Michal Marek AuthenTec is a company that deals with security technologies based on fingerprint scanning. Representatives of this company said at the end of last month that AuthenTec was bought by Apple. This step understandably causes new waves of speculation about the further intentions of the Cupertino engineers. Will we unlock our devices with our fingerprint? When will this kind of security come and what Apple products will it affect?
Apple reportedly expressed interest in AuthenTec's technology in late 2011. By February 2012, serious courtship had already begun. At first, there was more talk of possible licensing of individual technologies, but gradually at the meetings of the two companies there was more and more talk of buying out the entire company. The situation changed several times, but after submitting several offers, AuthenTec actually went ahead with the acquisition. On May 1, Apple offered $7 per share, on May 8 AuthenTec asked for $9. After long negotiations between AuthenTec, Apple, Alston & Bird and Piper Jaffray, an agreement was concluded on the evening of July 26. Apple will pay $8 per share. The company is well-funded, but the total value of the deal is $356 million and is one of Apple's largest mergers in its 36-year history.
Apparently, Apple's sales representatives rushed the whole acquisition thing. They wanted to get to AuthenTec technologies as quickly as possible and at almost any price. It is speculated that fingerprint access could already be brought to the new iPhone and iPad mini, due to be introduced on September 12. This technology is said to play an important security role in the Passbook application, which will be part of iOS 6. Thanks to this new application, contactless payments using the chip should also take place. According to experts, it should not be a problem to incorporate a fingerprint sensor with a thickness of 1,3 mm into the Home button.
Having a sensor on an iPad, for example, and switching user accounts just by holding it in my hand... That would be great. Or tapping your thumb on your iPhone instead of typing your iTunes password. So be it :)
Themanwho: my talk ;)