With projects getting more complex, there is new stress on higher value added services

Why did you choose Hyderabad for your second global services delivery
center in the country?

We wanted to gain access to the talent pool available in the southern part
of the country, and Hyderabad seemed as an ideal location for that. Currently,
the center has a capacity to accommodate around 300 people. We also have a
center in Pune with an area of 60,000 sq ft.

What are your plans for the India centers?

Both our units in India, Pune and Hyderabad are parallel to the US center.
The work is replicated across all the centers. We have four centers, one in the
US, second at Budapest and two in India. Our Pune center collaborates with Avaya
Labs and with other centers for research and development in converged solutions,
customer relationship management and unified communications solutions.

We are aware that you implement the follow the sun' model. How does the
new center fit into this?

We follow a layered model, with two components: service desk and backbone
segment. While the service desk is located within the region, our centers,
located across the globe, provide backbone support. The Indian center works in
parallel to our other centers. And since our operations are globally integrated,
we do not need to work during the night.

We work in four shifts out of which two shifts run out of India and the other
two from the US. Once it is night in the US, the Indian operations take over.
Initially, the Hyderabad center will offer basic services. Though over a period
of time it will replicate the complete range of services offered by the Pune
center.

Have you started hiring for the Hyderabad center?

Yes, we have started the hiring process and by the end of this year we plan
to have a near 300 workforce. We are also looking at expanding this number in
the next fiscal.

Are you facing any problem in accessing the right manpower for the new
center?

No, we are not facing any problem in the availability of technical manpower.
However, there is certainly an issue where hiring people with services
orientation is concerned. One has to have an all-round ability to understand the
customer's needs.

What are the trends in the sector?

There is a definite trend toward knowledge centric services. We believe that
the industry is moving toward further automation with emphasis on services.
Customers now demand an end-to-end solution. It is no longer just voice but
convergence of voice and data.

Gagandeep Kaur

gagandeepk@cybermedia.co.in