EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
MARK PERRY , APAC CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER AT
PING IDENTITY
In an increasingly competitive business world , delivering a compelling customer experience has never been more important . From the moment a new customer first interacts with a business until well after they have made their purchases , the experience must be enjoyable , rewarding and as frictionless as possible . If this is not achieved , they ’ ll simply head elsewhere .
Interestingly , when they are critically assessing the state of the customer experience they are delivering , many companies are now looking beyond businesses that would be considered their traditional rivals .
Where once a consumer may have been prepared to put up with a clunky interface or poorly designed ordering process , this is no longer the case .
For example , a bank may be taking steps to improve the experience of customers who make use of its mobile app . Instead of comparing that experience to those offered by other banks , they might instead look at what is offered by companies such as Uber or AirBnB .
This is because consumers have a certain level of expectation when it comes to interacting with all types of businesses . And , with a higher proportion of interactions now happening digitally , these expectations are on the rise .
Where once a consumer may have been prepared to put up with a clunky interface or poorly designed ordering process , this is no longer the case . They are demanding experiences that are consistent , dependable and simple to understand .
Consumers also have expectations when it comes to privacy . They want to be assured that any personal details they provide are stored securely at all times . They are also keen to know that the data won ’ t be held for any longer than required to complete the transaction or passed onto a third party without prior consent .
The critical role of security
Sitting at the heart of these rewarding customer experiences is the challenge of security and identity . Consumers need to be identified in ways that are effective without causing a barrier or speed bump in the transaction process . For this reason , increasing numbers of organisations are shifting away from being reliant on passwords . A mainstay digital verification for many years , they are now making way for better and more streamlined alternatives .
In many cases , biometrics is offering a practical alternative . Rather than having to remember a complex password containing letters , numbers and symbols , a customer can instead provide a fingerprint or use facial recognition technology .
Another alternative being adopted is voice prints . A customer is recorded while dictating a set phrase and the recording is then analysed to create a unique audio print . This can then be compared to the voice of the customer the next time they call . Such options can significantly improve the identification and authentication processes used by organisations in all sectors . Transactions can be streamlined and the quality of customer experience increased .
The bottom line is that identity and security have to be both effective and frictionless . Any authentication system must be easy to use and not create annoying delays in the transaction .
The organisations that crack the challenge of deploying an effective identity based security infrastructure in the coming months will be best placed to grow as market conditions improve . They will have achieved the goal of providing a compelling customer experience .
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