Australian tax office to use Nuance voice biometrics on app

The Australian Taxation Office has signed a deal with US software firm Nuance that will see voice biometrics integrated into the ATO mobile app.Australian taxpayers can already authenticate using their voice when calling the ATO contact center, an innovation which was rolled-out last year but a second-phase implementation will now offers taxpayers voice biometrics authentication across its suite of online services, accessible through the ATO app.In a statement, the ATO said the implementation of biometrics means taxpayers no longer have to answer security questions or enter lengthy usernames and passwords to prove their identity when engaging with the ATO.”The ATO is committed to delivering a contemporary digital experience for our clients and feedback has shown an overwhelming acceptance of voice biometrics in the call center, making it a natural next step to bring this ease of access to the mobile app,” Assistant Commissioner, ATO John Dardo said.”Voice biometrics solutions have made the authentication process more convenient for taxpayers and service agents via the ATO mobile app. We're proud to be the first organization to provide this type of innovative mobile experience for our clients,” he said.Nuance Managing Director, Enterprise, Australia and New Zealand, Robert Schwarz said: “In this changing customer service ecosystem, organizations need to provide experiences that are natural and intuitive across channels in order to meet customers' higher expectations and preferences.”The ATO's commitment to delivering an authentication process that is faster and smoother across channels shows they are putting their clients first by offering a more compelling and effective experience.”The body said that a major benefit of the ATO's new multi-channel voice biometrics program is that taxpayers who choose to participate only need to enroll in the program once, as their unique voiceprint is authenticated when they engage with the ATO via the contact center and likewise when they are authenticated within the ATO mobile app.The ATO receives approximately 7.2 million calls per year from the community and prior to implementing Nuance's voice biometrics around 76 per cent of these calls required an ATO agent to verify the caller's identity, at a cost of 75,000 hours of agents' and customers' time each year.Initial results from the ATO's voice biometrics deployment include:· Broad acceptance evidenced by the 1.5M successful voice biometrics enrollments since the new system launched· Feedback has indicated that the contact center experience has improved, with repeat callers experiencing a 40-45 second reduction in the average time that they are on the phone with an agent, gaining access to their personal records faster.

Also in the news:

Ghana explains need for biometric vote in 2020 Samsung SDS announces deal with BioCatch Jenetric to present new features of scanner at connect:ID