Opus Research is pleased to announce Voice Biometrics Conference New York -- the industry's only global gathering featuring case studies, in-depth session discussions and independent vendor analysis.
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Voice Biometrics Conference New York - Less Than Two Weeks Away
May 1, 2008
Space is limited and time is running out to attend the one conference focused on voice biometrics and speaker verification technologies ... Register now!
VBC New York is the one place to meet with every major voice biometrics solutions provider. Sponsors include VoiceVault, Agnitio, Fluency, PerSay, Nuance, Trade Harbor, Diaphonics, VoiceVerified and Authentify.
Highlighted sessions include:
- Focus on Financial Services - CIBC, Chase Card Services, Pershing (Division of Bank of New York-Mellon) and Bankinter - will be sharing their experiences in identifying needs, selecting vendors, implementing solutions and supporting implementation of voice biometric-based systems.
- Customer Case Study: Bell Canada - To date, more than 600,000 Bell Canada customers have enrolled in a voice identification service, making it the world's largest deployment of voice biometrics. Executives who spearheaded the initiative explain how it is cost-effective, convenient for customers and supports high-levels of security and privacy.
- Tackling Implementation Details - Through a series of panels, prospective implementers will hear pros and cons of critical design decisions and understand what's necessary in the vendor evaluation process.
- Education Opportunities - Network among a group of peers representing financial services, customer care executives and law enforcement agencies to understand biometrics basics including definitions of terms, applications and approaches of this emerging global technology.
Don't miss VBC New York - only $799
Australian Survey Shows Little Confidence in PINs and Passwords
By Derek Top | April 10, 2008
Fear of fraud and identity theft is eroding consumers' confidence in the way companies identify people over the phone, says a new survey by Australian-based callcentres.net.
The survey of 216 Australian men and women, conducted on behalf of VeCommerce, found dwindling levels of confidence in traditional contact center security methods such as asking for personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords.
According to the survey, only 24% of people of those aged 18-30 felt that revealing their PIN number was a secure way to identify a caller, followed by a password (20%) and answering a personal details or history question (13%). Only 6% of those aged 31-45 thought a password was secure, followed by providing a PIN number (15%) and personal details (10%).
The survey also found almost half of respondents (47%) preferred organizations to use a "fairly complex process with fairly high security" for identification. To that end, voice biometrics was a preferred method of identification for both men (45%) and women (39%) and across all age groups.
Canadian Privacy Chief Hails Voice Biometrics
By Derek Top | March 13, 2008
Lending a strong voice of support to the security benefits of voice biometric technology, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Canada touted an advancement in biometric encryption between PerSay and electronics giant Philips.
According to privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian, the combined technologies, which apply Philips priv-ID biometric encryption to a PerSay voiceprint, exceeded performance expectations and "remained at a world class level with respect to accuracy, plus invaluable privacy and security benefits." The advancement has particular benefits in remote voice authentication where a biometrically encrypted template can be sent without degradation to a processing terminal for authentication.
Cavoukian is unabashed in her support of the development, "We are on the cusp of making a truly positive-sum solution a reality through the use of voice biometrics - an approach that enhances both the privacy and security of a biometric, in this case, your voice, which happens to be a unique and unobtrusive form of identification."
Early-Bird Rate for Voice Biometrics Conference New York Ends March 15
March 11, 2008
Don't miss this chance to attend Voice Biometrics Conference New York - the only conference that focuses on the opportunities, challenges and strategies surrounding implementation of voice biometric-based authentication. VBC New York features speakers from leading financial services and telecommunications firms, exclusive case studies, and top experts sharing real-world insight into speaker verification and voice biometric solutions.
Highlighted conference sessions include:
- Rising to the Challenges - Executives from Chase Card Services, CIBC and Pershing discuss how to identify core issues, propose solutions and get buy-in from customer care, marketing, operations, security and top management.
