New pin numbers are being introduced to Bank of Ireland customers who have been using the full-time telephone banking service Banking 365 since it began 18 months ago.

Many of these customers found the questions they were asked over the phone tedious so the bank is now replacing them with a request to quote three random, consecutive numbers from their new six-digit PINs. (This system should ensure that if they call from a busy office or public place their PINs will remain secure.) PINs are already in use with AIB's 24-hour telephone banking service, Phonelink.

Nearly 200 staff at the Banking 365 headquarters at Tallaght take over 5,000 telephone banking calls every day. An IVR (interactive voice response) option is being introduced next year for certain transactions.