U.S. Bank pilots voice biometric authentication system with Nuance technology

U.S. Bank is piloting voice biometric software from Nuance Communications.

Specifically, under the pilot program, select credit card customers will use their voice to login with spoken passphrases to access account balances, search transactions and make a payment on their account in the mobile app.

This most recent deployment comes on the heels of a partnership between U.S. Bank and Nuance in April 2013, which saw voice recognition used for conducting basic functions. The difference between these two systems obviously, is that one recognizes and verifies the identity of the user, and the other doesn’t.

“We’ve seen unprecedented growth in the adoption of voice biometrics as consumers worldwide have become used to more conversational engagement with their devices, apps and service experiences,” Robert Weideman, executive vice president and general manager of the Nuance Enterprise Division said. “Innovative organizations like U.S. Bank recognize that voice biometrics can bring a new level of convenience and security to the customer service experience. By eliminating the interrogation process that consumers are typically put through and replacing it with a natural, conversational voice interaction, companies can really start to reinvent their customer service experience.”

BiometricUpdate.com recently took a look an extended look at voice biometrics as a modality, including some early examples, as well as an exploration of potential developments and innovations. Read the full feature here.

“Voice biometrics is a unique identifier that will help us improve the customer experience,” Dominic Venturo, chief innovation officer for U.S. Bank Payment Services said. “Customers are becoming accustomed to using their voice to interact with their smartphones and can become frustrated with key entering passwords. Exploring a spoken passphrase login through this technology is a logical next step in our work in biometrics.”

Reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, Nuance Communications, along with ZTE, recently announced a new car mode applications for ZTE Android devices which features voice biometric capabilities.

Article Topics

authentication  |  mobile  |  Nuance Communications  |  voice biometrics