Bayantel Call Center Service for Mid-Tier Operations
Lopez-owned telecommunications firm Bayan Telecommunications (Bayantel) launched a service that intends to target mid-tier and large call center operations in the Philippines, executives said on Monday.
Working closely with Five9 Inc., a US-based company providing virtual call center solution, Bayantel executives said the service, dubbed Bayan on Demand, would allow call center companies in the country to quickly expand operations and even set up disaster-recovery centers using its new service.
With about 25 percent of its total revenues now coming from the call center industry, Aniceto Franco, Bayantel vice president for corporate and business markets, said the timing of the launch of the service is crucial.
“This can be an expansion option for call centers. It also fits centers hoping to have redundancies in their operations,” the executive added, noting that this service will complement its connectivity business in the country.
Five9 Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Silverman said the global call center market is now shifting from a “premised-based” type of operations to a hosted one that only requires fast Internet connection, software, and computers.
Silverman disclosed that this is “first of its kind” deal that Five9 has entered into with a telecommunications company in the world.
“We’re waving the first 12 months of licensing cost. We believe the market is asking for it, so we’re taking a more aggressive stance,” the executive added.
Five9 charges about $150 to $200 a month for each call center seat, Silverman said.
“This is the most cost-effective way to be competitive,” Jim Dvorkin, chief technology officer of Five9 Inc., said, as he explained that 40 percent of the $3-billion global market for premise-based call center operations is moving into hosted-types of services. Continue reading
