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Voice-enabled financial transactions are now available for Episys credit unions, providing members with convenient, personalized service
Monett, Mo., Dec. 20, 2017 - Its Symitar® division today introduced voice-enabled financial transactions to Amazon® Alexa® through its Episys® Financial Innovations Voice Experience (FIVE) solution.
Symitar Episys credit unions can now offer conversational access to accounts for a more immersive transaction experience. Members can simply speak to Alexa to conduct a wide variety of transactions such as: check account balances, transfer funds, make payments, get loan payoff amounts, cancel payment cards, and more. To make communication easy, FIVE enables members to assign a nickname to specific accounts, allowing them to initiate transactions through spoken statements such as “Transfer $50 from Savings to Checking.” Members can also receive text receipts for transactions through Twilio, a cloud communications company. FIVE is secured by a single sign-on and uses layers of security to protect members.
Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based Enrichment Federal Credit Union (EFCU) was the first to launch the solution to its 41,000 members. John Merritt, CIO of $457 million EFCU, commented, “We have been watching artificial intelligence technology for years and see it as a way to further expand the personal services we offer members. We wanted to be Symitar’s first credit union to implement this technology so that we could make digital transactions easier. Voice banking with Alexa does just that; it eliminates extra steps and adds convenience. Now, a member can order something on Amazon and check their balance all in the same task.”
EFCU provided all of its 115 employees with an Echo Dot to learn, train, and interact with the technology prior to launching FIVE. Employees can help members set up the service with demos at any of the EFCU’s nine branches. Executives report great feedback from members of all demographics; more than 200 users have implemented the skill in its first three weeks.
Ted Bilke, president of Symitar, commented, “FIVE opens the door for credit unions to be actively involved in their members’ on-demand lifestyles. The convenience of voice-enabled transactions through a digital assistant means members can consult with their credit union in the midst of everyday activities, like planning their to-do lists or placing orders on Amazon. Credit unions gain a competitive advantage by implementing a financial technology that removes steps from simple processes while making their services even more readily accessible.”