New Authentication Solution in On-Line Banking for Visually Impaired Users

The new Xi-Sign 4500 provides a security solution for on-line banking services for visually impaired customers. It features a specific audio interface based on the patented "Chip-to-Speech" technology owned by XIRING, which enables the device to recite any text displayed on the screen in a clear recorded voice via a discrete earphone, to visually impaired users.

As the popularity of online and telephone banking continues to grow there is a need for banks to remotely authenticate all customers, including visually impaired ones, during non face-to-face transactions. In Europe, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) states that disabled people have rights for accessing everyday services, and that service providers must make reasonable adjustments to accommodate their specific need.

Nigel Reavley, director of Business Unit Banking at XIRING, explains “The Xi-Sign 4500 is a testament to the banking community’s commitment to meet the specific needs of all of their customers and to deliver the best service possible.”

The Xi-Sign 4500 can “read” the one-time password calculated by the EMV banking card, and also read the transaction logs from the card so that a user can audibly check the amounts. The reader is portable and can be used in any location as a means of on-line authentication. It also features an oversize screen, displaying the authentication password in 7mm characters for the partially sighted, which is twice the size of characters displayed on existing relevant devices.

Source: XIRING