Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Mon, December 1, 2008 MEDION Rolls out Three New Fingerprint-enabled Personal Navigation Devices
ESSEN, Germany & MELBOURNE, Fla.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--MEDION AG and AuthenTec (NASDAQ:AUTH) today announced that three new Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) that use an AuthenTec fingerprint sensor to enhance user security and deter device theft are now shipping in select European markets. MEDION introduced the world's first fingerprint-enabled PND in 2007 and now has added three new such devices to its portfolio, including the feature-rich MEDION GoPal P5235, P5435 and X5535 PNDs.
Each of these PNDs utilize AuthenTec's small form factor AES1510 fingerprint sensor for user identification - ensuring that only authorized users can activate the device - and the capability to save five different user fingerprints. Once a user enrolls fingerprints on the PND, the device is rendered useless if lost or stolen. Theft of PNDs continues to rise making them among the most frequently stolen items in automobiles today.
"Because of the success of our first fingerprint secured PND last year, the MEDION GoPal P4425, we wanted to add this same theft-deterrent feature to our newest MEDION GoPal products," said Mark Jendrzok, MEDION AG's Director of Product Management, Mobile Computing. "We're pleased to further expand our relationship with the world's leading provider of fingerprint sensors and bring peace of mind to owners of these innovative new navigation systems through the integration of AuthenTec's TruePrint fingerprint sensor technology."
"MEDION continues to add the most innovative technologies to their lineup of PNDs, and AuthenTec looks forward to supporting the successful launch of their newest offering of fingerprint-enabled GoPal navigation devices," said Marc Gebert, AuthenTec's Director of European Marketing and Sales. "Europe is a key growth region for AuthenTec, and we believe MEDION's decision to use our sensor in their newest PND family underscores our belief that fingerprint sensors will continue to become a part of our everyday lives, whether at home, at work or anywhere in between."
MEDION's new PND lineup feature 5-inch displays, ultrafast route calculation and response to input commands including voice control, and Traffic Message Channel (TMC) reception. Their top-of-the-line MEDION GoPal X5535 is one of the first PNDs to feature built-in gyrometer technology to compensate for temporary GPS signal loss. All three new PNDs feature AuthenTec's award-winning AES1510 fingerprint sensor, recently recognized by the National Society of Professional Engineers as a 2008 Product of the Year.
Like all AuthenTec fingerprint sensors, the AES1510 is based on the company's patented TruePrint technology, which reads below the surface of the skin to the live layer, where a person's fingerprint is formed. This RF subsurface approach enables AuthenTec sensors to read virtually every fingerprint, every time. The AES1510 has been integrated into millions of today's most innovative cell phones and mobile devices.
About AuthenTec
With more than 40 million sensors in use worldwide, AuthenTec is the world leader in providing fingerprint authentication sensors and solutions to the high-volume PC, wireless device, and access control markets. AuthenTec's award-winning 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.
About MEDION AG:
MEDION AG is a stock corporation listed on the SDAX exchange. Based in Essen, Germany, the company has approximately 1,200 employees and posted sales of 1.6 billion euros in the 2007 fiscal year. The MEDION business model aims to make high-quality, innovative trend products with appealing design available at low prices to large groups of buyers in the field of consumer electronics. In addition to its traditional European promotion-based business in consumer electronics products, MEDION also increasingly develops and markets supplementary services, particularly in the fields of telecommunications (MEDIONmobile), downloads, and online services.
