Convergys to spend $10-M for contact center

Convergys Corp., the world’s top provider of integrated billing, employee car and customer care services, is investing an additional $7 million to $10 million to set up a third contact center in the country.

Convergys Customer Management Group president Jack Freker announced yesterday that Convergys has just signed a lease for a third contact center at the Northgate Cyberzone in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Convergys’ formal launching of its operations in the country was graced by Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

Freker said Convergys continues to view the Philippines and India as very attractive locations for future growth of English language support facilities.

Convergys already has two call centers in Metro Manila. One is located at the Enterprise Center in Makati and the Robinsons Equitable Center in Pasig. The Alabang contact center is scheduled to become operation in 2004.

Freker would not reveal Convergys’ total investment so far in the country, but he said that it allots between $7 million to $10 million globally for each new contact center.

"Further expansion plans, would factor in the country’s political stability, communications, power, and labor demographics as well as transportation, roads and public transport," Freker said.

He also said that security considerations, real estate options and the availability of an English-speaking, well educated and abundant human resource are also major factors.

Roxas welcomed Convergys’ investment, noting that the government’s decision three years ago to focus on attracting information technology investments has begun to pay off.

In fact, Roxas was optimistic that IT investments, especially in call center operations is expected to generate a total of 50,000 jobs in the next six months or an additional 20,000 jobs from the current 30,000 jobs already created.