Nuance's Voiceprinting Software Raises the Bar for Security; Nuance Verifier 3.0 Offers a Superior, Accurate Security Biometric for Airlines, Enterprises and Government Agencies Worldwide

Business Wire, Oct 29, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 2001

Nuance (Nasdaq:NUAN), the leader in Voice Web software, today announced Nuance Verifier(TM) 3.0, establishing voice authentication as the most accurate, cost-effective and versatile security measure in the market. Compared to other biometrics including finger or handprinting and iris, retina or facial scanning, Nuance Verifier's voiceprinting technology has been proven as a superior security solution, boasting a 99.9 percent accuracy rate in benchmark tests by global financial and research institutions. In addition, Nuance Verifier 3.0 is easier and more cost-effective to deploy -- since it works from any telephone -- and can handle a range of applications from facilities access to the protection of sensitive data.

"Major breakthroughs in the development of voice authentication have taken place within the last 10 years, and Nuance has been at the forefront of this development," said Ron Croen, president and CEO, Nuance. "As a result, Nuance Verifier directly addresses all the requirements for real-world applications and is positioned to play a vital role in enhancing a wide range of security applications."

Nuance Verifier 3.0 Features

As enterprises and organizations increasingly turn to biometrics to ensure their customers' safety, Nuance Verifier's voice authentication can strengthen security by preventing unauthorized entry to secure areas, restricting access to sensitive information and correctly identifying users before they complete transactions.

As part of its commitment to advancing voice authentication technology, Nuance has introduced the following new features and improvements in Nuance Verifier 3.0:

-- Enhanced speaker identification -- enables voice authentication systems to
better identify individual members of groups, such as families or small
offices, that may share a single account;

-- Greater accuracy -- improved performance in noisy environments, such as a
car or an airport, and wireless channels, allowing for accurate verification
from both wireless and wireline phones;

-- It's Me(TM) technology -- a tighter integration with Nuance speech
recognition software improves the identification of all individuals when they
speak their names, even if multiple users have the same name. For example, a
financial institution may have 10 account holders with the name John Smith;
Nuance Verifier 3.0 ensures that the correct John Smith is granted access to
the right account;

-- Unparalleled ease of implementation and deployment -- pre-defined security
levels make it easier than ever to implement a voice authentication system.

How Nuance Verifier Works

Nuance Verifier is the most convenient and easy-to-deploy voice authentication offering available. It performs voice authentication from any network access point with a microphone, including the ordinary telephone. No special equipment, such as a scanning device, is required to perform voice authentication, making it an extremely cost-effective solution.

Here's how it works: first, using any ordinary telephone or microphone connected to a network, a caller enrolls his or her voice by answering a few questions. Later, to access a secure area, to perform a transaction or to access personal information, the user provides his or her name or other information requested by the system and the person's voice is compared against the voiceprint on file. If there is a match, the caller is given access to the system or secure area. Nuance Verifier provides easy and secure access to information even in the most challenging, noisy environments such as airports and other high-traffic areas.

"A voiceprint is not simply an audio recording of a user's voice," said Larry Heck, Ph.D, chief scientist of voice authentication R&D, Nuance. "Just as a fingerprint is a unique physical trait, so is a voiceprint. It's based on the physical characteristics of an individual's vocal tract and cannot be altered, stolen or forged."

In addition, according to a study conducted by the IEEE Computer Group, voiceprinting scored highest in user acceptance among all tested biometrics, including finger and handprinting, retina and iris scans and voiceprinting. One of the big advantages of voiceprinting in the workplace is that users do not need to interrupt routines to gain access to secure areas, for example, by removing gloves or safety goggles.

Voice Authentication in the Marketplace

Nuance Verifier 3.0 can be used in a variety of markets and range of applications, including the following:

-- Airlines/airports can identify personnel prior to accessing

secure areas and sensitive information; frequent travelers can

quickly check-in for flights, either remotely or at a kiosk;

-- Government agencies can provide additional voice-based

security measures to existing PIN or swipe card systems or

provide secure admittance to personal computerized information

(taxes, immigration status and social security services);

-- Healthcare facilities and hospitals can meet U.S. government