- Customer Case Study: Bell Canada - To date, more than 600,000 Bell Canada customers have enrolled in a voice identification service, making it the world's largest deployment of voice biometrics. Executives who spearheaded the initiative explain how it is cost-effective, convenient for customers and supports high-levels of security and privacy.
- Tackling Implementation Details - Through a series of panels, prospective implementers will hear pros and cons of critical design decisions and understand what's necessary in the vendor evaluation process.
VBC New York is the one place to meet top vendors who bring a unique perspective to deploying voice biometrics for user authentication across multiple industries and applications. Platinum sponsors for the event are VoiceVault, Agnitio and Fluency; Gold sponsors include Diaphonics, PerSay, Nuance, and Trade Harbor; Event sponsors are VoiceVerified and Authentify.
Early-bird rate ends March 15th! Register now and save $200 off the full-conference price.
PerSay and Telisma Announce Agreement
By Derek Top | February 18, 2008
Speech-recognition provider Telisma has announced a partnership with voice biometrics company PerSay to provide more comprehensive customer solutions.
Based in Paris, France, Telisma has had success in providing ASR technology to Western Europe and India. While no customers were included as part of the announcement, the partnership does expand the geographical scope for PerSay beyond its current roster of partners in Europe, EMEA and Latin America.
In the press release, Laurent Balaine, CEO with Telisma, said, "Our partnership with PerSay will enable us to broaden the availability of our speech recognition solutions worldwide, and provide customers with the most accurate and cost-effective speaker verification technology available."
Research Shows Dramatic Rise in Phone-Based Fraud Activity
By Derek Top | February 15, 2008
A new report shows a dramatic shift in identity theft crime activity away from online to the more traditional phone-based fraud. The report, by Javelin Strategy & Research, showed fraudster access through mail and phone-based incidents rose dramatically, from 3% of ID fraud in 2006 to 40% in 2007.
According to the press release, "This year's report reinforces a three-year trend that criminals mostly obtain the majority of information from stolen personal belongings, and through telephone calls, rather than online."
The findings appear to confirm speculation that as many banks and financial firms attempted to shore up online security, fraudsters would train there methods on the less-secure phone channel. While the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council's 2006 guidance on multi-factor authentication included telephone banking, many financial institutions initially concentrated their efforts online.
Also, according to the report, wireless phone accounts are the most popular type of fraudulent accounts opened, increasing from 19% to 32% of new account fraud last year, exceeding credit cards, loans, checking or savings accounts.
The Javelin study is in its fourth year and was conducted in October 2007 with more than 5,000 telephone interviews.
Biometrics Gain Traction in Banking, Says Study
By Derek Top | February 7, 2008
A new study, sponsored by biometric scanning provider AuthenTec, found that U.S. consumers "trust in the convenience and security benefits" of fingerprint authentication, particularly for tasks such as online banking and other e-commerce applications. The survey, conducted in December 2007, sampled U.S. men and women between the ages of 21-55.
Of note to voice biometrics vendors and prospective implementers was the study's discussion of the use of biometric security in financial applications. In the survey, 75% of the respondents said they banked online, with 78% of those people indicating that, if available, they would use a fingerprint sensor to make online banking transactions more convenient and secure. Additionaly, the survey showed that 66% of consumers trust fingerprint biometrics as a means of authentication more than traditional PINs or passwords.
AuthenTec, based in Melbourne, FL, announced the shipment of its 25 millionth fingerprint sensor last November and reported a 67% revenue increase in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to the previous year.
Announcing Voice Biometrics Advisory Services
With ever-increasing business demand for caller authentication solutions, Opus Research - in conjunction with the Buffum Group - is pleased to announce a new service offering to help prospective implementers justify and design voice biometric deployments.
