide. These are emerging areas within the technology space where companies like Cisco, Google (GOOGL), Apple and Facebook FB among others are trying to build a position.

Currently, Intel holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).