Gov’t urged to come up with building code for ICT ecozones

Global call center operator eTelecare Global Solutions Inc. is urging the government to come up with a standard building code for buildings that seek accreditation as special information and communication technology (ICT)-economic zones.

Benedict C. Hernandez, vice president for Philippine operations and global shared services of eTelecare, said the government should pay attention to the concerns of the ICT sector which is attracting substantial investments and providing increasing employment for Filipinos.

Hernandez noted that some PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority)-registered buildings are not actually prepared or equipped for the special 24/7 needs of call centers.

Disruptions such as power outages or lack of capacity to handle computers, Hernandez said, could adversely affect the efficiency and credibility of Philippine-based call centers.

Aside from the infrastructure requirements, Hernandez also emphasized the need for Philippine-based call centers to move up the value-chain.

At present, domestic call centers are only able to offer basic consumer and financial services while competitors like India, are able to offer more advanced services, he said.