Vol. XXII, No. 170 [ BusinessWorld Online ]
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
NASDAQ-LISTED Convergys Corp. will open three new contact centers tomorrow, creating a total of 3,100 new jobs in the burgeoning outsourcing industry that is expected to continue steady growth despite the global economic downturn.
Two more Convergys sites are expected to open by June, an official said.
Through a live video feed, Convergys will launch contact centers at Cebu Asiatown i3 in Cebu City; the Technohub of the University of the Philippines and Ayala Land, Inc. in Quezon City; and the Nuvali TechnoHub in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
The Laguna contact center has 460 seats, which translates to about 1,100 jobs, while the Cebu and Quezon City sites have 420 seats each, equivalent to around 2,000 jobs.
It will be the first time for Convergys to open three new sites simultaneously through a live video feed, said Jomari P. Mercado, business development director of Convergys Philippines.
"We want to send the message that in this time of a global economic crisis, here is Convergys opening three new sites, which shows our confidence in the growth of the business process outsourcing industry," Mr. Mercado said.
THE OUTSOURCING industry is expecting 30% growth this year with demand continuing to pick up despite the economic downturn. — Bw File Photo
The Laguna facility will use "green" technology, including solar panels and dual pipes for water recycling. There are also ramps to encourage employees to use bicycles in going to work.
The Cebu facility is Convergys’ third in Cebu, while the Quezon City hub is the company’s seventh contact center in Metro Manila.
Half of the positions created by the three new contact centers have been filled, Mr. Mercado said, and the rest would be filled up "within the year."
Convergys is planning to open a new facility at the Glorietta 5 mall in Makati by June. It will have 2,041 seats which can employ 3,000 workers.
There will be another site at the former San Lazaro racetrack in Manila, with 460 seats that could give jobs to 1,000 workers.
Convergys bared expansion plans last year, expecting to create 7,000 new jobs. The company said yesterday it was "on track" with the expansion project.
But the opening of new sites in Glorietta 5 and San Lazaro will depend on demand from customers.
"The way we build sites is opportunistic, meaning it depends on our client’s demand. Definitely there is demand right now; a lot of demand actually. But until we have closed the contracts, we cannot divulge the details," Mr. Mercado said.
"We are studying additional sites. But nothing is final," the Convergys official added.
The Business Processing Association of the Philippines is projecting around 30% growth this year for the $6-billion local outsourcing sector. The industry is expecting an additional 110,000 new jobs to the existing 400,000. — Jose Bimbo F. Santos
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