The SSON Daily News: May 30, 2014

May 30, 2014 New UK outsourcing deals up 65 per cent year-on-year to £2.1 billion The total value of new UK outsourcing deals rose 65 per year-on-year to reach £2.1 billion in the first quarter of 2014, according to a study. Megaworld to build P1.2B Davao Finance Center building Megaworld Corp. on Thursday said it is building the first office tower in Davao Park District starting early next year at a cost of P1.2 billion. P1.884M- worth of new SSF projects turned over to Ifugao coops A P1.884 million-worth of Shared Service Facilities (SSF) was turned-over by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to five cooperatives and associations here last week. Sanoma Oyj - Sanoma selects Genpact as partner for Finance Shared Services As part of the strategic redesign communicated on 31 October 2013 Sanoma has decided to reorganise its finance function. A major part of the Finance Shared Services will be outsourced to Genpact, a global leader in Business Process Outsourcing. Sanoma aims to improve its flexibility and cost efficiency, adjusting Sanoma's finance organisation to the changing operating environment. May 29, 2014 Ghana readies BPO centre The government of Ghana wants to improve the country’s information and communication technology (ICT) and try to keep up with the fast-changing trends of technological revolution by launching a $5-million project called Business Processing and Outsourcing (BPO) Centre. Offshoring more strategic than cost-cutting alone: Sundaram Most companies using business process outsourcing (BPO) are motivated by the opportunities to expand their client offering and not simply cost-cutting, according to India-based Sundaram Business Services. Capgemini Seals F&A Outsourcing Contract With NBCUniversal French computer consulting firm Capgemini has announced that its American subsidiary has landed a contract to provide finance and accounting services for NBCUniversal International. Capgemini now provides BPO services to four of the top five companies in the media and entertainment industry. Everest Group Analysis Pinpoints Looming Disruption in F&A Outsourcing Market A moderate growth rate of approximately 8 percent in the Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) market belies a significant disruption taking place below the surface. May 28, 2014 Capgemini Looks to Double Size of Guatemala BPO Operations Capgemini is talking of doubling the size of its Guatemalan operation over the next two or three years, as the French BPO giant seems increasingly convinced that the Central American country is the ideal location from which to serve its clients in the United States. NHS shared services aims to end paper invoicing NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) hopes to eradicate paper invoicing by implementing an e-invoicing system that will be free for suppliers to use. May 27, 2014 Former Infosys SVP Chandrashekar Kakal joins L&T Infotech Former Infosys senior vice president Chandrashekar Kakal has joined mid-sized IT services firm L&T Infotech as its COO. Banking sector to become core clients for BPO Global CEO of Aegis, Sandip Sen has commented on seeing a trend in more banks signing deals with Business process management companies. Just as the telecom industry expanded its BPO outsourcing in 2003-05 the banking sector is set to do the same overtaking the telecom sector as the largest buyers of BPO services. During 2003-05 India was adding six million customers a month with BPO and telecoms industries growing in line with each other. Today the banking sector has stepped into the spotlight as the biggest BPO growth industry. May 26, 2014 Vocalcoms Australian Distributor Calltime Signs Agreement with Kinetic BPO Vocalcom, world leader in omni-channel unified contact centre software solutions, has through its agent in Australia, signed a memorandum of understanding for a multi-year supply agreement with Kinetic BPO Pty Ltd. Virtusa tops $111.1m revenue in 4th quarter Virtusa Corporation, a global business consulting and IT outsourcing company that combines innovation, technology leadership and industry solutions to transform the customer experience, has reported consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2014, ended March 31, 2014, according to a Virtusa release. Inclusion of IT-BPOs in 2014 IPP backed DTSI Group has supported the continued inclusion of the Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry in the 2014 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) of the Aquino administration, saying the move would result in the sustained provision of government incentives. May 23, 2014 NSW govt seeks proposals for ServiceFirst outsourcing The NSW government is seeking proposals from over 50 applicants for the delivery of back-office services for its ServiceFirst shared services division, which it is moving to outsource. BASF to establish new shared service center for finance in Montevideo, Uruguay BASF is establishing a new shared service center for finance in Montevideo, Uruguay. BASF Services Americas S.A. will provide finance services to BASF subsidiaries and affiliates in more than 20 countries in North, Central and South America. 