eli@pws.bull.com (Steve Elias) (11/05/90)
[Moderator's Note: For some reason, I don't think we received the original commentary which is quoted here. It apparently was in some other newsgroup. PAT] Date: 1 Nov 90 19:08:07 GMT From: jim@applix.UUCP (Jim Morton [ext 237]) Subject: U.S. Sprint New Calling Card System >U.S. Sprint just announced that they are "Beta-testing" a new phone >calling card system that will use voice spoken card numbers, and no >card number entries will be able to be entered by touch-tone keys. >This presents the risk of the person at the next pay phone to you >overhearing your calling card number as you speak it and be able to >write it down and distribute it to other people as has happened with >PC Bulletin boards around the country. Jim! Where's the risk? It doesn't matter how many people know your calling card number unless they have your voice on tape, too! Note that the card numbers *cannot* be entered via touch tones, only via the user's voice. If you're looking for a "risk" in this system, how about when the user has laryngitis?! >To make the matter worse, nine of >the digits in the "voice card" number are your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. >There have been endless discussions on Usenet about the SSN privacy >issue. I would urge people to consider these risks before >participating in this "Beta-test". I'm sure Sprint will provide you with another "voice card" number if you don't want to use your Social Security number. [ forwarded from US Sprint employee. ] As far as i know, and I've just gotten a lot of literature on the subject too incidentally, it's not a beta test. We are beyond beta, it's between beta and rollout and we call it a pilot test. It will involve a total of 3500 users testing various features. The users will be selected from amoung those large corporate users (national accts) who express interest accross the country. Roughly 700 cards per region - not a lot. The MARKETING FEATURE SET which will be tested involves a spoken id but there is no mention of any kind of # id and certainly no mention of the use of a social security #. But I also have some other literature on the subject and it does say that you speak a voicecard number so the system can verify it and your voiceprint against existing voice templates. Spoken speed dial commands "call home" and "call office" will be tested (which lead me to believe that the # ID isn't what you [eli] think it is. Lastly, call delivery, which allows a user to send a message if called party doesn't answer. Also tested will be voicemail features and other stuff they think of along the way. The way it basically works is by matching the caller's voice against a voice template (voice recognition). So it shouldn't make any difference if anyone tries to use it other than you because no one has exactly your voice. (We can do this since we are the only guys who are 100% digital - I don't think any other carrier even has this stuff any where near development) [ End of Forwarded Message. ] eli [Moderator's Note: Again, I would ask that your anonymous correspondent provide us at least with a name when posting here. PAT]