Voice-based mobile authentication provider Voicekey has been awarded the second phase of a small business research initiative m-commerce contract by the U.K. government's innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board.

SBRI contracts are being promoted by the Home Office, the U.K. government ministry responsible for internal affairs, as a way to stimulate the development of innovative m-commerce products that prevent fraud and increase accessibility for all.

The award of a Phase 2 contract follows completion by Nottingham, U.K-based Voicekey of its Phase 1 contract. Dr Tony Allen, Voicekey's CEO, said in a statement that the Phase 2 contract will lead to the company "delivering a market-ready solution which will enable mobile commerce in a convenient, secure and inclusive manner."

Voicekey's mTrust system allows shoppers to authenticate themselves for purchase transactions by using a voice-based digital certificate. The certificate is created when a consumer registers for mTrust and supplies a sample of his or her voice. An app displays the mTrust certificate on the shopper's mobile phone screen in the form of a barcode, which is read by the merchant's barcode reader.

Once the merchant has scanned the barcode, payment is automatically deducted from the shopper's mobile phone balance.

Voicekey said it is working with a range of POS hardware suppliers to tier one and smaller retailers. These vendors will provide Voicekey with access to national and global routes to market, the company said.

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