MELBOURNE, FL /BUSINESS WIRE/ -- AuthenTec, a world leader in biometric fingerprint sensor security, innovation, and sales, has been named the High-Growth Company of the Year by ITFlorida. This prestigious award recognizes the company that has successfully seized the opportunity to capture a greater share of its product or service market.
AuthenTec, based in Melbourne, FL, was nominated for the award by The Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast. The company received this designation at the annual, statewide ITFlorida Awards Gala, held on December 8, 2006, in Orlando, FL. The ITFlorida Awards Program, now in its fourth year, is a highly successful program featuring the innovation and leadership taking place in the state's IT and IT-enabled industry sectors.
"We are thrilled to be recognized by ITFlorida as the High-Growth Company of the Year as it represents AuthenTec's success in delivering industry-leading solutions and driving the adoption of fingerprint biometrics in the consumer, commercial, and government marketplaces," said Peter Sherlock, Vice President of Product Development at AuthenTec, who accepted the award for the company. "2006 was a record year for AuthenTec, and this recognition represents yet another important milestone for the company, as well as our team's commitment to continuing our strongly focused approach of introducing even more secure, smaller, and lower cost products for use by people at home and at work."
AuthenTec was selected among a group of four distinguished award finalists. The nominees were judged for the award based on the demonstration of a strategic and successful market focus, for driving or responding to the market, and for developing its production, delivery and servicing capabilities to fully leverage its market position and achieve exceptional growth.
Since its launch in 1998, AuthenTec has directly contributed to Florida's thriving IT industry, adding 50 new, high-paying jobs to the area in the past two years alone. AuthenTec supports a wide range of local educational, business, and civic organizations and recently received the prestigious 2006 Governor's Business Diversification Award for Innovation from Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
With more than 10 million sensors in use worldwide, AuthenTec is the recognized volume supplier leader of biometric fingerprint sensors, shipping nearly two thirds of all sensors sold in the PC, wireless, and access control markets during the past five years.
AuthenTec sensors are used in 150 different models of notebook and tablet PCs, including those made by 7 of the world's top 10 PC manufacturers. The sensors provide advanced security and replace the need for passwords. In cell phones, AuthenTec sensors are used in more than 95% of all biometric cell phone models, protecting phone files and securing mobile commerce transactions. In access control, AuthenTec sensors protect hundreds of airports, government and corporate offices, individual homes, and other facilities around the world. The company's sensors also are used in the U.S. government's largest biometrics implementation for the U.S. Census Bureau.
About ITFlorida
ITFlorida is an umbrella, not-for-profit membership organization that represents Florida's diverse information technology businesses and communities on a statewide basis. ITFlorida advocates—to the legislature, the executive office of the governor, and other bodies—for the establishment of rational regulatory regimes and economic development processes to support and enhance Florida's high tech industries.
About AuthenTec
With more than 10 million sensors in use worldwide, AuthenTec is a world leader in fingerprint sensor security, innovation, and sales to the PC, wireless, and access control markets. AuthenTec's award-winning FingerLoc and EntréPad sensors take full advantage of "The Power of Touch" by utilizing the company's patented TruePrint technology to deliver the most convenient, reliable, and cost-effective means available for enabling touch-powered features that extend beyond user authentication. The company's network of partners, solution providers, and customers include Analog Devices, APC, ASUSTek, Compal, Cherry, Fujitsu Computer, Computer Associates, HP, IBM, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Motion Computing, MPC Computers, NEC Packard Bell, Pantech, Quanta, Samsung, Tatung, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, and Wistron, among others. For more information, visit the company's Web site.