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<p class=MsoNormal>Could we please stop equating the BPO sector with Call
Centers. Every time a discussion on the BPO sector starts it is
inevitably reduced to a discussion on call centers. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>This is one of the biggest problems domestic outsourcing
companies face since the BPO discussion seems to be only about call centers
(for those of you at the CEO Breakfast earlier this year you will recall it was
one of the main issues CEOs identified . They said the message they
received was essentially BPO=Call Centers). There are numerous BPOs in
the country that offer back office processing services from imaging and data
storage to mail sorting and delivery (perhaps the stock brokers would have been
advised to use them to prevent the Safaricom refund fiasco), and when we fail
to highlight the diversity of the industry we lose valuable opportunities for marketing
and visibility for these companies and the industry as a whole. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Business Process Outsourcing is much larger that call
centers and if we on this list cannot seem to make that distinction that is a
major problem. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>May I also suggest that the ICT Board has <u>more</u> work
to do on promoting <b><i>domestic as well as international</i></b> BPO
work. Without a viable domestic market, we will not be able to nuture and
grow local companies. Before the international business comes it would be
helpful if local companies had local business to help sustain them, provide refernces
as well as cushion them against the longer sales cycle for international
contracts. Government can help by leading the way as it looks at
implementing the eGovernment initiative as well as in providing
incentives for local business to outsource. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Marilyn <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>Many thanks
and best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>Marilyn M.
Kamuru<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>eManage
Africa Ltd.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>P.O. Box
18136 00500<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>Nairobi,
Kenya<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>Tel:
(254) 20828 383; 20 34550<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>Cell
: (254) 725 525 972, 736 225 384<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"'>www.emanageafrica.com<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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