The search engine giant Google is acquiring an Israeli developer of sound-based password – SlickLogin. It’s an ‘acqui-hiring deal’, which implies that the firm’s staff and knowledge will be unified into Google.
SlickLogin is a start-up behind the technology that allows websites to authenticate a user’s identity by using sound waves. The technology works by playing an individually generated, nearly-silent sound from computer speakers. The sound is picked up by an app on the Smartphone used by the person. The app analyzes the sound and transmit a signal back to verify the identity.
The sound-based password technology can be used either as a substitute for a password or an additional security layer. Instead of forcing users to insert in a long code, the firm sends the verification information through sound waves. The acquisition was confirmed by SlickLogin on its website on Sunday but no financial details were disclosed.
The firm announced the acquisition with the statement that, “Today we’re announcing that the SlickLogin team is joining Google, a platform that shares our core beliefs that logging in should be easy instead of frustrating, and verification should be effective.” One of the three founders, Xinhua also stated that , “We couldn’t be more excited to join their efforts.”
SlickLogin launched just five months ago at TechCrunch Disrupt where the firm gave a demo of its sound-based password technology. The company’s motto is to enable end users to log-in easily into those websites which are password protected by using a uniquely generated sound.
SlickLogin hasn’t launched any commercial product, so we can say that the deal actually means an acquisition of the technology itself by Google. Today, many firms have been adopting a two-step authentication for users and the steps include matching their name and the password along with a second layer of verification.
According to the analysts, firms like bank and other government possessions were keen to use even more secure methods to protect their users against any piracy or data theft. According to them, the more individually a technology identifies the user, the safer the system would be.
Let’s wait and watch, what’s the search engine giant has to offer us!!!!