The Outsourcing Week in Review: Wednesday, October 10, 2018

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW

With the deadline for choosing the third telecoms provider now set for the end of this year, last week saw two new international players, the UK’s Vodaphone and Bangladesh’s Grameenphone, express strong interest in bidding.  An improved broadband service nationwide is vital to underpin the steady push to shift BPO business beyond the big cities.  The Senate’s approval of a new work-from-home bill cannot work without it.  Neither can the industry’s steady transition to a digitized industry. Transcom, which announced it is accelerating its digitization transformation and shift to non-voice services, is a good example.  As corroboration, the publication of a report that the global healthcare payer market should hit US$32.94 billion by 2025, underlines the opportunities that are anticipated in the higher skilled KPO sector.

Addressing new technology issues is also a major driver of the M&A activity being undertaken by the big beasts of the industry. France’s Teleperformance completed its Intelenet acquisition and SYNNEX closed its Convergys acquisition. Wipro completed the divestment of its data center operations.  Investing in digital infrastructure, however, is insufficient unless there is also a highly trained workforce to take advantage of it.  To this end, IBPAP has understandably welcomed the government’s proposed PHP5 billion training fund for IT-BPO, which will be sorely needed. Infosys has partnered with Cornell University to deliver training in automation and machine learning. Closer to home, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has teamed up with Qualfon to provide ways to expand training and work opportunities for the country’s marginalized communities.

Cebu, the nation’s second largest BPO center, is also pushing hard to maintain its competiveness. Cebu’s city council, with its plans to create a better work education balance for its BPO workers, has announced it is retaining its international BPO consultants.  The city also moved swiftly to address calls from CIB.O and others in the industry to improve safety in the city after the tragic shooting of a BPO worker heading home after a night shift. The city’s mayor has also responded quickly. A bus service for workers is being rapidly mobilized. Workers must not only be safe at work, but also getting to and from it.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

NEWS THIS WEEK

08 October 2018

• Transcom ramping up non-voice services – read more…
• France’s Teleperformance completes Intelenet acquisition –  read more…
• Global healthcare payer market to hit US$32.94 billion by 2025 – read more…

05 October 2018

• UK’s Vodafone explores entering the Philippines telco market – read more…
• SYNNEX closing Convergys acquisition today – read more…
• CIB.O tells Cebu City government to step up BPO security measures – read more…

04 October 2018

• Philippines lawmakers approve work-from-home bill – read more…
• Cebu City Council renews contract of BPO consultants – read more…
• Transcom goes digital – read more…

03 October 2018

• DSWD, Qualfon ink partnership agreement – read more…
• Wipro completes divestment of data center operations – read more…
• Infosys partners with Cornell University – read more…

02 October 2018

• IBPAP welcomes PHP5 billion training fund for IT-BPO – read more…
• Bangladesh’s Grameenphone eyes entry as third Telco – read more…
• PAGCOR beefs up crackdown on illegal online gambling – read more…

Read more Inside Outsourcing Newsletters here:

1. The Outsourcing Week in Review: July 13, 2021
2. The Outsourcing Week in Review: August 10, 2021