Conversational Voice Biometrics a Canadian First for RBC

October 14, 2015

TORONTO – The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has introduced a Canadian first, voice verification through natural conversation. RBC Secure Voice verifies a client’s identity within seconds – in fact, by the time you’ve finished reading this sentence, your identity would already have been authenticated using this new voice biometrics system.

Using this innovative system there’s no need for passwords / Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) or to respond to a standard series of authentication questions. Clients also do not need to memorize and repeat a specific, dictated phrase – a requirement of other voice biometrics systems. Instead, when the client calls an RBC Contact Centre, their voiceprint – which is unique to each individual – is matched to their live voice in “real time”, within seconds of the call.

“With RBC Secure Voice, our advisors can begin assisting our clients right away – an added convenience our clients are already telling us that they really appreciate,” explained Claude DeMone, vice-president, Business Enablement, RBC.

“We realize the typical verification process can sometimes seem like a series of skill-testing questions – RBC Secure Voice simplifies this process significantly. All you need to do is talk to an RBC advisor and the distinctive qualities of your voice take care of all the rest.”

Following a successful pilot this summer, the full launch of RBC Secure Voice is now being phased-in throughout the fall. Enrolment and activation is a simple four-step process:

  • When an RBC client calls an RBC Contact Centre to discuss their financial needs, the advisor offers to enroll them in this free voice verification service.
  • If the client agrees, the advisor records a voiceprint that is unique to that individual.
  • The voiceprint is encrypted and stored on RBC’s secure server.
  • The next time the client calls an RBC Contact Centre, their identity is quickly verified by matching their live voice with their voiceprint – a process that takes only seconds to complete.
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