[ABC] A Wisconsin company is about to become the first in the U.S. to offer microchip implants to its employees.Yes, you read that right. Microchip implants.
"It's the next thing that's inevitably going to happen, and we want to be a part of it," Three Square Market Chief Executive Officer Todd Westby said.
The company designs software for break room markets that are commonly found in office complexes. Just as people are able to purchase items at the market using phones, Westby wants to do the sam thing using a microchip implanted inside a person's hand.
"We'll come up, scan the item," he explained, while showing how the process will work at an actual break room market kiosk. "We'll hit pay with a credit card, and it's asking to swipe my proximity payment now. I'll hold my hand up, just like my cell phone, and it'll pay for my product."
More than 50 Three Square Market employees are having the devices implanted starting next week. Each chip is about the size of a single grain of rice. Along with purchasing market kiosk items, employees will be albe to use the chip to get into the front door and log onto their computers.
Each chip costs $300 and the company is picking up the tab. They're implanted between a person's thumb and forefinger. Westby added the data is both encrypted and secure.
"There's no GPS tracking at all," he said.