1st Indian Contact Center Solution Awards Ceremony, 18 May 2007
Contact Center Solution Awards were distributed to winning companies. Dr S K Agrawal (Director STPI) and Mr M P Dubey (Jt Director STPI) were felicitated with Special Recognition Awards for their exemplary contribution to the BPO Industry. The district administration of Gurgaon was represented by Shri Satyaprakash T.L, Addl Deputy Commissioner.
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Mumbai based Effort BPO to help set up Chinese BPO
Asia Star (a Chinese Telecom Company) and Triple Three (a Hong Kong based investment house) have retained Mumbai based Effort BPO to help set up a 1000 seater Domestic BPO in China . The Chinese have been struggling to manage their 100 seater currently in operation, and felt the dire need for experts to bail them out. Effort BPO will focus on training first, and then on managing quality focused operations for the new venture … 31 May 2007
MD-IT acquires Michiana Transcribers, Inc.
MD-IT announced today that it has added a new regional office in Northern Indiana with the acquisition of Michiana Transcribers, Inc. The former owner received a combination of cash and stock in the transaction and has joined MD-IT's management team as the Managing Director Northern Indiana. MD-IT specializes in serving physician offices and ambulatory clinics. This market is estimated to be $7 billion out of the $10 billion spent annually on medical transcription in the US , with hospitals accounting for the remaining $3 billion. While most large transcription organizations have systems designed primarily for hospital clients, MD-IT has designed its services and software to meet the unique needs of ambulatory care facilities … 31 May 2007
CSC bags Northstar Financial Services business
Computer Sciences Corporation has signed a five-year business process outsourcing (BPO) contract with Bermuda-based Northstar Financial Services Ltd. CSC's life insurance and annuity BPO services team will administer Northstar's new investment products, providing full back-office services and technical support, including end-to-end policy administration, a bilingual English-Spanish customer call center, new business and payment processing, and commission processing for Northstar's investment advisors … 31 May 2007
Accentia BPO to expand operations in UAE soon
Accentia Technologies will soon open a subsidiary in the UAE, for BPO services. The company is focused on medical transcription, coding, billing and insurance claims and offers the complete gamut of health care BPO services … 31 May 2007
Firstsource earns insurance mediation authorization from FSA ( UK )
The FSA authorisation means that Firstsource Solutions Limited can, on behalf of its clients, now respond to incoming inquiries relating to Insurance products and offer information and advice on clients insurance services. Firstsource can now upsell and cross-sell insurance products across a wide range of services and close insurance sales calls. Firstsource can also now sell Handset Insurance on behalf of its Telecom clients … 29 May 2007
3i Infotech acquires 50.5% stake in Aok in-house BPO Services
3i Infotech acquired 50% stake in Aok In-house BPO Services. Aok In-house BPO Services, which has facilities in New Delhi and Mumbai, is one of the largest Indian providers of IT enabled services. The company was acquired for its delivery capabilities in the areas of credit cards and auto loans processing for the banking sector as well as claims and proposal processing for the insurance sector. Their clients include top Indian banks and insurance companies. Their partial client list has among others - American Express Bank, Max New York Life Insurance, ABN AMRO Bank, ICICI Bank and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance … 29 May 2007
Paxys targets 7,000 Call Center Seats soon
Chairman Tarcisio Medalla said Paxys was planning to increase its call center seats to more than 7,000 by mid-July with the launch of a new 1,600-seat facility in Cubao. This will be Paxys' sixth call center building and, so far, its biggest single floor center. The facility was estimated to cost about $10 million. Advanced Contact Solutions Inc. (ACS), Paxys' call center subsidiary, first started with 2,000 seats in 2003. As of end-2006, the company's capacity has grown to about 6,000 seats … 29 May 2007
Deborah Kops named Chief Marketing Officer of WNS
WNS Holdings Limited today named Deborah Kops as Chief Marketing Officer. Ms Kops has the distinction of being managing director at Deutsche Bank London, where she led global sourcing transformation efforts. As founding partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers' business process outsourcing division, she managed global strategy and product development. She is a highly sought after speaker at industry forums writes for distinguished publication … 29 May 2007
RBI lets BPOs set up On-shore/ Overseas Centers on easy terms
RBI has eased norms to let BPOs use foreign exchange in setting up overseas centers. BPO firms can now to pay for equipment to be imported and installed at their overseas sites without physically landing it to India . BPOs will need to take necessary permission from the Ministry of IT though … 28 May 2007
Are Capgemini/ Wipro strongest suitors for Citigroup BPO arm stake?
Wipro, EDS, Capgemini, Genpact, IBM, ADS, Infosys and many more that we do not even know of. Most suitors have maintained studied silence as is the norm in such deals, yet its an open secret that they’ll all go an arm and a leg to successfully bid for it. The valuation of the Citi's BPO arm which markets peg at $1-1.3 billion is forcing second thoughts. If market rumors are any indication, Capgemini and Wipro are argued to be the strongest contenders. Watch the space, interesting developments are expected in a week … 27 May 2007
Tricom in acquisition mode
Tricom India Ltd may acquire a legal litigation coding company in the US soon. And if their management is to be believed, many more are lined up soon. The acquisition will be in the USD 2-5-million range and financed entirely through internal accruals and term loans. Tricom is a leading player in the legal litigation field, title insurance business and e-publishing. The company services web editions of prestigious clients such as Washington Post, Chicago Times, Jerusalem Post and Financial Times etc .… 28 May 2007
Genpact & Rajasthan University in training pact
A pact between Genpact and Rajasthan University will allow students to part-time with the company while pursuing a degree course. On completing their graduation, these trainees will be offered full-time employment with Genpact. The 'Learn While You Earn' concept enables students to spend three and a half days a week in college and two and a half days working. Attrition necessitates similar partnerships that Genpact has with Delhi University and Osmania University in Hyderabad … 28 May 2007
Egypt to become India of the Middle East says Yankee Group
Companies such as Cisco, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and Orange Business Services are already exploiting Egypt 's IT talent pool. BPO is not far away. Egyptian government has set an ambitious revenue goal of $1 billion for its outsourcing business by 2010. BPONews has been bullish on the Egyptian market (among other emerging destinations) for long; this report just revalidates our expert opinion … 27 May 2007
Accentia lands $2 million Healthcare BPO deal
Accentia is a BPM provider to healthcare industry. The company plans to increase its headcount by 500 people at Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram centers. Accentia Technologies mainly focuses on medical transcription, coding, billing and insurance claims. On the recent announcement its shares 1.71 per cent up at Rs 89.35 on the BSE … 27 May 2007
