By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
September 9, 2010

Telecommunications firm PLDT announced recently the consolidation of its two BPO arms, SPi Technologies and ePLDT Ventus, into a single entity known as SPi Global, aiming to be a Filipino-owned BPO firm which will cater to global customers through various outsourcing services.

ePLDT Ventus’s voice-based CRM business will now interoperate with SPi Technologies’ content and healthcare solutions under the SPi Global banner, bringing the total number of employees to 14,000 spread out across 24 locations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

The base of the company, however, remains centered in the Philippines, where the BPO firm employs at least 11,000 people in Manila, Laguna, Cebu, Iloilo, and Dumaguete.

The US$85 million company hopes to expand locally and internationally, aiming to double its numbers in the next three to four years. “We are planning to expand to sites with incredibly talented labor force,” remarked Maulik Parekh, president and CEO, SPi Global.

Currently, SPi Global employs 600 workers in Vietnam for non-voice functions, 1800 individuals in Southern India supporting their content solutions business, and at least 600 people in the US and Europe focusing on sales, business development, and healthcare-related offerings.

“We plan to go to the suburbs, to make it easy for the employees in the provinces, so they can easily commute to the workplace. That often affects employee retention rates in the country,” Parekh added.

Under the new banner, the three services offered by the two previous subsidiaries will comprise three business units of SPi Global: SPi CRM, SPi Content Solutions, and SPi Healthcare.

Parekh said they aim to differentiate from other BPO providers by being a Filipino company with global presence; providing end-to-end solutions in very unique verticals; employing a people-centric culture; and hiring the best and talented leaders in the industry.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, the chairman of PLDT, said his company—and the local BPO industry in general—is well-positioned for growth in the coming years, especially that other countries are already plateauing their growth.

“The Philippines is unreasonably well compared to India. Proportionately, we are somewhat distant. But in per capita terms, our record is not as bad,” he related.

Pangilinan said the country must come to terms with emerging competition from other countries who may soon take the crown as one of the top global destinations for outsourcing. “We must be careful with China,” he warned. “They are developing their workforce to take advantage of the industry, so it’s going to be more competitive as a more complex set of services enters the market.”

The PLDT top honcho also added that the supply of graduates is currently not adequate for the industry, compared to how much other countries could produce. “Our education system needs to get coaxed into this business or industry,” he said.

Parekh, on the other hand, said the company is expecting double-digit growths in all of its segments this year, with plans to inorganically grow through mergers and acquisitions. He remained mum, however, about potential M&A candidates in the near future.

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