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UPEK Simplifies Protection, Personalization and Navigation for Mobile and Wireless Applications

Posted on: Sunday, 12 February 2006, 15:00 CST

UPEK, Inc., the leading brand of biometric security solutions, today announced at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona the introduction of UPEK's mobile solution providing one-touch, simplified protection, personalization and navigation for mobile and wireless applications. UPEK's mobile solution leverages the company's award-winning TouchStrip(TM) fingerprint authentication technology and integration services that currently are being used by some of the world's largest notebook PC and portable storage manufacturers, making access to personal content more convenient and secure. In addition to simplifying next-generation mobile applications such as m-commerce and digital rights management, UPEK's mobile solution provides a highly intuitive, natural method of accessing shortcuts, playing games and navigating menus on mobile devices.

UPEK has partnered with Freescale Semiconductor to enable smart software applications that leverage UPEK's mobile solution and Freescale's i.MX21 multimedia applications processor. The high performance, low power i.MX21 processor, combined with the secure and easy-to-use UPEK mobile solution, offers a platform for developers to create personalized software applications that increase average revenue per user (ARPU) and improve customer loyalty for service operators. UPEK's mobile solution will be showcased with Freescale's i.MX21 processor for the first time at the 2006 3GSM World Congress February 13-16 in Barcelona, Spain at Fira de Barcelona, Booth J97.

The UPEK booth at 3GSM will also showcase wireless applications that let users demonstrate for themselves next-generation interactive experiences, such as playing a golf game by swinging their club with the touch of a finger, navigating menus seamlessly for easy access to digital content, and purchasing an airplane ticket with one simple and secure finger swipe.

"UPEK's mobile solution opens the doors for a wide range of applications that will excite all players of the mobile ecosystem: consumers, network operators, application developers, and device manufacturers," stated Gerry Purdy, Principal Analyst, MobileTrax LLC. "More sensitive enterprise data is accessed daily by smart phones and PDAs, and vast libraries of personal content are stored on portable media players and gaming devices. There is a growing need to grant consumers easier access to their devices while more vigilantly denying others unauthorized access. UPEK's mobile solution leverages biometric technology to literally and figuratively connect users to their mobile devices."

The same UPEK TouchStrip fingerprint authentication technology that has been broadly adopted and deployed by top laptop PC manufacturers, portable storage vendors, system integrators and government agencies is now available on the most popular mobile platforms and operating systems, including Freescale's i.MX application processors, Texas Instruments' OMAP(TM) platforms, Symbian OS(TM), Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Mobile, MontaVista(R) Linux(R) and more.

"Privacy and content security are of utmost concern to our OEMs offering products for point of sale, electronic commerce and other sensitive applications where user authentication is paramount," stated Brandon Tolany, global operations manager, multimedia applications division, Freescale. "UPEK's mobile solution paired with Freescale's i.MX21 brings the same level of robust security to the mobile device world that UPEK is currently delivering to laptops and other portable storage devices."

UPEK's mobile solution provides a simple, natural interface to enable:

-- Application shortcuts -- allows quick launch of favorite applications and speed-dialing with the swipe of a finger

-- 3-D gaming -- enables touch-based interaction with gaming applications

-- Intuitive navigation -- minimizes keystrokes to navigate menus and access applications

-- Protection of personal data and content downloads -- prevents unauthorized users from listening to your MP3 collection, reading emails, and viewing contacts or photos

-- Privacy -- ensures only you can access the data and content on your device

-- Mobile wallet and transactions -- counters the threat of identity theft

-- Security -- protects enterprise data accessed or downloaded to mobile devices

-- Identity authentication -- authenticates you for remote access to enterprise servers and applications

-- Password replacement -- allows you to access your mobile device and any password-protected application with the swipe of a finger

"Our partnership with Freescale will help us enable a new generation of applications designed to provide convenience, personalization and protection of the wireless experience," stated Greg Goelz, VP marketing at UPEK, Inc. "Ultimately we are simplifying your life, or as we like to say 'putting the world at your fingertips.'"

About Freescale i.MX21 multimedia applications processor

The i.MX21 multimedia applications processor builds on Freescale's heritage of delivering low-power, high-performance solutions to mobile device manufacturers. It is a member of the widely used i.MX family and is ideal for an array of wireless and mobile devices including video and audio media players, 3D gaming consoles, GPS systems, smartphones, video and voice IP phones, PDAs, and ultra portable handheld computers. i.MX processors feature an extensive suite of software including Microsoft(R) Windows(R) CE and PocketPC(R), Symbian OS(TM), Linux(R) OS and many leading RTOSes and reference designs to greatly accelerate the creation of next-generation mobile communication and entertainment products.

About UPEK

UPEK, Inc., the global leader in biometric fingerprint security solutions, offers integrated end-to-end solutions including comprehensive design & integration services to the world's leading consumer and industrial products companies. UPEK solutions enable the strongest fingerprint authentication security available, packaged for high user convenience and rapid integration into existing products and network architectures.

UPEK biometric security products enable a wide range of applications including password replacement for PCs and applications, centralized management for corporate network security, secure mobile transactions, protection of portable data, identity verification for government and military applications, and physical access control. Visit www.upek.com for more info.

UPEK, the UPEK logo, and TouchStrip are the registered trademarks or trademarks of UPEK, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Business Wire

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