Karaturi Networks acquires 100% in Estel
Aegis Communications Group Inc, the Essar owned BPO business is bullish on hiring. One of the largest Domestic BPOs, they employ in excess of 10,000 people in India across 7 locations. Their US operations employ 4500 people in seven centers. Aegis is a $200 million business with centers soon being added in Philippines , Dominican Republic , Argentina and Brazil … 27 May 2007
Essar owned Aegis to hire 1500 people
Aegis Communications Group Inc, the Essar owned BPO business is bullish on hiring. One of the largest Domestic BPOs, they employ in excess of 10,000 people in India across 7 locations. Their US operations employ 4500 people in seven centers. Aegis is a $200 million business with centers soon being added in Philippines , Dominican Republic , Argentina and Brazil … 22 May 2007
WiMax will soon change the BPO landscape
WiMax is soon expected to change the business landscape. It will now be possible to connect with reliability, thus making Home-BPO execs a reality. Business leaders at BPOs are excited about this opportunity. Reliance is reported to be the first one off the block, and is already talking to interested BPOs. Beyond the operational ease, WiMax will enable easier retention of employees, while adding a whole new dimension of women working from homes … 18 May 2007
Genpact scales up Jaipur - hires 500 - plans third facility
In keeping with the trend of extending towards Tier2/3 cities, Genpact has hired more than 500 people in its Jaipur facility in the last 5 months. This scale up is part of its long term strategy and Genpact is poised to add its third facility in Jaipur soon … 18 May 2007
Sequoia Capital India sells 4.45% in Firstsource - rakes in $42million
Sequoia Capital India has divested 4.45% stake in Firstsource Solutions (formerly ICICI OneSource) to Sun Group, a global investment and business group, for $42 million. Post-sale, Sequoia Capital continue to own around 5% stake in FirstSource … 18 May 2007
Manpower costs top 50% in BPOs
Rising manpower costs in BPOs is a worrisome issue though most BPOs won’t acknowledge it openly. With manpower costs ranging between 50-60%, BPOs are looking towards Tier2/3 cities where costs are still in a lower bandwidth. The rise in costs per year (over previous years) is around 15% which is cause for worry. But the upside to the picture is Technology costs, which seem to have stabilized to a little less than 20% now … 18 May 2007
Target eyes Mysore for BPO
$52 billion US retail giant Target Corp will set up its BPO in Mysore . With a proposed investment of Rs 65 crore which will scale up to Rs 300 crore in the next three years. The company will employ around 2,500-3,000 people. In a related development, Jsoft Solutions, part of Jindal Group, will start its BPO operations from Bellary and Hubli with 1,500 people … 12 May 2007
Genpact Ltd files registration statement with SEC for IPO
Genpact Limited, which manages business processes for companies around the world, today announced it has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of its common shares. Genpact will apply to have its common shares listed on the NYSE under the symbol “G”. The joint bookrunning managers are Morgan Stanley, Citi and JPMorgan… 12 May 2007
Convergys opens its eighth Contact Center in Philippines
President Arroyo lauded Convergys Philippines for opening its eighth integrated contact center investment in the country at the i2 building in Asiatown IT Park (AITP), Lahug, Cebu City . The new site, which occupies two floors of the i2 building, is expected to fill 1,200 seats. Convergys was recently recognized by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority as both 2006 Outstanding Employer and Exporter … 10 May 2007
Three Outsourcing Companies unite under single brand
H-Cube today announced that it has changed its name to Zenta and integrated the operations of its three subsidiaries to create one of the world's leading business and knowledge process outsourcing companies. H-Cube was formed in January 2005 through a partnership between Henry Hortenstine and GTCR Golder Rauner, LLC, one of the nation's leading private equity firms, to create a world class business and knowledge process outsourcing company. As part of this strategy, H-Cube acquired Zenta, Inc., Global Realty Outsourcing, Inc., and Blackheath Financial, Inc., all of which specialized in providing BPO and KPO services to the real estate and financial services industries. The company currently employs more than 5,000 staff in New York , Los Angeles , London , Mumbai, Chennai, Philadelphia and Charlotte … 10 May 2007
SAP bags top honors at HROA Awards
The Human Resources Outsourcing Association (HROA), a leading association focused on promoting advancements in human resources transformation, has recognized SAP AG for its thought leadership in the global arena of business process outsourcing (BPO). Nominated for three of fourteen award categories, SAP was awarded top honors for "Technology Provider of the Year" and "Person of the Year … 10 May 2007
TPI predicts slowdown in global outsourcing
The quarterly figures from outsourcing advisors TPI show the lowest first quarter figure for five years at US$17.6 billion, compared to US$25.4 billion a year earlier. The level of business process outsourcing (BPO) has also declined with the lowest number of deals in the first quarter for five years. TPI predicts the BPO market will grow at just 2 percent this year--well behind the double-digit growth seen in recent years. Despite the decline in the U.S. market, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region are both still experiencing strong growth. Outsourcing activity in Europe was up by two-thirds compared to 2006, with US$9.7 billion-worth of contracts signed, while the Asia-Pacific region experienced a 30 percent rise to US$2.1 billion. … 08 May 2007
Infosys BPO certified eSCM4 by Carnegie Mellon
Infosys BPO, the business process outsourcing subsidiary of Infosys Technologies, has been certified for e-Sourcing Capability Model for Service Providers (eSCM-SPv2.0) at level 4 by the Carnegie Mellon University 's IT Services Qualification Centre (ITSqC). This is the first evaluation covering the whole organisation, across multiple continents and geographies. 11 other organisations have received this certification … 08 May 2007
Convergys renews HRO contract with Fifth Third Bancorp
Although Fifth Third’s original agreement with Convergys was scheduled to run through 2008, both companies agreed to extend the service agreement two years early as a result of Convergys’ successful execution of the program. Under the terms of the early renewal, Convergys will continue to provide Fifth Third Bank with advanced payroll administration and processing, compensation administration and planning, benefits administration, HR administration (including data management and strategic services), recruiting and resourcing (including hiring, on boarding and specialized staffing), and employee-manager self-service … 08 May 2007
Hewitt Associates bags HRO business from Rogers Canada
Under the new multi-year contract, Hewitt will provide HR BPO services, including workforce administration, payroll, compensation and health and welfare administration services to approximately 26,000 Rogers employees … 08 May 2007
Future group adds 250 seats to Domestic Outsourcing
Future group will reportedly sign a substantial outsourcing deal with IBM and Cisco. The deal size is likely to be around $300 million over the next five to seven years. A 250 seater BPO is likely to be set up in Gujarat to handle the group’s retail business accounting, bills processing and customer relationship … 08 May 2007
