In addition, Speaker Verification is a solution to regulatory pressures, for example:

• The Faster Payment Initiative in the UK requires that payments made by  telephone or internet are completed quickly (around 15 seconds). This is a narrow window in which to detect whether the transaction is fraudulent and act upon it.  Hence a focus on stronger authentication is required.
• The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) in the US has issued strong guidelines for applying two-factor authentication for online transactions. Extending these to the phone is now a question of ‘when’.
• PCI Compliance requires that all debit and credit card transactions taken over the phone must comply with PCI Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS). Failure to comply will result in the risk of losing the ability to process credit card payments and being audited and/or fined.
• Sarbanes-Oxley requires that customer data is maintained and stored securely.
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act includes provisions to protect consumers’ personal financial information.

Evidence from live deployments has shown that callers are willing to use a speaker verification system in favour of tighter security and peace of mind. Bell Canada reported that 69% of people were happy to use biometrics in general and 84% to use voice biometrics.  The principle benefits were perceived to be convenience, faster transactions, and increased security. By September 2007, 275 000 customers had been enrolled.

Our Experience

Fluency has extensive experience in voice authentication technology having researched and developed systems for many years culminating with the first ever pilot of this technology in the UK with the Nationwide Building Society in 1999. At the time Nationwide judged that the marketplace not ready for this application due to customer resistance and the solution was not taken live. However, the project provided us with a clear understanding of the value and constraints of this technology in commercial applications. 

We believe that Speaker Verification is a complementary, rather than an integral part of an automated solution for call centers and as a result will use best of breed technologies together with our own business, VUI, and integration experience to ensure a tailored solution with particular focus on your customer profile.

Contact us for a Fluency Assessment of Biometrics to find out how Speaker Verification can revolutionize your call center.