[highlight color=”eg. yellow, black”]Wi-Fi Direct[/highlight] is a novel Wi-Fi standard that allows devices to connect directly to each other at typical Wi-Fi speeds without the requirement of a wireless access point. With higher speeds of data transfer and its ability to connect devices from different manufacturers, Wi-Fi Direct is becoming quite popular everyday. What’s more, it is likely to replace the need of Bluetooth features on future devices as people prefer Wi-Fi Direct for its speed and ease of usage.

According to reliable industry sources, Samsung GT-19000 (the Galaxy S) is the first smartphone to use the new technology for device-to-device wireless communication sans any wireless access point or through the web. However, it requires one device to have Wi-Fi Direct certificate to enable wireless networking with any other Wi-Fi gadget. That means Galaxy S owners will, in theory, be able to share photos, music, video, and other files over a localized network.

 

How Wi-Fi Direct works

To understand the concept behind Wi-Fi Direct and how its architecture is different from that of the normal Wi-Fi we use, let us first consider how two devices are connected over a Wi-Fi network. In a Wi-Fi network, a Wi-Fi Router creates an access point or gateway for connectivity. Two devices which need to establish a connection between them have to go through this access point. Therefore, the Router acts as an extra but necessary appendage in the setup.

In the case of two devices connecting through Wi-Fi Direct, limited wireless access points are created on the devices, using software within those devices. Thus, the devices can act both as the access point and the client using those access points, eliminating the need of a separate access point or gateway.

 

Wi-Fi Direct technology has created another milestone

Hike launches internet free messaging app – Hike Direct

Using the same technology, messaging platform Hike on Thursday launched a new feature named Hike Direct which will allow the app to function without an Internet connection and at the same time reaching a user base of over 70 million.

“At a point of time in the country where several people are yet to come online, Hike Direct will connect users in a never before seen revolutionary way. The feature can work without Wi-Fi or mobile data and allow users to send photos, stickers, files and messages to anyone who is also on the Hike network,” said Kavin Bharti Mittal, founder and chief executive of Hike.

“Files as large as 70MB can be sent in over 10 seconds,” Mittal added.

Although the feature can work without Internet, it won’t work outside a 100-metre radius. The technology used to create the feature is same as the Wi-Fi direct technology available in most smartphones today.

Mittal said the messaging application was growing at a pace of 100 percent year-on-year. “Currently we are processing 20 billion messages monthly and people are spending at least 140 minutes on the app on a weekly basis.”

Recently, the messaging platform released a feature that would allow users free group calling on the app, connecting up to 100 people at the same time.

The Bharti SoftBank-backed messaging app has released a flurry of new features which include free stickers in local languages, data transfer option up to 100MB, and making the platform 4G ready, to expand its consumer base in the country which is over 35 million.

Bharti Softbank is a joint venture between Bharti Group and Japan’s SoftBank.