Intel’s enterprise security bracelet unlocks your computer as you approach

Your computer will recognize you in the future through your bracelet.

Intel is keeping pace with the growing development of wearables for the workplace. At the Intel Developer Forum today, the company announced work on an “enterprise wearable” that can authenticate a user to a computer, and even wake it up when the user comes near.

Brian Krzanich, chief executive of Intel, showed the bracelet off at the IDF in San Francisco. He said it can make the process of logging in much easier, though it doesn’t do away with the process of typing in a password entirely.

The user has to authenticate the wearable device while wearing it, and reauthenticate if they take the bracelet off, Intel said. The good news is that it rids the user of having to enter passwords and wait for the computer to fire up.

Intel already has a collaboration with Microsoft called Wake-On-Voice, which aims to enable users to wake up PCs and other battery-operated Intel-powered devices by speaking.

Intel released a number of software development kits and hardware reference designs today to inspire developers to build new wearables experiences.

Dean Takahashi contributed to this report.