Britain's Barclays has become the first UK bank to roll out voice biometrics in contact centres to all of its customers.The bank earlier this year introduced the feature to corporate customers, but will now give everyone access.The move follows similar announcements on voice authentication from HSBC's online bank First Direct, which plans to implement biometrics security this summer.Barclays said over the course of about three phone calls, its telephone banking service will create a digital profile of a customer's voices, like a unique fingerprint.Once a suitable profile has been developed, customers will be allowed to opt for voice security over the regular password system, to identify themselves,Steven Cooper, CEO of personal banking at Barclays, said: “We can all relate to the frustration of forgetting a password at the crucial moment. Voice security can cut out that part of the call completely and, unlike a password, each person's voice is as unique as a fingerprint.”Barclays said the system can identify someone even if they have a cold as the markers it analyses – including accent, pronunciation and cadence – do not change even if you are blocked up.The bank also said it would be impossible for fraudsters to mimic a customer and fool the computer as they would have to recreate all the physical and behavioural aspects of their speech.
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