Opus Research and Buffum Group offer an unparalleled set of information services and implementation support for companies interested in voice biometric-based authentication to secure self-service resources. At the macro level, Opus Research has a long-standing reputation for market assessment, trends analysis, forecasting and vendor evaluation in this fast-changing field. At the micro level, Buffum Group has built portfolio of enterprise-oriented requirements assessment and solutions planning services.
Together Opus Research and Buffum Group offer a package that includes: Market Assessment - conducted year-round and documented online, in printed reports and advisories; Vendor Analysis - encapsulated in regularly updated dossiers that include company history, financial overviews and product descriptions; Networking - Attendance at the industry's only global gathering of prospective implementers and providers of voice biometric-based solutions, featuring real-world case studies and exclusive program content.
A key part of the service offering will include Enterprise-Specific Consulting - Providing the dual advantage of internal team building and business planning that culminates in a business plan, with cost justification, for an overall phone channel security solution.
- Requirements Synthesis - Integrating the caller authentication requirements from security, customer satisfaction and IT into a single requirements document for the enterprise.
- High-Level Design - Addressing the integrated caller authentication requirements leveraging voice biometric and other technologies with the existing technical infrastructure.
This comprehensive, tailored offering - combining customized consulting, proprietary research, conference interaction and ongoing support - will prove to be a cost-effective and targeted solution.
For details regarding options and pricing, please contact: Pete Headrick, 1-415-904-7666, pheadrick@opusresearch.net
Barclays Chairman Victim of Identity Theft
By Derek Top | January 17, 2008
When the chairman of Barclays Bank gets robbed, the problem of identity theft makes headlines.
According to a story at ComputerWeekly, a man using personal information found online obtained a Barclays bank card for chairman Marcus Agius by calling a contact center representative.
While the thief walked away with £10,000 from a London bank, Agius did get his money back. But the fact that Barclays automatically refunds any customer who becomes a victim of identity theft - as do almost all banks and financial institutions - points to a staggering estimated financial loss worldwide. Voice biometrics and multifactor identity proofing are factors that can be used to thwart some of these attacks.
Or, as Agius admits in the article, "credit card fraud is an issue which our industry continues to confront."
Acxiom To Offer Voice Authentication
By Derek Top | December 20, 2007
Acxiom Corporation, a provider of customer marketing data, has entered into a strategic alliance with VoiceVerified to offer consumers voice authentication access. The partnership is centered on SoundAccess, a new identity protection system offered by both companies.
Acxiom - whose clients include many of the largest credit-card issuing banks - will ask customers to repeat five digits five times for initial enrollment. On each subsequent call, the customer will be asked to repeat a random five-digit sequence for authentication. The SoundAccess system matches a speaker's voiceprint with a previously stored sample.
"This product lets companies increase security and privacy while improving customer convenience," said Jeff Stalnaker, Acxiom Financial Services Organization leader in a statement.
While no specific customers were announced in the strategic alliance, Acxiom sees reduced contact center agent time for caller authentication as a cost savings benefit for those who deploy the solution.
Agnitio Receives Investment Boost
By Derek Top | December 16, 2007
Last week, Madrid-based Agnitio announced a funding round of 2.6 million euros (US$3.7 million) from Nauta Capital, who specializes in technology companies in both Europe and the U.S. According to the press release, the investment makes Nauta Capital the shareholder of reference and allows Agnitio to "accelerate its expansion plans at an international level."
Founded in 2004 as a spin-off from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Agnitio has focused on the use of voice biometrics in public security, counter-terrorism and forensic investigations. The company's flagship tool, Saivox, compares voices recorded by law enforcement officials with those of suspected criminals. Agnitio has reported successful case studies in Spain and is currently working on two projects in Mexico and Columbia.
Future Directions for Voice Biometrics
By Dan Miller | December 4, 2007
Mobility is becoming a driving force for voice biometrics. Both Voice Pay and PerSay made announcements last week that herald a new wave of mobile payments built on voice biometric security.
