Microsoft to Adopt Fingertip Technology

Microsoft Corp. said it plans to adopt biometric technology in its Windows software that will allow computer users to sign on using their fingerprints or other physical characteristics. The software giant said it has acquired biometric authentication technology from I/O Software Inc. in a major endorsement of this increasingly popular form of security that many consider more secure and convenient than passwords. Biometrics work by reading a person’s fingerprint, iris pattern or other physical characteristic and comparing it to stored data.