Nick Ogden has been involved in the IT industry since 1985. In 1993, he founded Multi Media Investments Limited, a technology research and development company which launched the Internet in the Channel Islands in 1994. This led to the construction of Europe?s first on-line store in October 1994 and the development of the first bank endorsed e-commerce initiative BarclaySquare in 1995. Not content with that, Nick then founded the multi-currency processor WorldPay and led the company through its growth to over 270 employees with 20,000 customers in 120 countries and processing transactions in excess of $2bn per annum. He invented the internet payment guarantee in 2001 guaranteeing Internet transactions for consumers and businesses.
For his next trick, Nick has launched the world?s first system and standards for voice-signed financial transactions. His new vehicle, Voice Commerce Group and Nuance Communications this month jointly announce the development of the world?s first global system and banking standards that will, for the first time ever, enable the widespread adoption of biometrics-based ?voice signatures? by the global payments and financial services industry.
Nick is the brain behind Voice Transact, a global voice-based biometric payment and financial transaction processing service that can integrate with all current banking and financial transaction processing systems. The system is the first platform for voice signatures that integrates all current standards: Visa and MasterCard Level 1 PCI, ISO 19029, and EU certification 1999/93 for digital certificates within the Single European Payments Area (SEPA).
The deployment of Voice Transact is extremely timely: Harris Research recently suggested that around 80% of consumers are concerned about fraudulent access to their bank accounts. Voice signatures processed by the Voice Transact service could help significantly secure payment transactions and reduce fraud and phishing-related scams, which in 2006, amounted to £428 million in the UK alone.1 In addition to reducing fraud, Voice Transact will enable financial institutions to tap into new markets.
?Voice Transact ?signatures? will transform the way that banking and financial services transactions are conducted to provide a secure and convenient global standard for worldwide use,? Nick says. ?We believe that voice-signed transactions and payments will become as commonplace as Chip and Pin because they address key security concerns by delivering convenience, control, and responsibility to the consumer and the substantial efficiencies and benefits to the financial institutions concerned.? Voice Transact integrates seamlessly with existing payment and transaction processing systems.
From an end-user perspective, the system is also very easy to use. Consumers are asked to create an anonymous voice signature, which uses a biometric that they then use to ?sign? for payments and many other financial transactions. It seamlessly links to VoicePay, the consumer-facing voice-payments system that was announced in May 2007 by Voice Commerce Group.
Voice Transact will aparently enable financial institutions to lower risk, communicate far more securely and efficiently with their customers while providing increased confidence and reductions in fraudulent transactions. Significantly, it also transfers the signing responsibility back to the consumer, in exactly the same way that cheques are signed. Rolling out the world?s first voice signature engine,Voice Commerce Group has chosen Nuance, a leading provider of speech solutions worldwide, to enable the biometric element of Voice Transact.
Nick goes on to say; ?After I had founded WorldPay and established the world?s first Internet payments guarantee in 2001, it transformed the way that consumers pay for goods and services online,? said Ogden. ?I believe that voice signatures that are underpinned by a global standard will have the same kind of dramatic and positive impact on the security and efficiency of global payments as WorldPay created for e-commerce. Voice signatures will become commonplace, augmenting and then replacing passwords and PINs and because the main authentication tool is the consumer?s voice, they?re a lot easier for the consumer to use, as they are not required to remember anything.?
Voisin
Free legal advice from Voisin
Local law firm, Voisin, has partnered with the Citizens Advice Bureau to offer Jersey
residents free legal advice.The free clinics, which launch on 3rd July at the offices of Voisin in Don Road, will be held twice a month at Voisin?s offices and at the Citizens Advice in St Paul?s Community Centre.
The clinics are aimed at people who may have personal injury claims to pursue as a result of accidents at work or injuries from a car accident, for example. Advice can also be offered to those who are concerned that any medical treatment they have received has been negligent. Voisin are giving all potential claimants the opportunity to explore the avenues open to them and offering guidance with regards the next steps. The clinics will operate on an appointment basis.
Francis Le Gresley, Citizens Advice Bureau, commented: ?Nearly all the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau is about helping people to safeguard their legal rights, either through the Bureau?s own work or by directing clients elsewhere. Over the last few years the legal profession in Jersey has developed a greater degree of specialisation so it is important that, when we refer clients for legal advice, we adopt a selective approach, choosing lawyers by reference to their particular expertise.
Green post
Jersey Post goes green with its air con
Jersey Post is leading the way in the Island by replacing all its air conditioning with an environmentally friendly system. Many air conditioning systems currently use CFCs and other ozone depleting gases known as HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) which cause global warming. New legislation is phasing out the use of these refrigerant gases, in particular R22 gas, by 2015.
Jersey Post will be removing all HCFCs from the Rue des Pres office air conditioning systems in June. Head of Facilities, Matt Bougourd said: ?Although there is still a while to go before this new legislation begins, we felt it was important to change these systems now to minimise our environmental impact Jersey Post is committed to protecting the environment and reducing global warming and this is just one of many measures we plan to take in the coming months.?
CIM marketing awards
Get your entries in and buy your tickets!
The end of last month saw the launch event for this year?s awards. A firm fixture on the calender of not only marketing departments but the business community in general, the awards ceremony event is the highlight of the black tie event calender.
Beverley Le Cuirot, Chairman of CIM Jersey, said: ?The Awards are now in their twelfth year and they remain dedicated to highlighting marketing talent in the Island and rewarding the very best achievements in the discipline. Once again we will be recognising our Student of the Year, as well as nine other exciting categories.?
Award entry forms are available from
www.cim.je now and entries will be accepted until 5pm on Tuesday 30th September. The winners will be announced at the CIM Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on Friday 21st November at the Hotel de France. Tickets for the event are available for members now and will be available to non-members 2 from Thurs 10th July. Enquire online (www.cim.je) to reserve tickets/tables.
Catch of the day
Let Mr Fish lure you in.
For all you fishermen out there, Mr Fish on the inner road at First Tower, are making a name for themselves in the fishing world selling top quality and unique fishing products including Tenryu rods, and a great source of knowledge on local bass fishing. Stop by and have a friendly, and very informative, chat.
Tel 618886
