NORTHBROOK, Ill., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- UL, a world leader in advancing safety science announced that their Japanese subsidiary, UL Japan, Inc. (Head office: Ise City, Mie Prefecture, referred to hereinafter as "UL Japan") has commenced a logo certification service for the wireless charging standards, "Qi". UL Japan has become Japan's first company to be certified by Wireless Power Consortium^*1 (referred to hereinafter as "WPC") as a third-party certification organization. WPC formulates the international standards for wireless charging compatibility of mobile devices and promotes dissemination of these standards. To display a Qi logo on a product, passing a qualification exam conducted by an accreditation organization is required.

"Qi" is the international standard for wireless charging by the electromagnetic induction method, and was formulated by WPC in 2010. Qi-certified products can be charged with any types of Qi-certified rechargers, irrespective of the manufacturers. Because a dedicated recharger for a specific product will not be required, consumers' convenience will be improved, and as such, demands on Qi-certified rechargers are increasing globally, especially at facilities such as airport lounges and cafes.

Since the very first Qi-certified product was released in 2010, more than 100 products have obtained the Qi logo certification (as of July 2012^*2). The wireless charging market, in conformity with the Qi standards, is expanding year after year and it is estimated that it will be a 123.9 million-US-dollar market in 2012 but will rapidly expand into a 23.7 billion-US-dollar market by 2015^*3.

Stephen Kirk, representing the VP & GM WiSE^*4 in UL Inc., said, "Many of the Japanese companies have been involved in the Qi standards since the formulation phase. UL will continue providing support to our customers to advance and expand into new markets by offering Qi logo certification services. It also provides an opportunity to continue our efforts to strengthen our services in Japan, which our company regards as one of our strategic regions."

Vice President, Managing Director of UL Japan, Hidehiko Yamajo said, "I feel honored to know that UL Japan has become the very first third-party organization to provide the Qi logo certification services in Japan. Nowadays, Qi has become widely known as the wireless charging standard, mainly for smart phones. The use of Qi may be expanded to tablet terminals, notebook PCs, gaming machines, home electronics, and furniture in the future, and is expected to become one of the key elements to generate a new lifestyle. While many Japanese manufactures focus on developing products in conformity with the Qi standards, our customers can release their new products in the domestic and international markets as soon as possible by effective use of our engineers and support."

Besides the Qi logo certification services, UL Japan provides testing and certification services for manufacturers seeking global market access and needing safety, EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility), and wireless technology approvals.

*1) Wireless Power Consortium (WPC): Industry organization which promotes the international standardization of the Qi standards
*2）Adapted from: Wireless Power Consortium "100 certified Qi products"
*3）Adapted from: IHS iSuppli, U.S.A "The wireless charging market has been growing rapidly since 2011"
*4) WiSE: an acronym for Wireless, Interoperability, Security and Electromagnetic compatibility

Five business units globally deployed by UL

- Product Safety

As a world recognized third party test certification body, UL carries out tests for acquiring various certification marks such as the UL mark, supporting customers' entry into the global market.

- UL Life & Health

We test and evaluate regulatory certifications of various countries and products for medical devices, food processing devices, vending machines, plumbing devices, and drinking water to protect people's health. 

- UL Verification Services

We provide services mainly for inspection and validation, including product performance validation such as energy efficiency, EMC/wireless evaluation tests and acquisition/authentication of licenses, interoperability, and the security field.

- UL Environment

We offer an environment display validation service and a sustainable products certification service to contribute to the improvement and diffusion of eco-friendly products.

- UL Knowledge Services

We offer useful information and solutions to customers based on our trustworthy engineering performance and global network in the field of product safety.  UL calls this effort as "UL University", offering customers various options to choose from such as open seminars or instructor led seminars.

About UL Japan

In 2003, UL Japan was founded as a Japanese corporate of UL Inc. which is a global third-party safety science organization in U.S.A. UL Japan utilizes UL's global network to offer compliance assessment services for certification marks, such as the safety and EMC certification, S mark in accordance with the Japanese Electrical Appliances and Material Safety Act, and other certification marks for the European and Chinese markets, as well as the UL mark in North America. For details, please visit our website (http://www.UL.com/jp).

About UL

UL is a premier global safety science company with more than 100 years of proven history. Employing nearly 9,000 professionals in 46 countries, UL is evolving the future of safety with five distinct business units – Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, Verification and Knowledge Services – to meet the expanding needs of customers and the global public. For more information on UL's family of companies and network of 95 laboratories, testing and certification facilities, go to UL.com.

SOURCE UL