[The Wireless Power Consortium announces new members, spokeswoman says, "What USB is for wired connectivity, Qi will become for wireless power." ]

San Francisco -- The Wireless Power Consortium (the Consortium) announced today the addition of seven new members, including Research In Motion (RIM), a leader in wireless communications with its award-winning range of BlackBerry® smartphones, and Energizer, one of the world's largest manufacturers of primary batteries, battery-powered devices and flashlights. The Consortium also announced the successful completion of the second round of prototype testing at a members' interoperability test held on 27-28 October.

Membership of the Consortium now stands at 21 leading device and electronics manufacturers. In addition to RIM and Energizer, the other new members are: case-mate, a leading digital accessories company; Continental Automotive, a leading global automotive supplier; Hanrim Postech, a leading Korean-based battery manufacturer; Logah Technology, a Taiwan-based professional OEM/ODM manufacturer; and Rohm Semiconductor, a leading manufacturer of semiconductors for the consumer market.

"The successful completion of the second round of interoperability testing and the notification that Qi receivers will be royalty-free(1) for consumer products will make it attractive for device manufacturers to include wireless power capability in a broad range of mass market products. This also provides device manufacturers with predictability and transparency as they plan their product roadmaps," said Camille Tang, President, ConvenientPower Limited and Co-Chair, Wireless Power Consortium, Promotion Work Group.

"The Consortium expects that wireless power receivers will be integrated into a significant percentage of all battery-powered mobile devices and into the batteries themselves. What USB is for wired connectivity, Qi will become for wireless power," said Ms. Tang.

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