AuthenTec To Reportedly Give Non-Apple Customers The Boot Next Year
Earlier this year, we found out that Apple had purchased AuthenTec, a company that provides fingerprint scanning technology to many other companies around the world. At the time, it wasn't clear what Apple was planning to do with AuthenTec, and while its intentions are still unknown for the most part, it seems that Apple isn't willing to let others in on AuthenTec's products. A report from Korean site ETNews claims that AuthenTec will cut off all non-Apple customers sometime next year, which could spell trouble for some of AuthenTec's biggest customers.
That group includes companies like Samsung, HP, Lenovo, and Dell. Apparently, these companies are in panic mode after finding out that AuthenTec will pull the plug on their service in 2013, and it's easy to see why. After all, it's not hard to imagine why Apple wanted AuthenTec – it's one of the best when it comes to fingerprint scanning tech, so you can bet that the company's services will be sorely missed when it begins making products exclusively for Apple next year.
Keep in mind that this is only a rumor at this point, but it wouldn't surprise us in the least to hear that Apple wants AuthenTec all to itself. Using AuthenTec's technology to make iDevices and Macs more secure seemed like a no-brainer from the moment the deal was announced, and having devices that are secured by a user's fingerprint would do a lot to make Apple's products stand out from the competition. Hearing that, there isn't any question why Apple isn't willing to let other companies take advantage of AuthenTec's products and services.
There's no specific cut off date for AuthenTec's other customers mentioned, but with that vague 2013 date, it seems that Apple will want to cut out the competition ahead of the release of the next iPhone. Perhaps the iPhone 6 (or whatever it's called) will be secured by fingerprints? Nothing is sure at the moment, but we're expecting to find out more about Apple's plans for AuthenTec soon. Stay tuned.
[via Electronista]