LONDON – November 18, 2014 – Nuance Communications, Inc. today announced that its voice biometrics solutions are being deployed around the globe as an effective means to replace PINs, passwords and security questions for customer authentication. From their automated phone systems to their mobile applications, organizations worldwide are quickly deploying voice biometrics as a means of securely authenticating their customers – and improving their customer experience – with a simple, spoken passphrase.
The security of PIN- and password-based systems are under near-constant security attacks by hackers seeking access to customer accounts. Hackers pursue PINs and passwords so intensely because millions of customer records can be stolen in seconds with just a single successful breach. Further, when it comes to the customer experience, survey data shows that 85% of people are dissatisfied with current authentication methods, which are viewed as cumbersome and inconvenient.
“Organizations around the globe are demonstrating first-hand that voice biometrics is a desirable alternative to PINs and passwords,” said Robert Weideman, executive vice president and general manager for the Enterprise Division of Nuance. “The ‘password problem’ is universal, and voice biometrics offers a proven alternative for organizations to enhance security and at the same time improve their customer experience.”
To address the security and convenience gaps created by PINs and passwords, organizations around the world, including Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Banco Santander Mexico and Vodacom, have turned to Nuance voice biometrics solutions to create a secure and effortless authentication experience for their customers.
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), one of the UAE’s leading banks, has deployed Nuance voice biometrics as a means to authenticate customers and allow them to perform banking transactions via phone or mobile devices more easily and securely. ADCB is the first bank in the region to offer voice biometrics in three languages: Arabic, English and Hindi. Replacing a series of security questions at ADCB, Nuance’s voice biometrics now allows customers to simply speak and be taken at their word – no PINs, passwords or probing security questions.
- Banco Santander Mexico, one of the top five banks in Mexico, was the first bank in Mexico to launch Nuance’s voice biometrics to replace PINs, passwords, and security questions in their automated phone system. Today, Santander customers who call in to the bank’s phone system can simply speak to be authenticated, making the banking-by-phone process quick, secure, and convenient. Since the introduction of voice biometrics at Banco Santander Mexico, more than 2.3M customers have enrolled to benefit from the improved banking experience, and authentication success rates have doubled.
- Vodacom, a mobile operator in South Africa, recently introduced Voice Password for customers using the My Vodacom app, and for those calling in to the Vodacom call center. Instead of requiring customers to tap in a lengthy PIN or password string, or endure a string of security questions, Vodacom now provides voice biometrics so that customers can speak a simple passphrase to verify their identity.
Nuance’s voice biometrics solutions have been adopted globally by other large organizations as well, such as Barclays Wealth & Investment Management, ING Netherlands, Tangerine Bank, Tatra Banka, TD Waterhouse, Turkcell, T-Mobile and Vanguard. Around the world, voice biometrics is quickly becoming an accepted form of authentication which has proven to be both secure and convenient. New data from Opus Research shows that the voice biometrics authentication market is poised to grow from $200M (2013) to $750M globally in 2017.
During this week’s Opus Research Voice Biometrics Conference in London, attendees will learn more about Nuance’s voice biometrics solutions and will hear first-hand from customers who are using voice biometrics to improve their customer service, including Barclays Wealth & Investment Management. Nuance voice biometrics technology leads the industry, with over 45 million voiceprints deployed by its customers, representing over 80% of the commercial market. (Opus Research: Census Report: Voice Biometrics Census and Forecast, November 2014).
To learn more about how voice biometrics can reinvent a customer experience, go here.
For media: To make an appointment to speak with an executive from Nuance, please contact Catherine Ditcham or Hannah Ivory at nuance@brands2life.com.
About Nuance Communications, Inc
Nuance Communications, Inc. 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 devices and systems. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.
Nuance and the Nuance logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States of America and/or other countries. All other company names or product names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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