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Imagine you're paying for a purchase with your credit card over the phone through an automated system - how can a "machine" tell if it's really you calling, rather than someone who just stole your wallet? 

Consumers reported fraud losses totaling more than $1.2 billion last year, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Fraud can be committed in various ways, but phone fraud in particular has increased sharply.

Do you believe that something as simple as the human voice could virtually put an end to fraud and perhaps even replace passwords and PINs at the same time? "Voice biometrics" or "voice authentication," as it is referred to in technology circles, is just one of many options for protecting secure information, but it's arguably the most accurate, convenient and cost-effective way to authenticate a person's identity.

Voice biometrics work by creating an individual voiceprint that is unique to the user. The technology captures specific physical characteristics of the human voice, something that other security measures can't do.

So, why hasn't voice authentication become mainstream yet? Canada and Australia are more advanced than the U.S., where some critics have unnecessary fear and doubt about the technology. They question the ability to handle noisy environments or the ability to authenticate a person's voice if they have a cold or sore throat, when in fact voice biometrics are effective in both cases.

Some critics argue that voice biometrics are not as secure as retina scans and fingerprints, but retina scans and fingerprints don't work over the phone and systems are costly to deploy, since the infrastructure is not already in place. Meanwhile, everyone has a voice and the infrastructure is already in place to collect voice over the phone and even over the computer.

What do you think?

See what Terry Sweeney, Editor in Chief on Internet Evolution has to say about it -- http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=679&doc_id=181166&f_src=internetevolution_gnews 

Posted by Nuance TIPS* Expert: Chuck Buffum, VP Authentication Solutions, Nuance

*TIPS expert posts are written by Nuance experts and thought leaders and discuss a common issue or emerging trend they're seeing in contact centers and around customer experience. It's just another way we can engage in a relevant, meaningful dialogue with you and share our contact center expertise. We encourage you to post your comments, challenges or questions.