'BPO industry experiencing sustainable growth' The business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology (IT) industries continue to see growth due to foreign investments, Convergys Philippines chairperson Marife Zamora said on Thursday. Software giant SAP to set up BPO operations in PH Good news for the BPO sector. SAP, one of the world's largest software companies, says it is expanding its operations here in the Philippines. Aegis sees more banks inking business outsourcing deals Banking promises to become the core client base for the business process outsourcing (or managing) industry just as telecom did in 2003-05. Sandip Sen, Global CEO of Aegis, an Essar Group company, sees a trend in more and more banks signing deals with business process management (BPM) companies. May 22, 2014 Oversight Systems Brings Procure-to-Pay On-Demand Analysis to Corporate AP and Shared Services Oversight Systems, a leading operational analysis software company, announced today the launch of its latest family of Insights. Oversight Insights On Demand for Procure-to-Pay is a web-based application focused on automated analysis of corporate payment transactions to prevent and detect fraud, misuse and other improper payments resulting from errors. Aegis expands Malaysia ops, adds 600 people in Kuala Lampur Aegis, the business process management arm of Essar Group, has increased headcount at its Kuala Lampur centre by 60 percent to 1,600 people, driven by strong demand across verticals such as telecom, banking and travel. Leading UK BPO Chooses LiveOps to Enhance Customer Service Delivery for its Clients LiveOps, Inc., the global leader in cloud contact centre and customer service solutions, announced today that a leading United Kingdom financial services BPO has selected LiveOps as their cloud contact centre solution. Finance and Accounting Ops deal for Capgemini Capgemini, a provider of consulting, technology and outsourcing services, has announced that Capgemini America Inc., its North American subsidiary, has been selected by NBCUniversal International (NBCUI), the international arm of a media and entertainment company, to deliver business process outsourcing (BPO) services to help standardize and optimize its finance and accounting operations. May 21, 2014 Wipro wins $175 million deal from US-based Corning Wipro has won a $175 million (Rs 1,050 crore) IT outsourcing deal from US-based glass and ceramics manufacturer Corning Incorporated. The third-largest IT services company pipped IBM, HP, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra to bag a five-year infrastructure management services (IMS) contract, said sources familiar with the development. Indian IT firms set to cash in on $20-bn Obamacare US President Barrack Obama’s initiative to provide affordable health insurance and cheaper healthcare to all Americans, popularly called Obamacare, could provide a $20-billion (Rs 1.2 lakh crore) business opportunity for Indian IT companies over the next five years. HCL Wins $500 mn PepsiCo Deal Over Rivals HCL Technologies has bagged a $500-million IT outsourcing deal from soft drink maker PepsiCo for its infrastructure management services (IMS) business. It was a major win for the country’s fourth-largest IT services firm that piped HP to bag the seven-year IT deal, reads a TOI article. Other IT majors such as Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) and Cognizant were reported to be the front-runners in the outsourcing contract earlier which finally went to HCL Technologies. Account Control Technology Holdings, Inc. Acquires Convergent Account Control Technology Holdings, Inc. (ACT Holdings), the parent company of debt management and collection leader Account Control Technology, Inc. today announced its acquisition of Convergent Resources Holdings, LLC. Case for Puerto Rico BPO Investment Grows Stronger With Infosys Arrival As an unincorporated U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is a very different nearshore option from most other Caribbean nations. Higher labor costs (the result of an above-average minimum wage) are somewhat offset by financial incentives, while the island also offers all the security of the U.S. legal system and a large English-speaking population. Deloitte sees manufacturing, BPO driving Philippine growth Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd (Deloitte Global) said the Philippines has an opportunity to ride a global manufacturing boom as a link in the supply chain for high-value products, but must resolve its problems with electricity and infrastructure. Flexisource Makes IT Outsourcing More Affordable With New Outsourcing Model Outsourcing IT needs is something that makes a lot of sense for many