TouchStar Releases Call Center 5.7
TouchStar has announced the release of TouchStar Call Center Software Version 5.7. It is designed to offer significant new features that include advanced inbound functionality, support for Spanish and French, expanded custom settings to optimize individual campaign performance, enhanced reporting, additional recording options, visual supervisor and quality assurance. Robert Killory, TouchStar's Director of Development, maintains that TouchStar is the fastest growing company in the industry worldwide. This release offers many new queue specific statistics related to service levels, staffing and call volumes, which further enhances the skills-based routing in ACD and IVR applications. New call recording formats and visual interface offer superior value … 06 May 2007
Aspect eWorkforce Management 7.0.1 for Contact Centers
With a keen eye on effectively forecasting call volumes and managing agents, Aspect Software Inc, the world’s largest company solely focused on Contact Centers announced its latest Workforce Management 7.0.1 for Contact Centers. With the Perform feature, companies can collect complex adherence and productivity data, and compare agent status to established objectives and schedules. This release of Aspect eWorkforce Management enhances a key piece of the solution for our customers and prospects in Europe, Latin America and the Asia- Pacific regions … 06 May 2007
Altesys introduces Wireless Pro wireless telephone headsets
Gruppo Altesys, a leading Italian company providing headsets to the contact Center industry has announced its latest cutting edge wireless headsets. The four new models Mobility, Connex 100, Connex 300 and Connex 500 are the most innovative telephone headsets to date for Call Centers and office telephony. Perfect marriage between an outstanding design and a faultless ergonomics, these products represent a new generation technology in wireless communications that provides the best comfort and the highest level of flexibility to every user … 06 May 2007
Professor Laura Tyson Joins 24/7 Customer’s Board of Directors
24/7 Customer, Inc. announced the appointment of Laura Tyson, Professor of Business Administration and Economics at the University of California at Berkeley, to its Board of Directors. Her immense knowledge on global economy and experience as an economic adviser will be a great asset to propel the growth of 24/7 Customer. She holds an impressive & varied portfolio. She is a member of Boards of Directors of Morgan Stanley, Eastman Kodak Company, and AT&T, Inc. She is also a Board Director at the New America Foundation, the Brookings Institute, Council on Foreign Relations and the Institute for International Economics. Professor Laura Tyson was the President's National Economic Adviser and key architect of President Clinton's domestic and international policy agenda. She has also served as a member of the President's National Security Council and Domestic Policy Council … 04 May 2007
Johannesburg looking to garner up to 60 000 BPO jobs by 2009
According to project consultant Douglas Cohen, the City of Johannesburg will take upto 60,000 BPO jobs by 2009. South Africa was positioned to take up between 400 000 to 500 000 potential jobs in BPO. Though Gauteng already accounts for almost 85% of BPOs in South Africa , Johannesburg is well positioned to take advantage of a large portion of the employment opportunities … 04 May 2007
Visually challenged can now join the BPO workforce
Navigation and Expert Interaction Logic (NEIL), a new technology will allow the visually challenged to work in BPOs. The software is used to transform coded data into voice format through a landline telephone instrument. The caller first listens to the information and then makes a call to the customer. The technology is being used by the employment department of the National Association for the Blind (NAB) to impart call centre training to the visually impaired. They were subsequently given employment as telemarketing executives by Tata Teleservices … 04 May 2007
Silverline Technologies announces acquisition plans in BPO business
Silverline Technologies Ltd has announced its plans to acquire a Financial and Banking BPO. The proposed acquisition looks at the North American market, mainly Canada , and seeks to add around 1000 people to the company’s rolls. The size of investment is estimated at Canadian Dollars 30 million … 02 May 2007
IBM outsources 1000 jobs to Indiana
Having invested around $6 bn in its Indian operations, IBM continues its domestic investments in the US , to please their internal audience. In a quid-pro-quo deal, IBM has agreed to create 1000 call center jobs in Daleville , Indiana . In return it will bag the US Govt’s business to modernize the IT system that runs the state's welfare eligibility plan … 02 May 2007
Fidelity sets up office in China
Fidelity International has become the first foreign fund management group to launch a back-office operation in China , reflecting the country's rise in pulling power as a financial outsourcing centre. the planned venture in the north-eastern port of Dalian could rival the group's outsourcing operations in India , where it employs about 9,000 staff. Fidelity, which manages a total of $1,500bn of assets, is hoping to use the Dalian facility to service its mutual funds and pension business in Japan , where it ranks among the biggest foreign money managers … 02 May 2007
BPO firm Intelligent Wave all set to go public
Philippines BPO firm Intelligent Wave Philippines Inc. (IWPI) is ready to brave its maiden public debut. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, IWPI majority shareholder and listed information technology firm Diversified Financial Network Inc. said its board had agreed to tap BDO Capital & Investment Corp. as issue manager and lead underwriter for the proposed initial public offer. A majority of IWPI's revenue will be derived from BPO contracts from Japanese companies overseas. The funds to be generated from the IPO will be used to expand IWPI's services and tap the opportunities that will open in Japan , following the Philippine-Japan Free Trade Agreement … 02 May 2007
Verizon Services Corp. named Best Shared Services Organization
Verizon Services Corp. has been named the 2007 Best New Shared Services Organization by the Shared Services and Outsourcing Network. It provides financial, real estate and other functional services to all Verizon business groups and corporate departments. Verizon Services Corp. oversees more than $33 billion in purchasing, processes $144 billion in financial transactions, manages 169 million square feet of real estate, and operates more than 700 IT systems across Verizon … 02 May 2007
Obituary
Cancellation of the Event Ceremony
BPONews has lost its brightest star. R.K.Sharma, fondly called RK, a young and vibrant spirit will vibrate with us no more. All of 29, a man with exemplary qualities of head and heart, he passed away in Malaysia on 23 April 2007. He joined us just two months back. RK was the fire behind our first ever Awards. He may never come back yet he will never be gone ... May God bless your soul, rest in peace RK. We regret to announce that we are canceling the event ceremony. My gratitude to our Sponsors who have supported our decision and helped us in doing the right thing. They were as charmed by RK as the rest of us. The Awards shall be announced ( 27 April 07) on our website, but there will be no ceremony/ celebration, to honor RK’s memory. Update shall be notified soon. My apologies to anyone who may be inconvenienced by this cancellation. BPONews joins RK’s family to thank everyone for their support and kind gesture in this difficult time.
