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Story URL: http://www.silicon.com/financialservices/0,3800010322,39250356,00.htm

Experian launches biometric voice ID checks
Even Rory Bremner can't fool this baby

By Julian Goldsmith

Published: Monday 23 June 2008

Experian has launched a voice biometric hosted ID verification service pitched at customer call centres.

The VoiceCheck service uses technology provided by biometrics specialist VoiceVault to detect more than 100 physiological metrics, such as size of nasal cavity, to determine whether the subject is who they claim to be. This prevents fraudsters spoofing the system with a voice recording of the subject. Participants have to register a voice recording to opt in to the scheme.

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According to Experian, using this service will reduce ID verification of inbound calls by around 30 seconds, resulting in a reduction in cost relating to ID checking by up to 75 per cent.

The service, which is hosted by Experian can be combined with other conventional ID verification checks as a fail-safe and used to cross reference other registrants with the same voice, thereby uncovering fraudsters.

The service is charged on a per-usage basis and is intended for any organisation that interacts with its customer base over the phone, such as financial services or retail and leisure.

VoiceVault's technology has been adapted from code originally devised for military national security purposes about six years ago. The company claims it has the only biometric technology in the world to gain EU certification for advanced digital signatures.

According to VoiceVault head of business development John Colgan, because of its military background, the technology is capable of working at the lowest levels of communications link quality and needs significantly fewer keywords or phrases to be uttered by the subject to verify their ID.

Colgan told silicon.com ABN Amro and Progressive Insurance are both customers of the technology, although the Experian service has yet to announce any customers.