companies. Instead of going through the HR hassles and driving up costs by employing permanent workers, outsourcing helps companies avoid extra costs and headaches. Shared services and DHS: A great opportunity. The concept of shared or integrated services has been present within the federal government for over 20 years, but the conversation has been heightened with continued pressure from the Office of Management and Budget and the Obama administration to consider new ways of doing business and avoid duplicative work. Agencies have been asked to challenge the status quo of how services are provided across their organizations. The Department of Homeland Security is no exception to this conversation. May 20, 2014 IT-BPO sector seen to drive Phl into a $-trillion economy The Philippines is expected to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030, driven by the information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector and the robust inflow of cash remittances from Filipinos abroad, a respected US-based think-tank said yesterday. The case for a creative economy in the Philippines Technology drives any economy – but in the coming years, what will drive technology? We are well aware of the Philippines’ strengths in business process outsourcing (BPO), an industry that in the past decade has grown from zero to a million employees, most of whom flex their "neutral English accents" at the crack of dawn in call centres. COUNTRY PROFILE: Fertile Territory for Outsourcing in Mauritius Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, is known to many for its luxury tourist resorts. However, country has also become a choice destination for organizations requiring a strategic location to deliver business process outsourcing , with distinctive strengths in finance and accounting, as well as IT application development and maintenance support. [Herald Interview] Concentrix seeks to boost service for Korean clients Concentrix, a global business process outsourcing company, plans to double its sales and staff in South Korea over the next three years as local companies’ demand for administrative processing will increase as they expand globally. Babcock sees buoyant outsourcing market, confident on year ahead British engineering contractor Babcock said on Monday it was confident about its prospects for the year ahead after it posted a 15-percent rise in annual profits and raised its dividend. May 19, 2014 Feds robocall themselves in search for unused telephone lines The federal government has been running a massive robocall campaign out of Ottawa, dialling its own offices and hoping no one answers. The objective? Ferret out and cancel the thousands of unused telephone lines that cost taxpayers millions each year. Value of UK public sector outsourcing deals up by 168% in Q1 The value of UK public sector outsourcing contracts increased by 168% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2014, to over £2.1 billion. BPOs bet on staff retention ways amid competition, attrition The India's BPO industry, which provides millions of jobs, is embracing employee-friendly policies such as job enrichment and innovative pay structures to arrest high attrition levels, according to HR experts. May 16, 2014 Brother UK announces new senior leadership team Brother UK has appointed a new leadership team that will shape its future strategy and help it transition into providing services and solutions. Cognosante Hires Brent Younce as Chief People Officer Cognosante, a leading provider of Consulting, Technology, and BPO services to healthcare organizations, announced the hiring of Brent Younce as Chief People Officer. In this role, Mr. Younce has ultimate responsibility for all Human Resources functions, including acquiring, managing and developing talent, building and advancing organizational capabilities, and driving employee engagement. May 15, 2014 C3 to Launch Another Contact Center in Guatemala City C3 is bulking up in Guatemala, launching a new contact center and adding 500 new employees to its workforce. The Plantation, Florida-based BPO provider said the new delivery center in Guatemala City will provide contact center services in several languages including Spanish, French and English. Treasury CIO brings rest of agency around on shared services The Treasury Department has done a 180 degree turn on the need for and benefits of an enterprise content management system. May 14, 2014 Why BPOs may soon set up shop near residential areas Many business process outsourcing (BPO) companies are now concentrated in Makati or Fort Bonifacio, but some may soon be moving closer to where their employees live. Five Ecom celebrates its topping-off ceremony Once completed, the Five Ecom Center will be a major center for the BPO industry in the country since it is expected to house BPO companies. SPi Global Expands Into China SPi Global, the country's most internationally-recognized full-service BPO company, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of