Interview with Cameron Mccuaig

October 2007

Interviewee: Cameron McCuaig, Vice President, Client Care, Bell Canada

Subject: Voice Identification Service

Nymity:  What is the Voice Identification service from Bell?

McCuaig:  Bell’s Voice Identification Service (VIS) uses the unique characteristics of a clients’ voice to verify their identity. Registration in VIS is free, simple and takes about 2 minutes.

Nymity:  Why is Bell introducing such a service?

McCuaig:  Bell has for some time been recognized for its leadership in the protection of personal information. This service now allows us to maintain the privacy and security of our clients’ information, while making our process more convenient for them. VIS will also reduce the amount of time it takes to complete the validation process, giving client care representatives more time to focus on the clients’ requests.

Nymity:  What concerns did clients raise about existing verification procedures?

McCuaig:  It was the familiar issue of the security vs. convenience trade-off. Our clients were reassured by the level of security but often had difficulty answering, finding or remembering the required identification information.

Nymity:  Why will the Voice Identification service improve existing verification procedures used by Bell?

McCuaig:  Once enrolled, clients are no longer required to have their bill in hand (unless they want to discuss specific call details), have PIN or passwords ready, or validate other account information. The client’s voice can be used to associate a caller’s identity to their account and, unlike a PIN or password, a voice print cannot be stolen or lost.

Nymity:  How does the Voice Identification service authenticate a caller?

McCuaig:  VIS compares a client’s live voice with the stored voice print – using the distinctive markers of their voice to verify the caller’s identity. If there is a match, the caller’s identity is validated.

Nymity:  What privacy problems does voice identification solve for Bell?

McCuaig:  It comes down to authentication. VIS gives Bell the ability to provide convenient authentication while maintaining the high standards of security that Bell is recognized for.

Nymity:  What about usage and storage of voice prints?

McCuaig:  In accordance with Bell’s Privacy Policy, the voice print is used strictly to verify the client’s identity when they call. Voice prints will not be sold, shared or used for any other purpose.

The voice samples will be stored in a secure environment and the client’s account information encrypted to prevent misuse. Voice prints are useless outside the Bell environment because the application has a unique encrypted code to decipher.

Nymity:  How do I register my voice for the service?

McCuaig:  When a client calls Bell’s IVR entry point, they are asked to enter their telephone number. Once done, they hear a prompt introducing VIS and offering more information about the service and the option to enroll. If they agree to enroll, they are asked to provide their account number.

Once their account information is validated, they must repeat a specific sentence up to four times to ensure the voice print is of adequate quality: “At Bell, my voice is my password”.

On subsequent calls, once the caller enters their phone number in the IVR, the number is automatically recognized as a VIS registrant. The caller is prompted to repeat the key phrase so that their voice print can be authenticated. When talking to an agent, an authenticated status will appear on the agent’s desktop screen.

Nymity:  Why should I register?

McCuaig:  VIS offers security and convenience...and piece of mind, as access to your account is limited only to you and those individuals you authorize.

Nymity:  Can I use my mobile phone to submit my voice sample?

McCuaig:  VIS voice verification technology maintains excellent accuracy in all environments, even despite background noise, and over mobile networks.

Nymity:  What if I have a cold or am sick?

McCuaig:  When analyzing a person's voice, VIS relies on robust characteristics of speech that are less sensitive to these variations. VIS performs well even when a person has a mild cold or other reasonable voice variation.

Nymity:  How expensive is this type of technology and what is the expected ROI?

McCuaig:  The technology was the largest ever deployment of speech verification for a consumer application. We had great cooperation from our vendor-partners. We expect to recoup investment costs due to reduced handling times in the medium term.

Nymity:  How have customer reacted?

McCuaig:  Clients who have used the service have reacted very positively, as it saves them time when they call us. Client care representatives also like the service as it avoids sometimes delicate conversations – when clients have difficulty providing identification information – and reduces handling times.

Nymity:  In closing, what lessons have you learned about implementing speaker verification?

McCuaig:  Bell’s Voice Identification Service is an initiative that is a work in progress. The software may be in place but we are continually fine-tuning the application, based on customer feedback, to improve our customer’s convenience & privacy. We are pleased with the rollout and continue to solicit for more enrolments. We are also promoting the service to ensure those enrolled use the service. Making privacy & security more convenient is important to Bell and, as our research is telling us, it is also very important to our customers. We believe that VIS is a great step in that direction.