See you at the International Outsourcing Summit

Search Profile Index by 4th Media is all set for the upcoming International Outsourcing Summit that will happen this October 26 and 27, 2010 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

Over 250 attendees from 15 countries have been confirmed to date, and more are expected to attend, especially from emerging outsourcing locations such as Africa and South America, as well as from established hubs such as India, and outsourcers such as North America and Europe.

  

The summit also features participation from allied BPO partner associations from around the world, such as the European Outsourcing Association (EOA) and the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals. More complex outsourcing services are also heavily represented at the summit, with delegates and speakers from the animation, transcription, game development, software, HR, and marketing verticals attending. 

Top outsourcing and shared services firms to present

Among the leading outsourcing and shared services firms that will be represented at IOS are Accenture, Aegis PeopleSupport, Chevron Holdings Inc., Convergys, Dell International Service Philippines, Inc., Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., HSBC Global Resourcing, IBM, Infosys BPO, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Manulife Business Processing Services, Procter & Gamble Business Services, SPi Technologies, Sykes Asia Inc., Teletech, TELUS International Philippines, Inc., Thomson Reuters, and StarTek, Inc.

Top outsourcing executives, allied industry leaders, and prominent analysts will be sharing their insights on key issues and opportunities for the industry. Key speakers include Armand Angeli, Cofounder & President, European Outsourcing Association (EOA); Alfredo Ayala, Chair, BPAP; Maulik Parekh, CEO, SPi Global; Jack Jones, Global Solutions Head, JP Morgan Chase & Co.; Aparup Sengupta, MD & Global CEO, Aegis Limited; Nikhil Rajpal, Principal, Everest Group; Oscar Sanez, President & CEO, BPAP; Raju Bhatnagar, VP for BPO Initiatives, NASSCOM; and Swaminathan Dandapani, CEO & MD, Infosys BPO Ltd.

With the theme, “Global Leaders Addressing Global Issues,” the second annual IOS will feature in-depth discussions on the next phase of growth for the BPO industry, outsourcing locations, challenges for growth, education, telecommunication service provision, and new technologies. Key emerging verticals such as retail, health, business development, banking and finance, marketing, and human resources (HR) outsourcing will be the subject of break-out sessions.

Aside from top BPO and shared services players, companies, associations, and government agencies that serve as industry enablers and otherwise provide support for service delivery will be represented at the two-day summit. They include SGV & Company, Ayala Land Inc., SM Land, Globe Telecom, PLDT, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, and the American Chamber of Commerce.

The agenda for the summit highlights the decade-long success of the BPO industry, and the changing environment for success given the past two years’ economic uncertainty and increased risk. Featured panels include talent specialization and the emergence of language as a competitive differentiator in labor supply, strategies for emerging locators and locations, and competitive advantages in a changing business climate. New technology will also be extensively discussed vis-à-vis its role for IT managers, HR practitioners, and vendors of emerging Web 2.0 platforms.

  

In addition to plenary sessions, breakouts, and discussions, the second International Outsourcing Summit will provide a recap of the first conference, as well as extensive networking and business-matching opportunities.

Keep yourself updated about the event by following the developments posted on Facebook and Twitter.

Stellar Call Centres expands internationally into the Philippines

Stellar Call Centres just announced the establishment of a new call center and business process outsourcing facility in Makati City, Philippines, to service domestic and international clients seeking a low-cost offshore outsourcing solution. Client services will continue to be provided by the Australian-based management team. (iTWire)

J-Tel Holdings also announced a decision to consolidate their interests in contact centre outsourcing businesses around the world under a single global brand that will take effect this March 1, 2007.

Steve Morphett, Chief Executive Officer of Stellar Call Centres, the leading Australian contact centre outsourcer owned by J-Tel, has been appointed to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the global Stellar business. John Hollingsworth, Chief Operating Officer of Stellar Call Centres, will take up the reigns as Chief Executive Officer of Stellar Asia Pacific.

The new global brand will now encompass 19 call centre facilities across the globe, including nine contact centres in Australia, one contact centre in the Philippines, seven contact centres in Canada and two contact centres in the UK. In addition, the global brand will include the recently formed Australian company Stellar Business Process Solutions, which specialises in document management, workflow automation technology and business process outsourcing services.

“The new global brand brings together a number of previously separate brands, including Excell Contact Centres and Stellar Call Centre Solutions, which have been highly successful in their respective domestic markets,” said Steve Morphett. “We expect continued strong growth across our existing domestic markets, and look forward to penetrating the US market with our new offshore offering in the Philippines.”

Integreon Expands Relationship with Law Firm

Integreon Managed Solutions is setting up a 600-seat service center in Delhi to support the administrative functions of Clifford Chance, the world’s largest law firm. It has recently completed a management-led buyout, in partnership with Philippines-based Ayala Corp. The company has also announced plans to build a service facility in Manila. (Outsourcing World)

Davao City Eyeing Saudi Investments

GOVERNMENT officials and businessmen comprising the Davao City trade mission to Saudi Arabia on November 10 to 16 are expected to woo Saudi investors to the city’s Business Process Outsourcing sector. (The Saudi Gazette)

ICT GROUP Reports 2006 First Quarter Revenue of $113.1 Million

John J. Brennan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ICT GROUP reported the 1st quarter 2006 performance of the company with 40% increase in services revenue. The company has 1910 workstation seats in the Philippines and shall add 500 more this year to meet increased client demand. (source: BusinessWire)

Philippines' fall in global IT not a setback

The Philippines' fall from a latest worldwide IT survey is not really a concern and Filipinos should even be inspired about it, according to a high-ranking BPO (business process outsourcing) trainer. (Source: Webwereld)

Baker and McKenzie sends more work to Manila

According to ZDNet Australia, Baker and McKenzie plans to alleviate its Sydney and Melbourne offices of their workload by sending more work to Manila. The company has saved US$4 million since it opened its Manila center in the year 2000.

