Cebu learns Innovation, the Google Way

Officials from Google will be in Cebu on Friday to talk about innovation in a forum called,  “Inspiring Innovation: the Google Way,” at the University of the Philippines- Visayas Cebu College.

Google developer relations technical program manager Christine Songco and Google Japan software engineer Dan de Lima will be guest speakers in the innovation forum that is organized by the Ayala Technology Business Incubator (AyalaTBI) in cooperation with Google, UP Cebu Department of Science and Technology Business Incubator, GTUG – Cebu, Developers Connect (DevCon), Philippine Emerging Start-Ups Open and the Brain Gain Network.

The “Inspiring Innovation: the Google Way” innovation forum is one of many tech forums that AyalaTBI hosts in regional centers in the country with partners since 2007.

IBM inks IT scholarship deal with University of Cebu

The University of Cebu (UC) recently inks an agreement with IBM Philippines to pilot an “Earn as You Learn” (EAYL) program, patterned after the successful collaboration of IBM and the University of Ballarat, Australia.

“Innovation is crucial in the economic advancement of Cebu and our country. Information Technology has been identified as a vital sector that can support innovation and can open up a lot of opportunities for progress.

With the EAYL program, we not only support the local government of Cebu’s drive to be the premier IT hub in the Philippines, we also have the opportunity to enhance the employability of the university’s graduates,”

– Candice Gotianuy, University of Cebu Chancellor.

The EAYL program integrates class training with income-generating work experience for students, enabling them to graduate with a higher appreciation of career and culture of an IT professional.

The program is to be incorporated in the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology course, including subjects recommended and provided with subject experts by IBM.

References:

1. Limpag, Max. “Google execs in Cebu forum.” 9 March 2010. Sun Star Cebu. Accessed 10 March 2010. Link Here
2. “MOA inked for ‘Earn As You Learn’ for IT students.” 5 March 2010. Cebu Daily News. Accessed 10 March 2010. Link Here

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Here what’s buzzin’ in India’s information technology and business process outsourcing (IT/BPO) sector: India faces strong competition from China in cost-effective software & development, India’s third largest IT company Wipro bags 7-year US contract, Infosys banks on getting big revenue on platform-based offers and Aegis builds new campuses for business and employees.

More on this after the jump.

China versus India on Software

China enacts policies tp promote and develop software exportsw which causes alarm for India as the latter complains on the former’s  unfair trade practices, selling software products at low prices on the strength of state subsidies. Along with other nations, India has imposed anti-dumping duty on Chinese goods that are sold at low prices.

Wipro enters 7 year IT contract with US insurance company

Wipro Technologies, India’s third largest software/IT firms, partners with US-based insurance firm Main Street America Group for a 7 year business engagement. Main Street America provides commercial, personal insurance to individuals, families and small enterprises in 24 states..

Wipro will provide Main Street America software solutions in applications, development, maintenance and quality assurance.

Infosys banks on new pay-per-use biz model

India’s second largest software exporter, Infosys breaks free from the conventional model of effort or time and material-based business model to a new client-engagement in which clients pay for what they use and  the business results achieved as an effort to attract more business.

Customers are presently seeking ways to lower capital expenditure. One way is the adoption of the pay-as-you-go model of service providers.

Aegis plans on more expansion

Aegis-Essar Global will invest about USD80 million in new tech campuses for business, employees and plans for further expansion into service delivery centers around the world.

The new Aegis tech business campuses will be sprawling parks that will be home to BPO units, entertainment facilities, gyms, swimming pools and residential complexes.

Aegis is also setting up more BPO centers in global destinations in Africa, continental Europe and South America. The international expansion strategy has already placed centers in the United States, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom and Ireland to gain access into these markets.

