In a development that has intriguing potential for the emerging Internet of Things, the image endorsed a new technology that promises to enable data sharing among connected wireless devices without the presence of an access point.

Dubbed Wi-Fi Aware, the technology runs continuously as a background process to make it possible for devices to discover each other before connecting, even in a crowded environment. This low-bandwidth approach saves power and time, since devices don’t have to connect before sharing information.

For example, a game player could discover potential opponents who have broadcast their availability and interest to join a match, or a museum-goer could be notified of the availability of further information about an exhibit without launching an application.

Wi-Fi Aware capabilities should be available in commercial products late this year and start appearing on smart phones in 2016. The Alliance also announced a certification program for Wi-Fi Aware devices.

Existing Wi-Fi hardware will need to be upgraded to use the new feature, but that process is much simpler than outfitting thousands of embedded sensors scattered throughout a globally distributed organization with power-hungry Wi-Fi access points.

Wi-Fi Aware may also enable businesses to reduce network complexity by routing local transmissions away from a central network. Battery life is significantly improved, the Alliance said, because power is only needed when devices connect to each other.

The functionality could also serve to increase the overall reliability of communications, enabling an end-point to propagate data through other nodes in the grid if the nearest access point is down. And that’s not to mention the potential use cases in more stable office environments.

The group has already put up a draft of the official specification for sale so that manufacturers can begin implementing peer-to-peer connectivity in their devices.