Technology Reseller - v10

01732 759725 24 WIRELESS Chargifi secures new investment to fund global expansion LiFi on trial markets and builds on recent partnerships with MSPs, including ITI Network Services and DTP Group. Following its investment in the company, HPE will be taking Chargifi’s wireless power to enterprise customers worldwide as part of its connectivity solutions portfolio. Chargifi has built and patented an Internet of Things (IoT) cloud management platform that enables global brands, such as Grand Hyatt and Pret a Manger, to deploy (and make money from) wireless charging as a customer service. In addition to wireless charging of smartphones, Chargifi’s IP extends to the powering of electric vehicles and drones. To meet growing demand from businesses for enterprise-grade wireless power, the company has established a number of strategic partnerships with managed service providers and systems integrators globally, most recently with Losant, an IoT platform that brings together a variety of options to address client HD quality videos and conduct video calls, without compromising lighting quality. Olivia Qiu, Chief Innovation Officer at Philips Lighting, said: “While radio frequencies are becoming congested, the visible light spectrum is an untapped resource with a large bandwidth suitable for the stable, simultaneous connection of a vast array of Internet of Things devices.” Philips Lighting’s LiFi luminaires are technology needs. Dan Bladen, Co-founder and CEO of Chargifi, said: “At Chargifi we believe that the world is going electric and electric is going wireless – this is a monumental shift.  As a society, we have never been more reliant upon power for our phones and vehicles than we are today. This year you will be able to charge your new car wirelessly, by pulling it up over a wireless charging area. In the future, drones will land on buildings and charge wirelessly before taking off again.” He added: “Chargifi is doing for power what WiFi did for connectivity: cutting the final cord and helping people get power when and where they need it. From phones to drones, Chargifi is building the foundational software platform that will enable this global evolution. In just a few short years from now Wireless Power will be as ubiquitous as WiFi.” Global Marketing Insights expects the wireless charging market to be worth $25 billion by 2023. being piloted in the smart office of French real estate investment company Icade in La Defense, Paris. In a separate announcement, Philips Lighting says it plans to change its name to Signify to reflect lighting’s evolution into an ‘intelligent language’ that connects and conveys meaning. Under the existing licensing agreement with Royal Philips, it will continue to use the Philips brand for its products. How LiFi works Each luminaire is equipped with a built- in modem that modulates the light at speeds imperceptible to the human eye but detectable by a LiFi USB key/dongle plugged into the socket of a laptop or tablet (in the future they will be built into devices). The LiFi USB dongle returns data to the luminaire through an infrared link. With seamless hand-over between light points, users won’t lose connectivity as they move around a large office. Wireless power specialist Chargifi has secured an additional £5m of funding from backers including Accelerated Digital Ventures (ADV), firstminute capital and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). The investment will enable Chargifi to accelerate sales and marketing and international growth across US and Asian Philips Lighting has added LiFi-enabled luminaires to its energy-efficient LED office lighting portfolio. LiFi is a two-way, high-speed wireless technology, similar to WiFi, that uses light waves instead of radio waves to transmit data. LiFi can be used to provide broadband in places where WiFi signals may interfere with equipment, such as in hospitals; where WiFi signals are weak or non- existent e.g. underground; or where security is a priority, as line-of-sight is needed to access the network and light can’t seep through walls. Philips Lighting’s LED luminaires enabled with LiFi technology provide a broadband internet connection with a speed of 30 Mb per second (Mb/s), enough to simultaneously stream several Wireless charging expert says that in a few years wireless power will be as ubiquitous as WiFi LiFi-enabled luminaires that provide energy- efficient office lighting and broadband internet connection via light waves are being trialled in the Paris offices of French real estate investment company Icade Modemmodulating the LED light is integrated in the luminaire How LiFi from Philips Lighting works Luminairehas tobe connected toEthernet USBaccess keysends backdata through the infraredemitter When the light ison, LED starts to transmit data to the LiFiUSB accesskey/dongle Dan Bladen