References:

1. Dasgupta, Saibal. “Cheap Chinese software may steal India’s edge.” 7 March 2010. Economic Times of India. Accessed 7 March 2010. Link Here
2. Mishra, Pankaj. “Infosys bets big on pay-per-use model.” 5 March 2010. Economic Times of India. Accessed 6 March 2010. Link Here
3. Parbat, Kalyan. “Aegis plans Rs 400-cr expansion.” 6 March 2010. Economic Times of India. Accessed 7 March 2010. Link Here
4. “Wipro bags 7-years IT contract from US-based insurance company.” 4 March 2010. Economic Times of India. Accessed 6 March 2010. Link Here

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Know your Outsourcing.

Outsourcing Opinions provides comprehensive articles and analyses on the current news and information, from world media agencies and authoritative sources, regarding outsourcing and business.

Outsourcing Rates still down this 2010

Alsbridge’s ProBenchmark finds many information technology (IT) outsourcing services continue to drop in 2010, albeit at a slower pace than when compared to the decline last 2009. The costs of some notable IT services — such as virtual server support — are rising.

Read more of this price trend here

You Org and Outsourcing - Make it Work

Here are five tips how organizations can avoid problems with outsourcing contracts and projects from the best point to handle them– at the beginning.

1. A contract too good to be true… it is.
2. Get a second opinion.
3. Failure could be an option. Consider that.
4. Strengthen early agreements with suppliers.
5. Try Multi-sourcing this early.

Learn more about these tips on how to make your org and outsourcing a working, happy marriage here.

Schools and Colleges should have an Education Call Center

Outsourcing can help schools and university campuses create an effective hotline that can  inbound marketing, admissions, financial aid and administration calls.

Learn how here.

New BPO Hub in Iloilo City, Philippines.

Iloilo is slowly emerging as a business process outsourcing (BPO) destination. Philippine Property giant Ayala Land Inc. signed a 35-year lease agreement to develop a two-hectare property in Iloilo City, Philippines into possibly the biggest BPO hub in the country.

The project will develop the available 19,000 square meters of the two-hectare property into three BPO office facilities. Learn more about this development here

Employee rentention and turnovers are major issues facing any organization, particularly in the contact center business were agents are challenged to maintain a positive mental attitude at work.

However there are ways organizations can keep their employees’ morale, keep them happy and keep them at work.

Customer care expert and author Barbara Burke shares tips on how to engage employees in order for them to work better and stay loyal to the company.

Survey your employees regularly.

Apply employee satisfaction surveys on a quarter-to-annual basis, particularly on the new hires. Use initial information to serve as a baseline and follow up every quarter in order to identify major issues and resolve them A.S.A.P.

Include employees in decision-and-policy-making.

Invite employees to be involved. It makes sense because they can usually provide the necessary information to make the right decisions that will benefit them and in turn benefit the company.

Provide Training and Career opportunity.

It is essential to train direct supervisors on coaching and leadership for they can apply these to handle their teams in order to derive the best performance as well as drive engagement.

Also, people have goals to advance. It is best to know these goals and assist employees to advance their careers. It’ll foster loyalty as well as good karma.

Give immediate feedback on performance.

Give employees immediate, good readings on their actual performance on specific interactions/functions. If there’s an opportunity for improvement, the real-time information can be also valuable for it allows them to make resolution immediately.

Apply positive reinforcement frequently.

Immediate feedback with positive reinforcement is great for employee morale.

Reference:

Conlon, Ginger. “Improve Retention in the Contact Center.” 1 March 2010. Strategy and Insight - 1on1Media. Accessed 3 March 2010. Link Here

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According to proponents, legal process outsourcing(LPO) provide high profit margins for services providers and high cost savings for clients/companies as economic benefits.

LPO has changed the perception of the global legal industry, which once thought legal services as too sensitive to be outsourced.

The results of a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC) and Duke University Off-shoring Research study show that  LPO is growing at a steady rate globally, with near 60% in the Asia Pacific– 40% in India through its 110 service providers specializing in LPO and the remaining 20% spread on India’s competitor destinations such the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

James Dean of the Law Society Gazette gives us a look into the world that is LPO and in particular, how an LPO center in India goes about its daily work in providing legal services to clients around the world.Join his tour and learn his insights into this emerging industry here

As for now, LPO seems to be promising and its supporters optimistic that it will deliver great economic value. Stay tuned here for further developments.

