A digital telecommunications system, a method of managing communications in such a system and a program product for managing audio transmission in a digital communications system can include devices at network endpoints selectively, transparently providing voice samples of sufficient quality for authentication and identification during conversations with the devices. The devices can respond to an authentication request by collecting authentication samples of an ongoing conversation with the samples having sufficient detail for authentication. The devices send the authentication samples in parallel that do not disrupt the conversation. Authentication samples may be verified prior to authentication by comparison against the corresponding portion of the ongoing conversation.