In a press release today, Nuance Communications, Inc. has announced that Barclays Wealth & Investment Management has deployed Nuance’s FreeSpeech voice biometrics solution to securely and automatically confirm the identity of Barclays customers – using the sound of their voice.
According to the report, Barclays customers will forgo the need to go through tedious security questions. The Nuance voice biometrics technology will allow customers to verify their identity by simply speaking with an agent, This will make the authentication process quick, secure and transparent, the report claims.
According to the press release:
Barclays, through a partnership with Nuance, is using secure voice biometrics technology to turn back the clock to the days when a customer could be taken at their word when verifying their identity. When a customer calls in to Barclays to access their account, they engage in 20 to 30 seconds of natural conversation with a customer service agent. During that time, Nuance FreeSpeech voice biometrics technology is used to compare the customer’s voice to their unique voiceprint on file, and silently signals to the Barclays representative when the customer’s identity has been verified. If the customer is not verified by the system, or if the transaction request is above security thresholds, Barclays agents can seamlessly move to a traditional, knowledge-based authentication process.
“In this competitive environment we need to make sure that clients’ needs for convenience and ease of access are effectively balanced with our mutual need for security,” said Matt Smallman, Client Experience Strategy and Change, Barclays Wealth and Investment Management. “Nuance’s voice biometrics technology is playing a vital role in ensuring our wider client service transformation project is an outstanding success. Both our clients and colleagues love that it increases security and convenience at the same time whilst making client calls shorter and reducing our overall cost to serve.”
“We’re in the midst of a rapid evolution in customer service today, as people demand more natural, human interactions when they seek service and support,” said Robert Weideman, executive vice president and general manager of the Nuance Enterprise Division. “Nuance’s voice biometrics technology allows organizations such as Barclays to redefine their customer service experiences through a more intuitive and transparent authentication process, easing the burden on both customers and service agents.”