BIO-key has established a couple of important new outlets for its USB fingerprint readers. As Microsoft’s biometric tech partner for Windows 10, the company will see its devices sold in Microsoft retail stores and through its online store, starting this week.

BIO-key’s EcoID (pictured above), SideSwipe, and SideTouch readers are each available for $39.99.

For BIO-key CEO Mike DePasquale, it’s another sign of the mainstreaming of biometric technology, a trend he anticipated in joining the company over a decade ago. In a statement announcing the sale of BIO-key’s devices in Microsoft stores, DePasquale asserted that by launching “Windows 10 with Windows Hello, its secure biometric sign-in feature, Microsoft validated that biometric technology is going mainstream,” adding that his team is “honored” to be among the first Windows Hello accessory providers to be featured in Microsoft stores.

The move should help numerous Windows 10 users to take advantage of the biometric authentication capabilities of Windows Hello, since many are still using Windows 10 on hardware that doesn’t feature embedded biometric scanning. Now, they can just plug in their BIO-key devices to take advantage of that security.

BIO-key’s EcoID, SideSwipe, and SideTouch readers are each available for $39.99.

(Originally posted on FindBiometrics)