The New WiFi Aware Technology Allows Products to Discover and Communicate Directly with Nearby Devices

Wi-Fi Alliance, non-profit organization that promotes Wi-Fi technology and certifies Wi-Fi products, has now announced that it is ready to release a new technology, called Wi-Fi Aware. This is the result of three years of joint research and development by the world’s largest tech companies, such as Apple, Microsoft, Intel and others.

The new technology will allow Wi-Fi-enabled products to discover and communicate directly with nearby devices, app or information, without having to rely on cellular data or an Internet connection. This is important news for the evolution of the Internet of Things industry as it will ‘ enable a new wave of social, local, and mobile experiences.’
Wi-Fi Aware will allow for applications to continuously scan surroundings, anticipate actions, and notify of services and selected preferences.E dgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, said the following:
Wi-Fi Aware exemplifies the continued innovation in our industry and our commitment to a terrific Wi-Fi user experience. Wi-Fi Aware makes that user experience even richer by delivering immediate, dynamic awareness of the user’s environment.
This new technology could work as some sort of indoor GPS as long as your devices are within the Wi-Fi range. So, for example you could get a proximity notification when you are walking through a crowded mall and some of your friends are nearby, as well. Wi-Fi Aware was designed to function well in crowded environments and indoors. Rich Karpinski, principal analyst at 451 Research, said that users are embracing context-aware applications, adding the following:


 The future of mobile applications is being driven by a more location-based, context-aware, and personalized approach. 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.
As you can see from the video from below, WiFi aware would allow mobile users who are visiting a museum to receive information about exhibits on their devices when they are within range of a certain location; subway passengers could get alerts about people nearby who could challenge them to a mobile game and other situations.