RR Donnelley takes controlling stake in Office Tiger

IndiaOutsourceWatch reported that Office Tiger has been acquired by RR Donnelley & Sons Co. in a US$250 million cash deal. Office Tiger provides BPO services to Fortune 100 companies through its operations in UK, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.

Citigroup ready to exit Progeon

According to the Business Standard, Citigroup is ready to exit Progeon, the business process outsourcing arm of Infosys. Citigroup holds a 23 per cent stake in Progeon. The valuation is expected to fetch Citigroup about US$140 million. This is part of InfoSys moves to make Progeon a wholly owned subsidiary and increase its service competitiveness.

Progeon has offices in India, Czech Republic, and the Philippines.

AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM THE PHILIPPINE IT SERVICES INDUSTRY

I got this email message from Fermin Taruc, president of the Philippine Software Industry Association.

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The Philippine IT Services industry consists of companies in the business of animation, call center and contact center operations, , business process outsourcing, medical transcription and software development. Collectively, these companies generated over $2 billion in export revenue in 2005. In total, the industry currently provides employment to 160,000 professionals. Our target is to reach $12 billion in annual revenue by 2010, providing employment to over 1 million Filipinos.

We are proud to say the Philippines is now mentioned as one of the preferred sources of IT services world-wide. While our entry-point into the global market has been our low costs, we are increasingly gaining attention for our quality, reliability and expertise.

It is easy to understand why. The Philippines has a pool of qualified professionals, cited frequently as among the best in the world. Local companies are investing in aligning their processes with international standards. Our telecommunications infrastructure is among the most competitive in the region. Our business incentives, grown over several administrations, are designed to attract foreign investment. Our list of high-profile international clients continues to expand.

The industry’s impact on the economy can be further multiplied if we consider the trickle-down effect on other local industries. The IT Services companies and their employees have emerged as prime consumers for other goods and services

We are confident in our industry’s abilities to reach its targets and to further increase its contribution to the economy. However, we cannot do it alone. A concerted effort among all stakeholders is required. We have to make sure that our schools produce enough graduates for us to hire. We have to make sure that government policies are in place to attract and retain investors. We have to make sure that we maintain an environment where Filipino professionals are given progressive opportunities to enhance their skills, careers & standards of living without the need to leaving our country.

We also have to make sure that our foreign customers and partners have the assurance that our ability to fulfill their requirements is not compromised or disrupted because of an unstable external environment.

We know that our business fundamentals as an industry remain strong . We have withstood all kinds of crises in the past. But, in our business, the perception of continuity and reliability is a key consideration. The global market is sensitive to isolated local incidents and can interpret these out of proportion.

We respect every party’s right to voice an opinion. Our industry has been, and will continue to be, an active participant in promoting transparency and good governance in our society. However, while there are national issues that cannot be ignored and need to be resolved, our call is for everyone to proceed with rationality, sobriety, responsibility and consideration. We have processes in place, let us use them and improve on them where necessary.

The Philippine IT Services industry provides an opportunity for the country to achieve long-term economic growth and stability. Let us not waste the opportunity. No less than 1,000,000 jobs depend on it.

Signed:

Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI)
Business Process Outsourcing Association of the Philippines (BPA/P)
Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines (MTIAPI)
Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA)

TeleTech Acquires Philippines-based BPO company

TeleTech Holdings, Inc. announced the acquisition of FinSource Inc., an emerging Philippines-based business process outsourcing company.

FinSource, founded in 2003, is a global provider of end-to-end consumer products processing on behalf of leading international financial services firms. FinSource has domain expertise and practical business experience in designing and implementing back offices processes that meet the unique needs of its clients.

TeleTech is a global business services company that provides a full range of front-to-back office outsourced solutions including customer management, BPO, and database marketing services to measurably enhance clients' core customer management processes. TeleTech's products and services, standardized processes, and recognized capabilities to implement complex global projects make the Company a valued partner for clients that include Global 1000 businesses and governments. TeleTech partners with clients to offer 150 languages, through its more than 40,000 employees, in 17 countries.

Qualified workers and competitive managers

Call center Paxys Inc. net profit from January to September 2005 has reached P206.80 compared to P85.26 million last year. By year-end, the company is expecting to generate P270 to P300 million revenue. (Yahoo)

ePLDT's call center business is growing too. At end-September, the company had 3,315 seats, compared with 1,736 a year earlier. (Inq7)

Call center revenue in the Philippines in 2005 is expected to reach more than P1 billion.

The business process outsourcing sector is certainly booming. Much of its growth is attributed to our English speaking professionals. Today, knowledge of foreign languages, other than English, is becoming an important factor as well.

For instance IBM Business Solutions hired 470 workers whose personnel are knowledgable of more than one foreign language. (Inq7.net) This also creates the need for Filipinos to acquire language skills, other than English, to become more competitive in the workplace.

Filipino knowledge and skilled workers are much in demand overseas. For the past 3 days, 138 foreign employers joined the Department of Labor and Employment's First International Labor Mart where work opportunities from dairy farm workers to IT workers are being offered.

Efforts in improving the education system is ongoing and even allotting funds to target the marginalized sectors and areas in the country. Congressman Rolando Andaya Jr., House of Representatives Chairman of the appropriations committee, has allotted P100 million in improving the madrassas curriculum, through the Department of Education.

However, the challenge as well is to help our existing knowledge workers gain advanced education further. This way, we can also eye in becoming a management giant as a potential direction, in the future. Companies are encouraged in providing this incentive to employees, in the form of a loan or incentive, should be explored.