63% of consumers would pay for biometrics if it provided additional security

A survey of more than 2,000 adults, sponsored by AuthenTec, shows that 63% of consumers would pay extra to add fingerprint biometrics to their PC and notebook computers, while 71% would pay more for this feature in their cellular phones. Most consumers said they would use the technology to replace their PC and Internet passwords, as well as to help transform their cell phones into their personal wallets to conduct m-commerce and wireless banking.

Younger consumers (18-44) are the most interested and are willing to pay the highest price for a biometrically-enabled device. Parents also showed a higher interest than non parents in adding the feature to PCs than non-parents - at 75% versus 58%. 43% are most interested in using fingerprint sensors to replace their computer or internet passwords. Navigating the cursor and automatically starting favorite programs were other key capabilities consumers were interested in using. 29% said they would be willing to pay more than $25 for the additional feature.

71% are interested in adding fingerprint sensors to protect their sensitive and personal information stored on their cellular phone. Overall, 32% would be willing to spend more than $25 to have the feature added to their cell phones, while nearly half (45%) of young adults (18-24) indicated they are willing to pay more than $25. 60% said they would like to use biometrically-enabled cellular phones as a replacement for their wallets - debit cards or credit cards - to conduct purchases or online banking. Nearly half of those said they would be interested in using a biometric cell phone to purchase items from a store, while 30% for wireless banking, 27% to gain access to mass transit, and 25% for wireless shopping. Parents, younger adults, and men are the most interested in using the cell phones as a replacement for their wallets.