San Francisco, CA
Apple just dealt a major blow to its biggest iPad and iPhone competitor yet. Apple acquired AuthenTec Inc. recently for an estimated $350 million. Samsung, which owns the biggest share of the smartphone market, said last week that AuthenTec's security would be integrated in its devices. Now that Apple has acquired AuthenTec, it's most likely that Samsung will not continue to pursue the use of AuthenTec in its devices.
According to the New York Times, William Blair and Co. analyst Anil Doraldla:
"Mobile devices are becoming more Internet and data centric, which means they are no different in some ways than a PC, which exposes them to risks related to security. By acquiring this company, Apple is basically going after the security portfolio."
AuthenTec is known for its encryption and fingerprint authentication security. Apple aims to prevent malware and viruses from penetrating its devices. It wants to keep its consumers, especially businessmen, safe from software threats since Apple will soon introduce mobile payment services. In the near future, instead of signing off to confirm a purchase, customers will just need to have their fingerprint scanned.
Voltage Security Inc. president and CEO Sathvik Krishnamurthy said via Bloomberg News: "Authentication is a giant padlock or dead bolt on the front door of an iPhone and iPad. It's a natural addition."
AuthenTec is just one of the twelve purchases Apple has made the past five years. Some of companies it has acquired includes: Anobit Technologies Ltd., a company that produces iPhone and iPad flash memory drives; Chomp Inc., a search engine designed to discover iPhone and iPad applications; and Nortel Networks Corp., a telecommunications equipment manufacturer.
- Apple and Google Set to Bid for Kodak Patents
- Facebook's Zuckerberg 3 Billion Dollars Lighter in the Pocket
- Facebook and HTC Developing Smartphone
- Apple Looks into Investing in Twitter
- Apple Buys AuthenTec; Purchase is Major Blow to Samsung
- Apple Wins Injunction Against Samsung in Germany
- Apple iPads Dominate Almost 70% of Tablet Market
- Nokia Reports Net Loss of Billions
- Pennsylvania Hospitals Finding Patients on Google and Facebook
- Google Purges Outdated and Redundant Services
- How Much Does Google Stand to Profit From its Nexus 7 Tablet?
- Apple Cooks up DIY iOS Apps
- Clearing the Online App Store Submission Hurdle
- How to Design a Retail App
- Tune It Up: Developing Music Apps
- Nice Gesture, But What Does It Mean
- The Surprising Health Benefits of Texting
- Big Cable's Plan to Lock Down Your Future
- Ready for HTML5
- FDA Seeks to Tame Exploding Medical App Market
- Building a Productivity App
- App Developer Competitions: Worth It?
- Google Announces Nexus 7 Tablet PC
- Microsoft Unveils New Surface Tablet
- Tribute to the TV Remote Control
- The Internet Enhances Beer Muscles
Copyright © 2012 AHN - All Rights Reserved