Next Generation of Voice Biometrics

Recent surveys have shown that 85% of people are dissatisfied with current verification methods, which classically require identification multiple PINs, passwords, and security questions. Racing to address this consumer outcry for a more natural verification process, organizations around the globe – such as Barclays, Turk cell, Vanguard, and Eastern Bank – are turning to Nuance voice biometrics to create a natural and engaging experience from the customer’s first point of contact. In fact, data from Opus Research shows that, from 2011 to 2012, expenditure on voice biometric solutions for verification grew by 74.2% and is on target to grow at a rate of 35% (CAAGR) over the next 5 years.

“Voice biometrics-based solutions have become an important part of the multi-factor verification and fraud prevention plans for banks, telecommunications carriers and government agencies around the world,” explained Dan Miller, Senior Analyst at Opus Research. “We expect to see continued, impressive growth in deployments as solutions move beyond the contact center to mobile devices and home electronics.”

With just a simple spoken passphrase such as “My voice is my password,” voice biometrics allows consumers to be securely authentic when they connect with a service provider via a call center or IVR, a mobile app, or the Web, civilizing the overall service experience for the consumer, and delivering considerable time and cost savings to the enterprise. Voice biometrics securely identifies each human being through their unique voiceprint, and eliminates the hassle of identification and typing passwords and PINs. A customer’s unique voiceprint can be applied across all customer service channels as well – call center, IVR, mobile, Web – so wherever a shopper chooses to engage with a company, voice biometrics can be applied for secure, effortless verification. Once authenticated, consumers can quickly be served a more adapted experience based on their unique voiceprint.

“The reception of voice biometrics is accelerating, and has become one of the hottest areas of our business,” said Robert Weidman, universal manager and decision-making vice president, Nuance Enterprise. “In just the past two years, the total number of consumers who have enrolled voiceprints with banks, mobile providers and other organizations has tripled – from 10 million to 30 million. Organizations distinguish that by providing the natural voice boundary and high level of security that voice biometrics affords – right at the point of verification – they can deliver a much more compelling skill to their consumers, with enhanced security.”

The new voice biometrics release from Nuance, the result of important research and development investments, boasts a 50% improvement in accurateness, smart version of a person’s voiceprint, and important enhancements in the ability to automatically detect attempts by malicious individuals to bypass verification. These notable improvements in core voice biometric technology bolster the important ROI that Nuance is able to deliver, both in terms of costs savings associated with reduced average call times and improved customer approval, and with the abolition of required security hardware like tokens and scanners.

While most voice biometric deployments have been in call center and IVR environments, the innovations in Nuance’s next generation of voice biometrics technology are inspiring organizations to leverage voice biometrics in new applications and environments, such as mobile device verification, Smart TV access and personalization, and even verification for medical professionals accessing patient records.