ATO furthers digital transformation with website launch of Nuance Nina virtual assistant; strong initial results show 80 per cent first contact resolution rate                                          

Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has integrated Nuance’s intelligent virtual assistant, Nina, within the organisation’s website. This is another important step on the ATO’s path to transform the online experience for customers by improving their ability to self-serve.

In an age where customers are continuously seeking advanced tools for self-service and automation, Nuance’s virtual assistant solution, Nina, offers the ATO’s customers the option to have their questions answered by Alex at ato.gov.au. Alex provides tailored responses to customer queries using natural language understanding, conversational dialogue and advanced resolution techniques, to answer hundreds of commonly asked questions across a range of categories. This allows agents to spend more time managing complex requests.

Since March 2016, more than 950,000 conversations have taken place with Alex, with steady monthly increases occurring from July through to October as many Australian’s focus on submitting their tax returns. The virtual assistant will continue to evolve in its contextual conversations with customers as more people interact with it on a daily basis.

“We’re thrilled to provide the ATO with the next phase of intelligent automation technology to foster a seamless and efficient experience for the many customers utilising the ATO’s online services, day-in and day-out.,” said Robert Schwarz, managing director for Nuance Enterprise, Australia and New Zealand.

Initial results show first contact resolution rates of 80 per cent with the ATO’s new virtual assistant Alex, which exceed the industry benchmark of 60-65 per cent. These strong initial results demonstrate an efficient and effective customer experience, indicating that the majority of customer queries are being answered by the virtual assistant.

The implementation of Nuance’s intelligent virtual assistant follows the ATO’s use of Nuance voice biometrics across its call centre and mobile applications. By providing customers with enhanced, more secure authentication using voice biometrics, the ATO is signifying a proactive step towards enhancing digital services, with over 2.4 million customers enrolled.

For more information about Nuance’s Nina, please visit: http://australia.nuance.com/for-business/customer-service-solutions/nina/index.htm.