Wi-Fi Alliance Announces Wi-Fi Direct Protocol for Short-Range Data Transfer
Humberto SaabedraThe Wi-Fi Alliance has confirmed the forthcoming debut of a new Wi-Fi protocol for short-range ad-hoc data transfer in Wi-Fi Direct. The protocol will allow Wi-Fi devices to transfer data directly without the need for an additional access point and will first be introduced in laptops. Wi-Fi Direct will be limited in the same scope as standard Wi-Fi in terms of coverage radius, distance and data transfer limitations, with support denoted by the "Wi-Fi Certified Wi-Fi Direct" icon. Existing devices can also be updated to support the protocol via firmware update, but there is no word on any additional device support outside of the aforementioned laptop support.