all of the assets of China-based Bachieve International Inc. The new entity, SPi Global (Xi'An) Information Technology Limited will have 260 employees focused on business process outsourcing, IT outsourcing, management consulting services, and call center solutions. Xi'an is the BPO capital of Western China. May 13, 2014 Government sees another 20% hike in FDI The country is seen to match this year the 20-percent growth in foreign direct investments (FDI) in 2013 with the resurgence of the manufacturing sector, the sustained strength of the information technology-business-process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector and the rising labor costs in neighboring countries that could prompt global firms to locate to the Philippines. SPi Global buys China-based BPO company SPi Global has completed the acquisition of all the assets of China-based Bachieve International Inc. Maulik Parekh, SPi Global president and chief executive, said the geographic expansion strengthens the company’s delivery operations in Asia and complements existing operational strengths in India and the Philippines. Asia’s already strong outsourcing segment still has growth potential, survey finds Outsourcing is still maturing in Asia, and offers significant growth opportunities for the industry's vendors. As the region experiences increasing M&A activity, soaring business costs and increasing talent management challenges, Asian business leaders are turning to outsourcing as a solution, according to Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) 2014. May 12, 2014 Australia's QBE group to hire 1000 in PH A division of Australia's QBE Insurance Group is looking to hire over 1,000 employees in the Philippines. Cabot on move again, plans service center in Latvia Cabot Corp. rarely stands pat for long. It adds to, subtracts from or expands an area of its business virtually every year. Its goal is always to keep the company in front of the pack in the carbon black industry while improving the firm's operation. Capita contract wins keep it in on target for full-year Outsourcing group Capita said it has made a strong start to 2014 securing £1.1bn of major new sales wins, including contracts with Transport for London, Scottish Wide Area Network, John Lewis and the Ministry of Defence. Competence Call Center will open in Brasov Romania Competence Call Center, supplier of support services, will open in Brasov Romania, on June 1, a second office in Romania where it will create 100 jobs, with advanced speakers of German, English, Italian and French on high demand. HR management can take up as much as 40 per cent of your day Human resources has a critical function in any company or organisation as it deals with its most important asset – its employees. Yet, many SMEs still choose to deal with this internally, with functions often performed by the business manager or by department heads. They do so even though payroll and HR management functions can take up to 40 per cent of a professional’s day. May 9, 2014 Indian IT companies to tap big business in Europe; up hiring plans With European corporations emulating their American counterparts to make outsourcing mainstream , Indian software companies are tapping into a rich new vein of opportunity and are hiring and looking for acquisitions to grow in the continent. Unisys to Present with BlackLine Systems at Annual Shared Services & Outsourcing Week in Dublin Global IT consulting and solutions leader Unisys will be joining enterprise financial software company BlackLine Systems for a presentation at the 14th Annual European Shared Services and Outsourcing conference next week in Dublin. A senior finance executive from the $3.5 billion worldwide provider of mission-critical IT solutions will deliver a case study highlighting best practices and benefits of optimising the account reconciliation process in a shared services environment. Reducing Costs and Improving Efficiency Through Federal Shared Service Providers for Financial Management As part of the President’s Management Agenda, the Administration is pursuing initiatives to streamline the way government delivers services internally, with a particular focus on the core administrative functions that are common across the government. One of our key initiatives in this effort is to expand the use of high-quality, high-value shared services among Federal agencies. IBM Secures Outsourcing Contract From Chile’s PreviRed IBM has landed an IT outsourcing contract with Chilean health insurance payment service provider PreviRed, although the financial details of the deal have not been disclosed. May 8, 2014 NZ business comfortable with outsourcing While many overseas companies are hesitant to outsource work, the majority of New Zealand businesses are happy to embrace the concept, according to new research. May 7, 2014 Victorian government invests $6 million outsourcing ICT The Victorian government is set to invest $6 