BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today 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. No longer will
customers need to answer intrusive security questions in order to verify
their identity. By simply speaking with an agent, a customer's voice is
verified using Nuance voice biometrics technology, making the
authentication process quick, secure and transparent.
To see how Barclays customers are verifying by voice, please see the
related graphic here.
(http://bit.ly/12es2HJ)
Until now, when people have called a bank to access their account, they
have typically been forced to prove their identity though a series of
intrusive security questions - what the industry refers to as
'knowledge-based authentication.' This time-consuming line of
questioning can lead to even more frustration when customers can't
remember answers to obscure security questions such as "What is the name
of your favorite pet?" or "What is the name of your best childhood
friend?" and are further annoyed if they are ultimately denied access to
their accounts for misremembering. Even when a customer does succeed at
accessing their account, if they call back a few minutes later, the
process - and the intrusive questioning - starts all over again from the
beginning.
To solve this, 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.
Barclays is the first financial services firm to deploy passive voice
biometrics as the primary means to authenticate customers in their call
center. For their innovation, Barclays recently won an FStech
Award for the 'Best Use of Technology in Customer Service' for its
deployment of Nuance voice biometrics for customer authentication. Since
its introduction, more than 84% of Barclays' customers have enrolled in
the Nuance voice biometrics solution, with 95% of those customers
successfully verified upon their first use of the system. Better still,
customer feedback with the contact center experience has improved, with
93% of customers rating Barclays at least 9 of 10 for the speed, ease of
use and security of the new authentication system.
"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."
Availability
Nuance voice biometrics technology leads the industry, with over 30
million voiceprints deployed, representing an estimated 80% of the
commercial market.1 To see recent data around consumer
attitudes about authentication and voice biometrics, please read "Surveys
Show: Consumers Ready to Say Goodbye to PINs, Passwords, and Probing"
(May 8, 2013). (http://bit.ly/YsNQzG)
For more information about Nuance Voice Biometrics technology, please
visit www.nuance.com/voice-biometrics.
About Barclays Wealth
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in
personal banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking and
wealth and investment management with an extensive international
presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.
With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays
operates in over 50 countries and employsapproximately 140,000 people.
Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and
clients worldwide.
Barclays is a leading global wealth and investment manager providing
international and private banking, wealth planning, trust and fiduciary
services, investment management, brokerage services and research to
private and intermediary clients around the world.
For further information about Barclays, please visit www.barclays.com.
About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN) is a leading provider of voice and
language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its
technologies, applications and services make the user experience more
compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and
how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users
and thousands of businesses experience Nuance's proven applications. For
more information, please visit www.nuance.com.
Trademark reference: Nuance, and the Nuance logo are trademarks,
registered trademarks or brands of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its
subsidiaries in the United States of America and other countries. All
other companies or product names are the property of the respective
owners.
1 Opus Research: Research Report: Voice Biometrics Vendor
Survey and "IntelliView" 2012, October 29, 2012
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130508005400/en/Barclays-Nuance-Voice-Biometrics-Identify-Customers-Sound
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. No longer will
customers need to answer intrusive security questions in order to verify
their identity. By simply speaking with an agent, a customer's voice is
verified using Nuance voice biometrics technology, making the
authentication process quick, secure and transparent.
To see how Barclays customers are verifying by voice, please see the
related graphic here.
(http://bit.ly/12es2HJ)
Until now, when people have called a bank to access their account, they
have typically been forced to prove their identity though a series of
intrusive security questions - what the industry refers to as
'knowledge-based authentication.' This time-consuming line of
questioning can lead to even more frustration when customers can't
remember answers to obscure security questions such as "What is the name
of your favorite pet?" or "What is the name of your best childhood
friend?" and are further annoyed if they are ultimately denied access to
their accounts for misremembering. Even when a customer does succeed at
accessing their account, if they call back a few minutes later, the
process - and the intrusive questioning - starts all over again from the
beginning.
To solve this, 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.
Barclays is the first financial services firm to deploy passive voice
biometrics as the primary means to authenticate customers in their call
center. For their innovation, Barclays recently won an FStech
Award for the 'Best Use of Technology in Customer Service' for its
deployment of Nuance voice biometrics for customer authentication. Since
its introduction, more than 84% of Barclays' customers have enrolled in
the Nuance voice biometrics solution, with 95% of those customers
successfully verified upon their first use of the system. Better still,
customer feedback with the contact center experience has improved, with
93% of customers rating Barclays at least 9 of 10 for the speed, ease of
use and security of the new authentication system.
"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."
Availability
Nuance voice biometrics technology leads the industry, with over 30
million voiceprints deployed, representing an estimated 80% of the
commercial market.1 To see recent data around consumer
attitudes about authentication and voice biometrics, please read "Surveys
Show: Consumers Ready to Say Goodbye to PINs, Passwords, and Probing"
(May 8, 2013). (http://bit.ly/YsNQzG)
For more information about Nuance Voice Biometrics technology, please
visit www.nuance.com/voice-biometrics.
About Barclays Wealth
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in
personal banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking and
wealth and investment management with an extensive international
presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.
With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays
operates in over 50 countries and employsapproximately 140,000 people.
Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and
clients worldwide.
Barclays is a leading global wealth and investment manager providing
international and private banking, wealth planning, trust and fiduciary
services, investment management, brokerage services and research to
private and intermediary clients around the world.
For further information about Barclays, please visit www.barclays.com.
About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN) is a leading provider of voice and
language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its
technologies, applications and services make the user experience more
compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and
how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users
and thousands of businesses experience Nuance's proven applications. For
more information, please visit www.nuance.com.
Trademark reference: Nuance, and the Nuance logo are trademarks,
registered trademarks or brands of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its
subsidiaries in the United States of America and other countries. All
other companies or product names are the property of the respective
owners.
1 Opus Research: Research Report: Voice Biometrics Vendor
Survey and "IntelliView" 2012, October 29, 2012
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130508005400/en/Barclays-Nuance-Voice-Biometrics-Identify-Customers-Sound