Deepak Kapoor // CEO, BPONews
Europe ’s €4bn outsourcing industry in dire straits
According to research by Compass Management Consulting, the European Outsourcing Industry is hitting a new low. Many deals being taken back in-house due to less than expected results, dissatisfaction on costs, quality and unproductive resources is taking its toll. 65% of all contracts worth over £20m are not making it to their full term. The study made some scathing revelations: Contracts are priced to show an immediate saving of around 18% which spirals to 36% above in-house operations by the third year. Thorough analysis by Compass, of over 220 high-value contracts concluded that most tier one outsourcing vendors charge 30% to 45% higher than comparable internal market rate by the third year … 29 April 2007
UTI move to enter BPO disallowed by SEBI
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) disallowed UTI Mutual Funds to acquire a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm. UTI handles assets around Rs 35,000 crores and has more than 95 lakh customers. This opens up the market for both Domestic and International BPO players, as UTI has kept its options open. Currently the Indian registry market is serviced mainly by Karvy & CAMS. A few companies such as BCG are said to be in negotiations … 29 April 2007
Medical Transcription to rescue about 750,000 US jobs
Medical transcription is an in-demand, technically oriented career field, a job that can be done from almost anywhere. Now MT uses a digital dictation system and everything is done over the Internet. This will benefit around 750,000 US military spouses, who are always on the move. Now they can be home and yet have a secured job for life. Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy said the US Govt will assist military spouses in obtaining satisfying, rewarding careers at a medical transcription association through education at special centers. For the typical 18-month program the cost of medical transcription training in the US is about $3,000. Compensation for certified transcription specialists ranges from $11 to $19 an hour, the pay is based on productivity. … 29 April 2007
iYogi, a next-gen outsourcing company gets $3.1 m in VC funding
Canaan Partners and SVB Financial Group have collectively invested $3.1 million in iYogi, a Gurgaon based next generation Outsourcing Company with its independent service offering in the US. Uday Challu, iYogi, CEO, said, “Most manufacturers have been scaling back the scope of their warranties, leaving customers distraught. This has led to the emergence of third party vendor independent support providers.”Alok Mittal, Canaan ’s Executive Director- India, was named to the iYogi board of directors … 25 April 2007
Aviva first to adopt BOT model for BPO
In the first move of its kind, Aviva transferred 1600 employees from its outsourcing vendor 24x7 Customer, to Aviva Global Services. The BOT approach has enabled Aviva get going in India faster. Aviva is working with three vendors under the BOT model: EXL, WNS and 24/7 Customer. 5,000 employees will soon be transferred from those vendors to their own offshore division Aviva Global Services. The Bangalore facility was the first to be transferred. Later this year, the company will transfer facilities in Sri Lanka and Pune … 25 April 2007
Infosys BPO - TV18 in Media Outsourcing deal
Following the success of Genpact-NDTV deal, Infosys BPO - TV 18 are soon to follow suit in an even bigger deal. The coming together of a media company with a technology big-wig will see action in online initiatives, high-definition content, digital content and editing media-related content. The global media-entertainment industry is estimated at $1.3 trillion and is expected to grow to $1.7 trillion by 2010 … 25 April 2007
Now Marine KPO - Garware to design marine assets
Garware Offshore, a leading offshore vessel owner cum operator has announced its entry into Marine KPO. The company plans to set up a KPO for design of Marine assets. It will service leading ship building and maintenance firms globally. The Marine KPO market is estimated to be around $2 billion … 22 April 2007
Philippine BPO industry aided by its Govt is gearing up aggressively to make forays into Europe . The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) recently spearheaded a five-day trade mission to Spain to explore potential business process outsourcing (BPO) partnerships between Philippine and Spanish companies. Dubbed Mission Urdaneta, the mission was participated by five Philippine BPOs (BlastAsia, Leverage Systems Technologies, Navigator Systems, Pointwest Technologies and Radix Systems Services) under the Common Quality Language (CQL) project consortium of the ECCP and funded by the European Commission and the Association of Industries for Electronic and Information Technologies (GAIA) of Spain . Meetings were held with telecommunication companies Igarle, Nextel and Ikusi for possible business partnerships and a positive outcome is expected to be announced soon … 22 April 2007
KPO firm Aranca on the lookout for strategic investors
Aranca is a four year old, Mumbai based KPO with a headcount of 150 people. Now looking at aggressive growth they are looking for strategic investors to fund the expansion. Started by Hemendra Aran, ex-Infosys, the company provides investment, business and economic research services. WIPRO is said to be the key contender for the stake in Aranca … 22 April 2007
GLP certification test for LPO
The Global Legal Professional Certification test, an initiative of the LPO industry, seeks to provide a standard measure of skills and knowledge required for the industry in India . Developed by three top LPO companies in the country - JuriMatrix, Bodhi Global and QuisLex - the GLP will test candidates on English fluency, technology and professional skills, personal effectiveness and legal knowledge. It is supported strongly by leading legal recruitment firms such as Rainmaker. The firm plans to train candidates the certification … 22 April 2007
Mindcrest, a global leader in the legal outsourcing arena, announced the launch of its new 400 seat facility in Pune. Mindcrest is the largest LPO in India with more than 150 lawyers from India 's top law schools and 90% are women employees. US-based Forrester Research estimates the current annual value of legal outsourcing at $80 million which it predicts will rise up to $4 billion in India by 2015 … 22 April 2007
1 lakh Professionals register with National Skills Registry (NSR) NASSCOM sponsored NSR was formed to address the issues of employee authentication and its effects on data security. This third-party verification process includes among other things the personal, academic and professional background of the candidate. Registration is said to be a voluntary. A few companies and individuals in the BPO business (mainly recruitment firms) felt that this mass registration-database of people may see NASSCOM entering the placement business through the backdoor … 22 April 2007
WNS & CIMA join up for F&A training accreditation
WNS Global Services and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants announce the launch of a corporate partnership. WNS Global Services enters into a partnership relationship with The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to establish a framework for the development of a CIMA Training programme, leading to the accreditation of WNS as a CIMA Quality Training Partner. This initiative will facilitate study for candidates within WNS and practical experience support in their profession development ... 22 April 2007
Infosys may open centers in Goa and Manila
Currently operating from nine cities, Infosys announced its interest to set up a center in Goa . It will service both its IT and BPO businesses, a spokesperson claimed. Driven by a strong customer demand, Infosys BPO is planning to scale up its presence in Manila by setting up its own 300 seat delivery centre … 22 April 2007
Quatrro gets funding - snaps majority stake in Scope eKnowledge Quatrro BPO expanded its ambit of investments both by getting another $100 million from VCs, and by snapping a majority stake in Chennai based KPO Scope eKnowledge. This is part of its ‘string-of-pearls’ strategy where Quatrro BPO will make investment in ‘currently under-serviced areas’ mainly in high-value, high-knowledge domains. Raman Roy and V Balakrishna will join the board of Scope. This deal gives Quatrro much needed presence in Legal BPO while taking its total head count to around 1400 … 20 April 2007
Indian Do-Not-Call Registry to be maintained by NIC
Regulators from the Banking and Telecom sectors agreed on NIC ( National Informatics Center ) to handle the DNC Registry in India . The process of formulating guidelines seems to be near completion. All telemarketing agencies, including DSAs shall have to register as OSPs under the new norms. Any violation by telemarketers shall carry a stiff penalty, the amounts shall be disclosed soon. A new code for appointing DSAs shall also be disclosed. What is surprising is that in this exercise Call Centers have not been taken into confidence and any unilateral move to affect a Domestic BPO Industry worth Rs 2500 crores does seem a bit surprising. Many domestic players expressed their displeasure at not being actively involved in the process ... 20 April 2007