million outsourcing ICT infrastructure for the Centre for IT Excellence and towards changes in the procurement of services in 2014-15 state budget. The DDC Group Expands North American Headquarters in Atlanta Pioneer in global business process outsourcing (BPO), The DDC Group, will expand its North American headquarters in Atlanta, with a 41 percent staff increase by October 2014. India outsourcing firm plans new facility INDIA-BASED information technology and outsourcing giant Tech Mahindra Ltd. is now looking at its next step in the Philippines, four years after it set up shop in the country, as part of global expansion plans for 2014, senior officials of the company said in a recent visit. Automation becomes new buzzword for Indian IT players like WNS, TCS Indian IT players are increasingly working to include automation in their business process services and testing, leading to a rise in investment to create such automated tools and rising demand for the people who can build them. Genpact’s net rises 8% to $50.6 m in Q1 Business process management company Genpact has reported net income of $50.6 million, for the first quarter ended March 31, up 8.3 per cent from $46.7 million in the first quarter of 2013. May 6, 2014 ICT-BPO Opportunities in Mauritius Mauritius, the African island with a GDP growth of 3.2% (2012) and a population of 1.3 mn is the next big investment destination for ICT-BPO sector. The economy of Mauritius is innovation driven and by 2020 it is expected to be high income economy. The ICT-BPO sector together contributes 6.5% to the total GDP, and by 2015 it is expected to reach 8%. This indicates that the industry is remarkably dynamic, complex, and competitive. The ICT-BPO sector in Mauritius has eventually evolved and is growing rapidly. Concentrix completes second phase of IBM BPO's acquisition Concentrix Corporation has added 19 delivery locations in 13 countries and completed the second phase of IBM's BPO business acquisition. NelsonHall Appoints Lindsey Marie Ball as New Business Director NelsonHall Appoints Lindsey Marie Ball as New Business Director NelsonHall, the leading BPO and IT outsourcing research and analysis firm, is pleased to welcome Lindsey Marie Ball as New Business Director. May 5, 2014 Irish outsourcing firm creates 350 tech jobs Business technology company Voxpro has announced the creation of 350 new positions at its Cork-based site. Onshore Outsourcing to add 100 new jobs A well-known Macon company announced plans that will impact the entire city. ‘India still retains its edge in outsourcing’ India is the hub of innovation and delivery for Capgemini, a French IT consulting firm that is expecting the market to grow rapidly over the next couple of years. Its headcount in India crossed 50,000 in April, making it the largest employee base in the world. The company employs a total of 1.34 lakh personnel across 44 countries. May 2, 2014 ISG Named Minacs a Global Top 20 Outsourcing Provider Minacs today announced that it has been named a Top 20 Outsourcing Service Provider by Information Services Group (ISG), a leading technology insights, market intelligence, and advisory services company. The ISG Global Outsourcing Index is based on annual contract value won over the last 12 months. HP in server sourcing deal with Foxconn, targeting service providers Enterprise networking vendor HP today announced a non-equity joint venture with Foxconn to create new cloud-optimized servers — targeting service providers. Australian govt should harness outsourcing: Commission of Audit The Department of Human Services (DHS) payment system poses a "significant risk to a core function of government", the National Commission of Audit has said in its report released today. PH BPO revenue up 15% in 2013 The Philippines' BPO industry generated $10 billion in revenues in 2013 – a 15% increase over 2012 – according to a Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) report. Atento S.A Files For $300.00 Mln IPO - Quick Facts Atento S.A. said Thursday that it has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to raise up to $300.00 million in an initial public offering. The company did not specify the number of shares to be sold and the pricing. May 1, 2014 EXL Reports 2014 First Quarter Results ExlService Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of outsourcing and transformation services, today announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2014. G4S to set up its European shared services centre in Tallinn Global security services provider G4S is following in the steps of several other multinationals such as Statoil Fuel & Retail or KÃ½hne + Nagel and has decided to set up its pan-European shared services centre in Estonia, writes today’s ÃripÃ¥ev. You may also like... The SSON News: December The SSON News: January The SSON News: February The SSON News: March The SSON News: April

The SSON Daily News: May 30, 2014

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