References:

1. Dean, James. “How legal process outsourcing is changing the legal landscape.” 25 February 2010. The Law Society Gazette. Accessed 1 March 2010. Link Here.
2. Laughlin, Kirk. “New Study Says Demand for Outsourced Services will Accelerate, Driven in Part by Nearshoring.” 5 February 2010. Nearshore Americas.  Accessed 1 March 2010. Link Here

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Cebu City ranks #1 emerging global outsourcing city for 2009 as surveyed by Global Services - Tholons, a strategic advisory firm for global outsourcing and investments yet the financial capital of the Philippines, Makati City is no longer listed in top outsourcing cities of Global Services - Tholons survey “Top 50 Global Emerging Outsourcing Countries.”

“While we read glowing accounts of investors being bullish about the Philippines as a BPO destination, most of them are locating in other cities in Metro Manila. As a result, residents in these cities get better opportunities for employment and livelihood, as well as skills training and education.”

– Ernesto Mercado, Makati Vice-Mayor

The vice-mayor further admits that the city government has not been as proactive when compared to fellow Philippine cities in terms of pouring investments and efforts in education, training, infrastructure as well as business support services for potential investors.

To gain back its edge, the city of Makati should see the urgency of the matter and implement programs and policies attractive to business, particularly in business process outsourcing (BPO).

Reference:

Osorio, Ma. Elisa. “Cebu City now Asia’s top outsourcing city - survey.” 2 March 2010. The Philippine Star. Accessed 2 March 2010. Link Here

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The International ICT Awards-Philippines is set on March 25, 2010 at the Grand Ballroom of the Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City.

This award-giving body recognizes organizations and individuals who contribute to the Philippines and Filipinos’ high appraisal in the minds of business leaders around the world.

Winners for 2010 will be announced in the following major award categories: Business Process Offshore (BPO) Company of the Year, Fastest – Growing BPO Company of the Year and Most Innovative BPO Company of the Year.

This year, there are new award categories, which were created to give recognition to rising non-voice BPO companies, such as Shared Services Excellence Company of the Year and Non-voice Company of the Year. Learn more about the International ICT Awards here

According to a top CCAP official, The CCAP has reached a consensus to bolt from the BPAP but has deferred in announcing the decision– pending the vote results from the CCAP board members.

Read more here.

How will this bode for the BPAP as an organization? How will this affect the BPO sector of the Philippines? Stay tuned for updates as this develops.

Due to insufficient support from government and academe, Cebu has a gap when it comes to skills in original, industrial design.

“Filipinos in general are very creative. With enough training and conducive facility with the help of all stakeholders, we can definitely reap more. We have a big potential.”

– Kenneth Cobonpue, world-renowned furniture designer, during a forum for industrial design.

In light of this gap, measures are currently being taken to fill it.

Cobonpue and other notable designers in Cebu have formed the Cebu Design Education Foundation, which aims to support sustainable design development and enhance the design culture through non-credit and non-formal design education.

The foundations’ programs include the Chiye Mori Design Library, which has a lot of reference materials, especially for design students. Another is  the Design Speak, forums where they invite established and acclaimed industrial designers like China’s Danny Fang who last week discussed “Design in China, How to Tickle the Giant.”

Another group also tackles the challenge of improving the state of industrial design in Cebu. The Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF) embarks on an intensive training and mentorship program for design students in Cebu, called the Students Internship Program.

Twenty-one students from the University of the Philippines Visayas Cebu College (UPVCC), and the University of San Carlos (USC) will receive lessons and hands-on training from top designers and companies based in Cebu.

CFIF is also widening its scope to discover new and fresh ideas in design. Linked with the “Creative City” campaign, initiated by the British Council, CFIF hopes to pool the creative people of Cebu and tap their talents. Design capability of Cebu is then expected soar.