Europe leads in BPO Market - NelsonHall Q1 2007 BPO Index
The Nelsonhall BPO Index for Q1 2007 shows Europe taking a clear leadership position. This report identifies changes in trends and opportunities in the BPO market on a quarterly basis based on analysis of BPO contract value awarded quarterly. A few observations. BPO contract value awarded increased 17% to $17.8B. BPO activity over the past twelve months has been much stronger in Europe than in North America . U.K. BPO market remains strongest. BPO across Europe , particularly in Benelux and Central Europe are fast emerging. The market is experiencing a steady increase in the number of BPO contracts valued at $100m or higher. Government and Financial services account for 60% of BPO contract value globally … 18 April 2007
Infosys BPO signs ‘train the trainer’ deal with Karnatak University
Infosys BPO signed a three year agreement with Karnatak University to ‘train the trainers’. Teachers will undergo high level skilling program covering Language, Communication and Personality skills. The agreement was signed by Infosys BPO CEO Amitabh Chaudhry and Karnatak University Registrar Vinay Luthra ... 18 April 2007
Philippines BPOs to take center stage - aggressive on US business
Philippine American Chamber of Commerce- New York launched the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Council at the Philippine Center in Manhattan to promote the Philippines as a business process outsourcing destination. This is part of the Philippines Public-Private Businesses mandate where an aggressive strategy is defined to conquer US businesses. The move is directed to benefit BPO businesses in Philippines . The BPO Council was formed earlier this year with the support of the Consulate General and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in New York and is headed by Mr David Kinnear ... 17 April 2007
ePLDT acquires Springfield Services Corp
SPi Technologies Inc., the business process outsourcing (BPO) unit of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) group, has acquired US-based medical billing firm Springfield Service Corp for $44 million. Springfield is expected to post $30 million next year. This acquisition paves the way for SPi's entry into the $25-billion US health care industry. Healthcare accounts for 15 percent of total US GDP … 17 April 2007
The Real Indian Rural BPO takes off in Gurgaon
In the first ever initiative of its kind in India, Haryana Govt has gone where no Govt has gone before, by initiating an exemplary Rural BPO effort. Gurgaon District Administration under the visionary leadership of ADC Shri Satyaprakash TL, will set up the first ever Govt driven Rural BPO. BPONews consider themselves very fortunate to have seeded the whole initiative by proposing to evangelize the effort. Follow the link (above) to read the complete text ... 16 April 2007
Bertaphil opens third facility at the Clark Special Economic Zone
Philippines developer Bertaphil, keeping with the trend, has announced its third facility. The 3000 sq mtrs facility will be called Center@Clark, and will open in one month. Its other two facility has enviable clients such as Rolls Royce, Sutherland and Nanox among other IT and BPO biggies ... 16 April 2007
Nandan Nilkeni to step down ; Infosys BPO posts Rs 152 crore profit
Nandan Nilkeni has announced that he will step down as CEO of Infosys in June. He will join Narayan Murthy as Co-Chairman. On a total turnover of Rs 652 crore, Infosys BPO returned a net profit of Rs 152 crore. The salary bill is expected to dampen the outlook with salaries set to rise by around 15%. Besides operations in China and Australia , the company is setting up a subsidiary in Mexico with an investment of Rs 900 crore … 14 April 2007
8000 Citi jobs will come to India soon - to save $ 3.7 billion
In a move aimed at cutting costs by over $ 3.7 billion, Citi may shift 8000 jobs to India , mainly in the Finance and Investment Banking businesses. Citigroup Global Services, Citi’s BPO business in India is poised to benefit by a steep raise in headcount. … 14 April 2007
West Bengal gearing up for BPO success
Plagued by the dearth of skilled manpower the West Bengal Govt has come up with a novel idea. Its nodal agency for IT, Webel is teaming up with TCS to set up finishing schools. The schools will train young professionals in the nuances of technology, programming, communication and presentation skills aimed at IT and BPO. Generating employment on one hand and solving the problem for IT and BPO companies who are on a constant lookout for skilled manpower for their growth … 14 April 2007
Kiran Karnik announces retirement from NASSCOM
Kiran Karnik, President, NASSCOM has announced his retirement. A change of guard is expcted in the next few months, though Kiran may continue as an advisor. Korn Ferry, engaged for the search under Harish Mehta, former Chairman, NASSCOM will be responsible for the overall transition … 13 April 2007
Dubai no match to India on costs in BPO sector
Dubai is seeking to attract Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) trade in the region in direct competition from India , but higher cost in setting up these centres is pouring cold water on all plans. Dubai Outsourcing Zone (DOZ), launched in 2004 has been targeting major corporates to reposition their call centres to the DOZ. Its officials are targeting higher-end operations since most companies prefer to go to India , yet large companies like Emirates Group have begun building call centres at the DOZ … 13 April 2007
Accenture buoyant on Philippine BPO Industry
Accenture expressed confidence in the continued growth of its Philippine operations, which is expected to become its third biggest global delivery center by the end of its fiscal year in August. The company sees further growth ahead for the Manila delivery center, which was the firm's first offshore location 20 years ago. In an effort to strengthen its local manpower pool, Accenture recently announced that it was investing on technology outsourcing training for its workers. Accenture has plans to scale up to a total of 15,000 seats … 13 April 2007
Special sops for integrated townships in tier II & tier III cities soon
The Nasscom-McKinsey Report 2005 says the expansion of the IT and BPO industries beyond the five metros is taking place but its success will hinge on the timely creation and upgrade of infrastructure. The government is considering incentivising IT, ITeS and BPO industries for building integrated townships exclusively for the sector. Infrastructure for such townships will be jointly funded by the State and the Centre private sector will also bring in significant investment. The sops would be in addition to the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) scheme for the new townships. A committee has been set up to look into creating integrated townships congenial to IT related services and manufacturing industries by the IT and communications ministry. The report also projects that IT/BPO employment in tier II & tier III cities will account for 40% of additional employment creation in the next five years, by 2011 … 13 April 2007
Enterprise software is directly proportional to success of BPOs
Outsourced business processes such as HR or Finance and Accounting, are critically dependent on information technology (IT) and enterprise software applications playa crucial role, according to the results of a market assessment by EquaTerra. EquaTerra’s research concluded that respondents ranked IT at 4.2 on a scale of one to five as being key to BPO success. This clearly demonstrates that IT and BPO cannot and do not operate as islands. The majority of European and North American respondents agreed that SAP and Oracle were the leading enterprise software vendors when it came to possessing a clear BPO value proposition. This was also the case in the 2006 study findings. 41 percent of Europeans and 36 percent of North Americans preferred the BPO service provider hold the license as part of its BPO offering for “one-stop-shopping” with the BPO service provider … 13 April 2007
Megaworld responds with P1.5 billion BPO Infrastructure
Philippines Property developer Megaworld has announced a P1.5 billion BPO Infrastructure. 27-storey Global One Center at Eastwood City 's new Palm District would have 42,000 square meters of prime office space. Construction will be finished within 24 months by the first quarter of 2009. Eastwood City will have top shopping and dining choices at Eastwood City Walk and the upcoming Eastwood City Mall … 11 April 2007
BCI launches BPO Global Qualification Standard in APAC
The BPO Industry faces the challenge of recruiting skilled professionals and arresting attrition. Owing to the two factors BPOs are plagued with underperformance and data confidentiality. Texas based credentialing giant BCI has developed the Global Qualification Standard (GQS) for BPO professionals. They are now all set to launch the 28 stage Certification and Credentialing programs in APAC with mainly India & Philippines in mind. BCI - BPO Certification Institute Inc. has already certified close to 5000 BPO professionals in North & South America. The certification aims o be the Global benchmark for the BPO Industry professional … 11 April 2007
