Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) will soon offer voice biometrics as a means to authenticate customers and allow them to perform banking transactions via phone or mobile devices easily and securely. The bank claims in a press statement that it is the first bank in the world to offer voice biometrics in Arabic, English and Hindi.
Presently customers using telephone transactions are asked to identify themselves through a set of security questions. ADCB plans to simplify this experience using secure voice biometrics technology that will allow customers to simply speak and be taken at their word without the need for PINs, passwords or probing security questions. This compares the customer’s spoken passphrase to a registered voiceprint. Once matched, it authenticates and permits the customer to proceed with the banking transactions. The company adds in the same statement that this is safe, secure and reduces the chances of fraud.
“ADCB has always been committed to bringing in new technology and innovation to customers’ advantage and introduction of this new system is an extension of this commitment. Our decision to invest in this new technology was primarily driven by the key objective of enhancing the everyday banking experience for our customers” said Arup Mukhopadhyay, head of consumer banking group of ADCB in a press statement.
ADCB has partnered with Nuance Communications, Inc. to implement this system for their retail banking operations in the UAE.
“In this competitive environment we need to make sure that Customer Convenience and ease of access are effectively balanced with Information and Transaction Security. The voice biometrics technology will play a vital role in ensuring increased security and convenience at the same time whilst making client calls shorter and reducing our overall cost to serve,” said Ravi Nair, head of customer experience at ADCB.
“With voice biometrics, banks have a real opportunity to change their customer experience for the better, while at the same time providing a high level of security,” adds Robert Weideman, executive vice president and general manager for the Enterprise Division of Nuance. “Our voice biometrics technology offers a dependable solution for companies like ADCB who truly value customer convenience in a quickly-evolving digital banking environment.”
