Allied Digital ventures into BPO business

Mumbai-based system integrator Allied Digital Services has planned to provide BPO service to the Indian computing industry.

The company is already in talks with a networking OEM and a peripherals vendor.

"For an OEM, after sales service is of utmost importance and it has to be provided across the country. Most of the IT products have a warranty period of one to three years, therefore if the entire servicing is taken care of at one point the whole process would be hassle free," elaborated Nitin Shah, MD, Allied Digital.

The communications and networking integrator already has 11 to 20 hubs across India and also has direct presence at 56 locations called spokes in the country. "At all these locations we don't have just personnel appointed but are capable of providing service to the customers. Many of the companies get into ERP, WAN and security but after deploying, managing is always left to the experts. With technology changing everyday trained personnel are required," added Ponnanna Uthappa, Country Manager (Services), Allied Digital.

Allied Digital will be not be making any dramatic changes to its organizational structure but will have to only expand its call center. "To become a BPO there are four basic aspects required which are telephone support, logistics support, onsite and return to bench support and finally fully equipped to provide repairs to the product. All these aspects are ready except that the manpower for the call center has to be increased," pointed out Shah.

This BPO unit will be a division within Allied Digital and therefore there will be no separate business unit formed. Shah also claimed that vendors availing of this facility will benefit with cost effectiveness, stringent quality of service and delivery on time.

"Reduction of operational efficiency is essential today and through BPO this is achieved."

Allied Digital is also seriously pursuing its integration activity as it has deployed wireless LAN at hotel Oberoi, Mumbai and the entire Reliance Knowledge City, which should be completed by the end of this year.

Nancy Sudheer