With such developments in the cultivation of design talents in furniture design, fashion and multimedia, there is emphasis to guide these students and talents to respect intellectural property rights.

“We have a large pool of talented Filipino graphic designers, animators and digital artists who have been recognized by international organizations.

With this extraordinary talent of Filipinos in the arts, there is an urgent need to increase awareness on respect for IPR and the laws governing it so that our budding artists can ensure that their works are protected from IP theft.”

– Bien Marquez III, consultant for the Business Software Alliance in the Philippines.

The lack of awareness and appreciation for intellectual property results in the theft of original ideas, which  discourages innovation and creativity.

“I have seen the potentials and talent of our young generation and I don’t want to see so much talent go to waste because of IP theft.

The creative industry relies on copyright protection in creating wealth. When our budding artists graduate from the university to pursue their creative career, they need to have a good understanding of intellectual property and the laws governing it so that they can reap the fruits of their labor.”

– Budji Tresvalles, a product designer and an instructor in School of Design and Arts (SDA)-De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

References:

1. “CFIF initiates internship for design students.” 25 February 2010. Cebu’s The Freeman. Accessed 25 February 2010. Link Here
2. Garcia-Yap, Aileen. “Designers bewail lack of government support.” 23 February 2010. Cebu Daily News. Accessed 25 February 2010. Link Here
3. “Respect IPR: BSA consultant advises graphic design students.” 25 February 2010. Sun Star Daily Cebu. Accessed 25 February 2010. Link Here.

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With the establishment of an information technology (IT) incubator, the improving power situation in the region as well as strengthening linkage between business/industry and acadame sectors, Cebu Philippines has the potential to be on the frontier of technological innovation.

The Technology Business Incubator (TBI) operated by University of the Philippines Visayas Cebu College (UPVCC) with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of the Philippines is established to accelerate growth and acceptance among skilled IT professionals to go into commercial business ventures.

“Business Incubators should be viewed as long term investments that fulfill a significant public and private purpose. They should be developed with business-like concepts. They can begin small but should be guided by a larger vision.”

–Barbara Harley, incubation facility consultant.

Globe Telecom Philippines, one of the country’s largest telecommunications service providers, launched GLOBELABS– an industry-academe linkage program that will enhance information and communication technology (ICT) education. Cebu’s University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJR) is the program’s first recipient.

Globe Labs will involve students and teachers in developing mobile applications. Information technology (IT) students can use Globe facilities to experience technology that will enable them to create prototypes.

“This is our commitment to promote ICT education among students to help them become globally competitive and be equipped with the right skills and attitude in developing technology.”

–Jeffrey Tarayao, head of Corporate Social Responsibility of Globe Telecom.

In face of the frequent power interruptions this early 2010, yhe National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reports that the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) grid will start to have reserve power with the completion of new power plants.

Currently, a 200-megawatt coal-fired plant will be operational by 2011, constructed by the Korean Electric Company-Salcon in Naga, Cebu. Another 82-megawatt Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC) plant will be available by the end of February.

It is also expected that an additional 160 megawatts of power will be  generated from Mahanagdong Unit 1 geothermal plant in Leyte Philippines  and 105 megawatts from the Naga Cebu thermal power plant, moving the region of much improved, consistent state when in regards to power supply.

References

1. Amante, Isolde & Martel, Rene. “‘No more dark days’ in Visayas.” 24 February 2010. The Sun Star Cebu. Accessed 24 February 2010. Link Here.
2. Cacho, Kathleen. “School signs up for GlobeLabs.”  23 February 2010. The Sun Star Cebu. Accessed 23 February 2010. Link Here.
3. Dagooc, Ehda. “Cebu’s Silicon Valley bid viable.” 23 February 2010. Cebu’s The Freeman. Accessed 23 February 2010. Link Here.
4. Velasco, Myra. “Power interruptions ease in the Visayas.” 22 February 2010. The Manila Bulletin. Accessed 23 February 2010. Link Here.