Infoworld highlights a company called Authentec, which is looking at securing the mobile/cell phones using biometric solutions, enabling CIO to look the mobile phone as secure delivery mechanism for applicaitons.Excerpts from the article:

"Many CIOs would like to put productivity applications on mobile phones but are worried about the handsets being lost or stolen," said Andrew Germano, director of wireless markets at AuthenTec. Biometric sensors could overcome these worries, provided handset makers can deliver the phones in volume at attractive prices, according to Germano.

There are challenges: advanced security technologies are among the many other features competing for space and power in handsets' tiny form factor, Germano said.

AuthenTec has reduced the size of its original fingerprint sensor from around 1.5 centimeters to less than 4 millimeters and has lowered the power consumption to 1.8 volts. Further enhancements are in the pipeline.

Cost is another big factor. AuthenTec has been selling its chips to handset makers for around $3 each but will need to bring the price down even further -- as low as $1 -- if it hopes to see them deployed on a large scale by major vendors, according to Germano.

The company plans to integrate additional features into its sensors -- for instance NFC (near field communication) capability -- and sell it at the same $3 price. "We would essentially take features that today are on two or three separate chips and integrate them into one for the same price," he said.

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Prashanth Rai