South Africa and Egypt leading contenders for African BPO hub
South Africa and Egypt have joined the BPO bandwagon, and are trying to emulate the Indian success story. Soft s kills, time zone, geographical location and an underemployed workforce with low labor costs are the attractions. Though South Africa is poised to take the initial lead, Egypt presently has 4,000 agent positions and is projected to grow to 12,000 in 2012. Its language quality is superb offering (including) Arabic, English and French. Multilingual call centers can thus serve multiple destinations. Cheaper telecom rates also give Egypt an advantage over South Africa . Other African countries, such as Ghana , are also working to have a BPO presence. The government of Ghana conducted an in-depth study and requested the World Bank Group's support in developing an IT-enabled services sector and was given a $40 million credit. Kenya has a big labor pool to draw from, compared to other destinations on the continent such as Botswana and Mauritius … 10 April 2007
Ayala Land Inc. bullish on creating BPO and IT Infrastructure
Philippines Property giant Ayala Land Inc. will launch its 20 hectare Canlubang BPO Campus. This announcement comes in the backdrop of its plans to create 5,00,000 sq mtrs of lease-able space over the next 5 years … 10 April 2007
Genpact may walk out of Bhopal SEZ deal
In an apparent embarrassment to Madhya Pradesh Govt, Genpact may walk out of the much publicized SEZ in Bawai village on the outskirts of Bhopal . The Govt has been moving fast to allot the land and all related approvals to Genpact since Dec 2006. But the company has not responded to letters which ask them to deposit Rs 110 million as cost of 200 acres of land allotted to it. Basic infrastructure problems coupled with unavailability of skilled workforce forced Genpact to rethink the deal. Sources in the Govt say that this may be a move by Genpact to sweeten the deal, now that the Govt has done its bit. The source added that this behavior does not reflect well on Genpact’s intent to honour its commitments … 09 April 2007
Carlyle and Ramesh Vangal to snap Cambridge BPO
Ramesh, a co-founder and the largest individual shareholder in Cambridge with 18% stake is orchestrated this move with Carlyle all set to buy out 42% promoter’s stake for $170 million. The promoters exiting Cambridge Solutions include Rajat Gupta, Chris Sinclair, Bronfman and the Chanderia families. The acquired company now carries an enterprise value of $400million … 09 April 2007
Genpact hopeful of a $600 million US IPO/ Sutherland plans an IPO
It is learnt that Genpact is preparing a $600 million US IPO by offloading around 15%equity. Major shareholders GE, Oakhill Capital and General Atlantic are likely to sell part of their holding through this IPO. In another development Sutherland founded by Dilip Vellodi is planning a listing either on NYSE or NASDAQ with its $260 million US IPO soon … 09 April 2007
Personec and Tradimus collaborate to lead Europe in IT driven BPO
Two leading Nordic providers of business process outsourcing and business support systems, Personec and Tradimus, intend to merge into one company. The new company, will be the largest supplier of IT-driven business process outsourcing services and IT solutions in customer service, financial management, document automation, HR management and logistics in the Nordic market with over 4,000 full time employees in seven countries and a turnover of EUR 350 million. Roger Holtback will be chairman of the board of the new company. The merger is planned to take place during the second quarter of 2007. The majority of both companies are owned by Nordic Capital Fund V … 09 April 2007
Delphi , the automotive components major has been trying hard to avoid bankruptcy protection. As part of its plans Genpact will help it cut 650 finance jobs thereby saving an estimated $150 million over the next 7 years … 07 April 2007
Since the DoT order was brought forward by technically challenged bureaucrats and would affect the entire SME segment of the BPO Industry in India, BPONews did not waste any time to file an RTI Application seeking answers to some (rather stingy) questions. We have received 2 letters till now with a lot of statistical information yet no official has come forward to answer the most important questions that were asked. We had asked if there was a ‘social impact study’ conducted before such a blanket order was issued. We also questioned the basis of this order since the DoT has not approved 196 applications (as on 23.03.07). As a follow up action, we were ready to file a PIL (since the order would affect more than 35000 people). We have the backing of Members of Parliament too who understand the social implications of such an order and were willing to support our voice in various Forums. In all this, we never questioned the order itself, since DoT is legally correct in questioning ISPs and BPOs, we only objected to the mindless manner in which the events took shape. Looks like the right things are taking shape, and we are happy to have contributed to what is right … 05 April 2007
Genesys Launches First Voice Platform with Built-in Support for Video Contact Centers , Enhanced Network Services and Key IP Standards. VoiceGenie 7.1 Self-Service Platform enables video voicemail, avatars and key next-generation updates supporting VoiceXML 2.1, CCXML, SIP and MRCP standards. For example, with VoiceGenie 7.1, customer service representatives in a help-desk to push instructional videos to help simplify a technical installation. Other applications for video include telemedicine, video sharing and a range of other consumer entertainment applications … 04 April 2007
IBM loses Delta Airlines business worth 500 seats
Delta Airlines annulled its contract with IBM Daksh, a leading Indian BPO. This will result in a loss of 500 seats unutilized. No reasons were ascribed by either party but the fact was confirmed. This move does not however affect the employees as the have been shifted to other client processes through an internal company exercise … 04 April 2007
PFSweb Expands Customer Service Capabilities in Manila
PFSweb, Inc. a Nasdaq listed global provider of integrated business process outsourcing (BPO) and web commerce solutions announced expanding its Customer Care Services operations with a new 6,500 sq ft customer call center in the Philippines. PFSweb currently operates multi-lingual call centers in Memphis , TN , Plano , TX and Liege , Belgium dedicated to meeting the most challenging customer support and technical requirements. Contact Center Association of the Philippines , estimated that the country's call-center employment will rise from 179,000 people in 2006 to 506,500 people in 2010. The group also estimates the industry's revenues to rise from $2.6 billion in 2006 to $7.3 billion in 2010 … 04 April 2007
Capita Group Acquires CMGL for GBP 32 million
The Capita Group Plc (CPI.L) has acquired CMGL, from Sovereign Capital Partners LLP for a total consideration of GBP 32 million on a cash-free/debt free basis. The acquisition will build on Capita Insurance Service's existing London Markets capability. According to the company, the deal has received approval from the FSA and Lloyd's … 04 April 2007
Big BPOs now exploring the Domestic market
Noida based EXLService Holdings announced its plans to service the domestic market. It may start with servicing their existing clients who have operations in India . They plan to service the BFSI market where most of their expertise exists. The domestic market is growing at a healthy 40% and large companies do not want to miss the opportunity. The company may set up its new center of between 500 and 1000 seats in Chennai or Hyderabad … 04 April 2007
Pantaloon’s retail BPO venture
The Future Group (Pantaloon retail brand) is all set to open its Knowledge and Business Process Outsourcing center for the retails industry. Its knowledge division shall be based in Bangalore while efforts are on to select a viable location in Gujarat for its BPO division. It will service HR, Accounting and IT activity .… 04 April 2007
Satyam Computer's Subsidiary Nipuna Receives ISO 27001
Satyam Computer Services announced that its BPO subsidiary Nipuna Services has achieved ISO 2700: 2005 certification for its India centers at Hyderabad and Bangalore … 31 March 2007
Northern TranscriptionWorks, Inc. wins ESP Innovation Award
Virginia-based medical transcription service company Northern TranscriptionWorks (NTW) with production facility in Cebu , Philippines won the prestigious “Most Innovative Product of the Year” in the 2007 e-Services Philippines (ESP) Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition. Northern TranscriptionWorks won the Most Innovative Product of the Year award for Enplay, its advanced in-house audio player software. Northern TranscriptionWorks also won in the "Best Website" category … 31 March 2007
Innodata Isogen makes IAOP's 2007 Global Outsourcing Top List
