Microsoft has a lot of faith in NEXT Biometrics, it seems. In a recent presentation covering secure authentication, Microsoft managers reportedly pointed only to NEXT and one other company as major leaders in the global fingerprint sensor market.
The kudos is a reflection of the faith that Microsoft has in NEXT, evident in their recent business dealings. In October, Microsoft certified NEXT for integration of its biometric technology into the former’s products, and the companies announced plans to bring NEXT drivers into Windows 7 and 8.1. And for Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows 10 OS, that partnership has deepened. Microsoft announced that the OS would adhere to FIDO 2.0 specifications, and as a part of that effort Windows 10 will also make use of NEXT sensor drivers.
It’s a partnership that could have major payoffs for NEXT, in addition to the obvious security benefits for Microsoft products. Specializing in low-cost fingerprint sensors, NEXT has benefited from the smartphone market’s growing appetite for biometric security, and as the company seeks to transition from a year that saw major costs in R&D, the Microsoft connection could open a lot of doors for integrations going forward; the same goes for Microsoft’s obvious enthusiasm for NEXT technology.
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May 11, 2015 – by Alex Perala
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