Nick Ogden, CEO of Voice Pay, has circled the globe many times to encourage banks and card issuers to evaluate his company's offerings. The service is a packaging of the enrollment and "voice signature" service offered on-demand by VoiceVault. Because this approach requires no hardware or purchase by participants or prospects, his evangelism is poised to support high-levels of volume quickly.
The cause of voice signatures was further supported by PerSay through its newest customer, Planet Payment. Founded in 1999 to offer banks and credit card issuers the ability to handle multiple locations and currencies, Planet Payment is headquartered in New York and has offices in Atlanta, Beijing, Bermuda, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and the U.K.
The company's original product ("Pay in Your Currency") has been repackaged as "BuyVoice" and was launched mid-2007. While it's premature to judge the potential success of the Planet Payment, the announcement underscores the demand for mobile commerce.
Growing in the Medical Vertical
In addition to financial services and mobile commerce, the healthcare vertical stands poised for growth. During the Voice Biometrics Conference, VoiceVault announced that medical transcription specialist, AssistMed, will deploy its caller authentication service to provide secure access to its dictation and transcription service, DictAide.
Dictation and transcription of doctor's notes is a growing but highly competitive area. As noted in a recent Opus Research advisory, "Conversations from Nuance Conversations" (October 29th, 2007), it is the single vertical that automated speech specialist Nuance has opted to address through a strategic business unit, Dictaphone Health Care Solutions. Automating dictation and transcription is just one approach to differentiation. AssistMed, through its incorporation of speaker verification, will use biometric-based voice authentication as a differentiator.
WellPoint Simplifies Opening New Accounts with Voice Signature
By Dan Miller | October 24, 2007
As many businesses around the U.S. enter the weeks of "open enrollment" for benefits packages, it is particularly fitting that WellPoint has taken the wraps off its Web-based system for opening new accounts. The system went live in December 2005, providing a mechanism for WellPoint agents to:
- Interview insurance applicants over the phone
- Complete an online application form
- Allow the applicant to sign the form with a legally binding "Voice Signature"
- Submit the application to automated underwriting
The process had the dual benefit of reducing time and expense (including postage) associated with agent-handling and processing paper-based forms. Thus the impact on user experience and overall ROI were both very positive.Since its introduction, WellPoint's service adds 10,000 subscribers per month and has eclipsed 140,000 new members.
Some Corporate Background
While not a household name, WellPoint is the largest health benefit provider in the United States (with 34 million members), is the parent company of UniCare and acts as the licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association for:
- Blue Cross of California
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Empire Blue Cross or Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the city of Fairfax, the town of Vienna and the area east of State Route 123), and Wisconsin
The acceptance of voice biometrics-based e-signatures - as part of a legally binding transaction by a large insurer - is a breakthrough for the biometric community. But it is one that has been largely under the radar for the simple reason that WellPoint sees it as a source of competitive advantage.
A Coup for TradeHarbor
The solution relies, in part, on the Voice Signature Service system (VSS) from TradeHarbor. WellPoint executives contacted TradeHarbor in late 2004 as part of a business process reengineering project designed to enable prospective members to sign health insurance applications over the telephone. TradeHarbor was chartered in 2000 as a service company providing Voice Signature capabilities to replace or augment hand-written signatures.
Its flagship product, VSS, is a telephone- and Internet-based service. The WellPoint use case demonstrates that VSS is recognized as a legally binding signature by the Departments for Insurance in each of the states where VSS is deployed.
Heralding the Age of Convenient Security
WellPoint has found dual benefit from its new workflow. It creates a better user experience because applicants can choose a plan and submit a signed application in a single phone call. This coincides with an unexpected boost in an agent's sales productivity resulting from quickly closing each sale.
It is also important to note that each applicant's Voice Signature also serves as a voice biometric enrollment. Thus TradeHarbor's VSS could be used in the future to provide HIPAA-compliant authentication for WellPoint health plan members in customer service interactions performed over the telephone and Internet.