Innodata Isogen, a leading provider of content-related IT and BPO services, has been ranked by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) as one of the top companies in content and document management services. Evaluation criteria included financial performance, growth rates, customer experience, business competencies, employee selection & training and management capabilities. Headquartered just outside New York City, Innodata Isogen has two additional solution centers in North America, seven production facilities in Asia (the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka) and a technology and tools development center in India … 31 March 2007
Infosys BPO in strategic partnership with Bottomline Technologies
Infosys BPO enhanced its capabilities for invoice automation offering for global corporate clients by entering into a strategic partnership with Bottomline Technologies, a leader in this space. Technology is a key differentiator in Financial BPO services. Most financial outsourcing contracts include the accounts payable function, the ability to expand capabilities in this area is critical for outsourcing providers … 31 March 2007
Tatas exited the JV with US based BPO partner Sitel today. The group held 50% through its two companies, 40% held by TCS and 10% held by TIL. An agreement for transfer of shareholding was confirmed … 27 March 2007
Genpact, ACCA and GTG join forces for Professionals’ Training
Genpact, a leading global provider of business and technology services, today announced an alliance with Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and Get Through Guides (GTG) for professional training.Commenting on this initiative, Piyush Mehta, Senior Vice President & HR Leader , Genpact said, “ Genpact is pleased to offer its employees in India access to an internationally recognized qualification, in partnership with ACCA and GTG. This programme provides our employees with the platform to further their domain knowledge and augment their understanding of international accounting standards. By signing-up its staff to study for the DipIFR, Genpact is investing in its people. It is also ensuring that the company continues to play its important role in a competitive global marketplace.” … 27 March 2007
HCL BPO to bid for 42% of Cambridge Solutions
It is reported that HCL is set to bid for 42% of Cambridge Solutions, a top BPO. The deal value is estimated at $150 million. A large portion of Cambridge revenues comes from high-value BPO operations from facilities in India , USA and Europe . Cambridge has strong footing globally insurance processing with around 4500 employees … 25 March 2007
Wipro BPO and Genpact show big wins at IQPC 2007 Awards
T K Kurien, CEO, Wipro BPO won the 2007 Global BPO Industry Leader award. Besides the Global BPO Standard Bearer Award 2007, Wipro BPO also won the Global KPO Excellence Award 2007 and Global Standard Bearer for Talent Management 2007. For 2007 IQPC, Wipro BPO thus stands heads and shoulders above its competition. Genpact equaled the performance by winning five awards. Pramod Bhasin, President and CEO, Genpact, won the Lifetime Contribution Award. Awards won by Genpact include Global Shared Services Leader of the Year, Global Shared Services Standard Bearer, Global BPO Center of Excellence and Global Knowledge Services Excellence. The Awards ceremony was held at Hyderabad … 25 March 2007
Sitel plans to invest 100 crores in India operations
Sitel has unveiled its plans to invest close to Rs 100 crores in India . The next BPO facility is planned for Gurgaon, the hub for BPO business. Gurgaon is billed as its largest BPO facility till date. The company plans to add non-voice work with and an increase of 2000 to its headcount through the new facility, all the end of 2008 … 25 March 2007
BT announces addition of 6000 to its workforce by 2008
Andy Green, CEO, BT Global Services, announced expansion to Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata next year in addition to BT offices in New Delhi , Mumbai and Bangalore . The proposed expansion will add about 6000 to its existing headcount t … 25 March 2007
‘10 Reasons Why’ small BPOs innovate more
Small is the new Big in Innovation.
India may soon lose its sheen as the global leader in BPO. Which brings us to the discussion on 'why' we must innovate, and how smaller companies are better perched against their bigger counterparts.
Let me start with an interesting example on 'how' a small company (that we worked with) innovates, and it clearly shows 'why' they do. Follow the link (above) to read the complete text … 22 March 2007
Proactive Govt support for Philippines BPOs, India lags behind
While Indian BPOs struggle to get across their points of view to the Govt, BPOs in Philippines are running away with strong proactive Govt support. While Indian Govt drags its feet over issues like ‘sharing of infrastructure between Domestic and International operations’, or over the fate of ‘internet telephony’, Philippines Govt is already enabling its cyber cafes to become BPO shops. Though this may not be seen as a significant threat to the Indian BPO Industry, it may be a great trend to watch for. Significantly, I am fortunate to be involved in brainstorming with a big brand BPO in India , where the question under proactive discussion is: ‘how can agents work from homes’? But the recent Govt ruling on ‘internet telephony’ may kill the chickens before they hatch. Regardless, Philippines is still running away with an innovative idea when all we can do is watch. Think of the revolution it can bring about if the Govt enables easy ‘sharing of infra’ and the use of ‘IP for telephony’. We will witness a Big Bang in BPO which may add an immediate 2,00,000 people to the Industry, even by the most pessimistic estimates. People may want to work from home - fulltime and part-time. Companies will benefit by a large arm. Telecom will witness a boom in broadband connectivity and business. We may leverage it for domestic business too. There can be no doubt that overall the economy will benefit by a surge in numbers … 17 March 2007
‘Why’ Foreign clients arm-twist Indian BPOs
Follow the link (above) to read the complete text … 13 March 2007
WNS Holdings to acquire Marketics Technologies for $65 million
WNS will acquire Bangalore based research & analytics company Marketics Technologies for $65 million in cash. This move extends WNS capability to at least 4 more sectors of business, thus consolidating its strengths further. It is believed that WNS shall pay $30 million now and $35 million deferred over a 12 month period. The present deal adds to the acquisitions made earlier in Town and Country Assistance (Auto Claims), GreenSnow (healthcare BPO) and Trinity Partners (Mortgage) … 12 March 2007
ClientLogic and SITEL combine resources
Two of the world’s leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) firms recently tied a partnership in a bid to provide better services to more clients. The combined entity would retain the name SITEL and employs 65,000 from the 28 countries where it conducts its operations … 12 March 2007
TransProcure ‘most innovative BPO Company’ at IICT Awards, Manila
TransProcure the leading offshore global procurement solutions and services company won the award for the "Most Innovative Business Process Outsourcing Company of the Year" during the Annual International ICT Awards ceremony held at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati City . The board of judges came from the BPO and IT industry, Department of Trade and Industry, Business Process Association of the Philippines , American Chamber, European Chamber and Canadian Chamber and the International ICT Awards Group. The other winners of the awards are Accenture (BPO Company of the year), Dell (Best New BPO Locator of the Year), Leverage Systems Technologies (Best Mid-Sized BPO Company of the Year), Convergys (BPO Employer of the Year), and TeleTech (Fastest Growing BPO Company of the Year) … 12 March 2007
Nortel Calls in Asia network monitored remotely by the India NOC
Nortel to Turn Indian Center Into Asian Services Hub. The Canada-based Company has enhanced the capability of its network operations center (NOC) in New Delhi to make it the Asian NOC for supporting customers in the continent. Nortel has plans to build its business stronger in areas of IP telephony traffic, especially among BPOs … 12 March 2007
EXLService Holdings plan acquisitions in the $50-75 million range
Noida based Nasdaq-listed BPO major EXLService Holdings is planning acquisitions in the range of $50-75 million. The Company is considering technology firms in banking financial services and insurance domain, to add to its claims processing and mortgage processes. South Africa , the Philippines , China , East Europe and Dubai being its preferred destinations… 12 March 2007
Teleperformance ramps up its India operations
Teleperformance, a $1.82 billion company, ramped up its India operations with its new state-of-the-art facility at Gurgaon. The 150000 sq ft facility will house 800 employees of its Indian subsidiary. Teleperformance worldwide about 70,000 employees across 42 countries, handling over one billion customer contacts annually … 12 March 2007
Raman Roy asks: Is Communication cost a Company's problem or a Country's problem?
Follow the link (above) to read the complete text.
US-based BPO acquired by HOV for $148 m
Pune based HOV Services has acquired US-based BPO Lason for $148 million. The acquisition was carried through its US subsidiary, HOV Services, and funded by HOV Capital, Merrill Lynch and Apollo Management. This deal comes on the heels of its recent acquisition of Tracmail and SAM Holdings recently for $3.74m. Lason currently has an Indian subsidiary in Chennai with 8,000 people. The US-based company has operations in China with 1,200 people, Mexico with 250 employees and North America . HOV's headcount is now 12,000 people … 28 Feb 2007
IT Department to move tax case against Morgan - BPOs rue move
The income tax department has told the Supreme Court said that “The determining test for taxing global incomes of MNCs should be based on terms of the agreement between the foreign entities and their business process outsourcing units for which FAR (functions performed, assets used, risks taken) analysis should be considered.” The SC will give the final verdict soon. And the BPO Industry is watching the developments closely … 28 Feb 2007
Integreon acquires CBF Group Inc.
Integreon Managed Solutions, Inc., a global leader in complex knowledge process outsourcing, announced its acquisition of CBF Group, Inc. offering enterprise services to law firms. Ayala Corporation, one of the leading conglomerates in the Philippines and Integreon's majority shareholder, provided funding to finance the acquisition and future expansion capital. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed … 28 Feb 2007
Satyam unit eyeing acquisition, hiring up
Satyam is eyeing an acquisition in India and overseas. Sources confirmed that they are hiring more staff to expand organically too. Nipuna Services Ltd. specializes in payroll processing, financial accounting and animation, plans to increase its staff to 5,000 soon. Nipuna is based in Hyderabad and has facilities in Bangalore and Chennai, also planned to set up a facility in Europe to tap opportunities there. Nipuna is focusing on animation outsourcing as part of its growth plans. The segment is expected to contribute 25 percent of its revenue in two years up from 15-20 percent now … 28 Feb 2007
Analytics co’s look to Foreign University training for talent
Analytics is an emerging area in the Indian Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) sector. While the overall KPO space is expected to grow at 50%, analytics could witness 70-80% growth, according to experts. Finding the right qualified talent, especially in niche areas like financial analytics remains a challenge. Recruiting IIT and IIM graduates has been the outcome so far. With growing demand, companies are tying-up with foreign universities for analytics training. According to reports, the entire Indian KPO sector is expected to employ more than 2,50,000 KPO professionals by 2010. Foreign universities are now gearing up to meet this demand. UCLA Anderson School of Management plans to start a course in financial engineering management in the US from January 2008 … 28 Feb 2007
Detectives in BPO
With the threat of data security, top BPO firms rely on the services of forensic and fraud experts to conduct investigations and background checks on potential recruits. PwC now has a dispute analysis and investigation services wing to address the current need. When Channel 4 aired the sting carried out on Indian Centers leaking data (last year), there was a big hue, resulting in CEOs taking security measures, and precedent checking as priority areas. Retired investigators from CBI and IB are being employed to help investigate such cases. And the latest technology/ equipment are being used to assist such investigations. For the BPO Industry, there is billions at stake … 28 Feb 2007
In a bid to clamp down the illegal use of ‘internet telephony’ the DoT has come out with a directive to ISPs. This move is estimated to affect around 2300 small BPOs across the country. The BPIAI (Business Process Industry Association of India) has vehemently opposed the decision and has sought a rational way out. Deepak Gupta of BPIAI has suggested that" the govt must levy a 6% revenue share on foreign internet telephony to provide a level playing field." The discussion on a new policy for internet telephony has been long pending, with no positive action by DoT or TRAI. Looks like the DoT officials have a mandate contrary to the Central Govt. On the one side the govt wants to create jobs, and on the other side, the technologically challenged ministry officials find solace in ‘old times’. One may want to consider facts: This move affects more than 2000 BPO companies. It affects employment of approximately 10,000 people in small towns. This move puts in jeopardy foreign exchange revenues estimated around 26 crores - is anybody listening? … 21 Feb 2007
BPONews enters a $100 mm opportunity - Rural BPO
Sh Prem Prashant, Chief Secretary, Govt of Haryana leading a high powered delegation to Gurgaon announced the Haryana Govt’s strong support to the BPONews initiative. He lauded our initiative and extened his encouragement and support. The meet was organised by Dr Gulshan Sharma of ITFT Group, Chandigarh , to initiate exemplary efforts for the Service Industry. It was well attended by BPOs, Hotels, Security Agencies, besides the District Administration being present in full strength. “We will work with training organizations who understand BPO and are equipped to deliver successful training to Rural People”, said a representaive of BPONews. “They may not be significantly educated, but we will utilize them for simple service lines such as Agri Helplines, thus generating huge employment. In addition, we shall select employable youth, who may be trained/ skilled to levels desired by back-office-BPOs. The initiative combines voice services with mobile-commerce. A few large NGOs and Corporates have extended their support, besides the similar support of other State Govts in North India . VCs are also enthused about entering the rural market and are watching our pilot with genuine interest”, she added. Imp Link: 10 reasons Rural BPO will take India by storm … 17 Feb 2007
STPI to set up a 100 crore fund for SMEs
STPI is expected to set up a 100 crore Venture Fund for SMEs. The ministry of communications and information technology will create a national venture capital fund to support small and medium enterprises in the IT/ BPO Industries. This is enabled through a grant, for which a request has been made … 17 Feb 2007
Singapore Airlines to Outsource Reservation functions to Wipro
In a move seen as riding the trend, SIA will outsource around 150 jobs to Wipro, to its Mumbai unit. Several international airlines have outsourced such functions in India to drive down costs as well as deliver productive (faster-better-cheaper) service … 17 Feb 2007