Industry news

Significant growth over the past decade has meant the brands within The DDC Group have increased in number and variety. Much of 2017 was spent bringing together the images and personalities of each brand to better represent the global presence of The DDC Group. The New Year is the ideal time to launch this new image.

Jan Trevalyan, CEO of The DDC Group was a key driver behind this rebrand: “We have been delivering fantastic results across a variety of industries for decades now. This is the time that the expertise across our many successful entities should be recognised as one cohesive outsourcing platform.”

The grey of DDC OS (UK, USA and EUR) represents the professional and efficient nature of these brands. The blues of DDC Analytic Solutions, Charity Solutions, Digital Solutions, Multilingual Solutions, KPO Solutions and FPO Solutions, recognise the innovative nature of these more recent entities; Whilst the stand out and traditional red of The DDC Group represents its position as the umbrella, lending direction and a constant between us all.

Look out for many projects and announcements coming during 2018; It promises to be another exciting year for all involved, and another stepping stone for the future success of The DDC Group.

To find out more about The DDC Group take a look at their new website www.theddcgroup.com

ABOUT THE DDC GROUP

The DDC Group is a successful global group of companies recognized within our industry as a leading business process outsourcer. We are passionate about customer service and delivering innovative outsourced solutions that reduce costs and drive efficiencies.

We do this by optimising our unique combination of onshore, nearshore and offshore locations, which are driven by our people and advanced technology. DDC prides itself on its highly qualified, carefully trained team with decades of experience specific to the industries that it serves. Our unique approach is fostered by a passion for what we do, promoting from within; many of our team members have been with us for over 20 years.

Our people are proud to be a part of the DDC family and are actively engaged and motivated to make a difference to the company and to our clients.

Accedia has been one of the fastest growing companies in Bulgaria since its establishment 5 years ago and recently made it to the prominent Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 ranking. Being one of the technology providers with record-breaking growth rates - 495 % over four years, is a clear evidence for being on the right track to becoming a truly global company. The region’s outstanding reputation for quality outsourcing however is not the single advantage the company leadership counts on.

For the past two years the company has achieved a staggering twofold increase in team size, reaching over 120 people to date. Success is based on ongoing and transparent communication, in combination with sustainable professional and personal development. A remarkably successful initiative which encourages that is Accedia Innovation Development Center, now in its second season. IDC supports the realization of project ideas, generated and owned by the team members, into viable software products. This approach not only boosts the technology expertise with cutting-edge cloud, IoT and machine learning tools. Inciting people to run independent projects and team up is also a way to develop their entrepreneurial and critical thinking skills, much appreciated by clients from different industry backgrounds.

Such talent development opportunities and strong links to the company culture result in more than 90% of the employees granting highest possible satisfaction mark according to the benchmark survey run by ComputerWorld & JobTiger. It is the base for the annual Top ICT Employer award which was deserved by Accedia for a second time, together with the winner’s mark in the Software Development category. The regular advancements with regards to employee engagement also brought the extraordinary Silver Employer of the Year award in the Stevie Awards for Great Employers. This international stamp rewarded Accedia amongst computer software SMEs from USA and Canada, with a great many positive remarks on being the only Bulgarian company among the best in the competition.

Continuously setting the transparent, collaborative and value maximizing approach as a best practice has resulted in Accedia being named the Outsourcing SME of the Year 2017 by the Global Sourcing Association. This recognition supports the dedication to excel in technology, outsourcing expertise and market specifics when working with clients from different geographies. As part of this strategy, Accedia partners with organizations like GSA to carry out awareness events and networking initiatives on key areas of the successful outsourcing relationship.

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If you’d like to get in touch with Accedia, you can use one of the following options:

T:+359 (2) 444 20 03

E: office@accedia.com

BRISTOL, November 2nd, 2017 – Teleperformance, the global leader in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management, is delighted to announce that Teleperformance UK has been awarded a new contract for NHS Blood and Transplant.

Through delivery of a national contact centre service it will continue to support donors seeking information on blood donation or joining the organ donation register. The team supports the end-to-end customer service journey of donors, from registration, appointment booking, general information or guidance and post donation questions or support.

The new agreement is for an initial period of five years, with the ability to extend by a further two. The contract commences March 2018. The service will be delivered from within the existing Teleperformance locations in Bangor and Newry (Northern Ireland) supported by Bristol (England).

Teleperformance has a long history of working in partnership with government and has been working with NHSBT since 1998. During that time the partnership has grown from answering inbound queries to a full omni-channel solution.

Teleperformance in the UK has been partnering with Central Government clients for over 20 years. The public sector represents a large, and very successful part, of Teleperformance UK’s growing business. The new contract with NHS Blood & Transplant will mean over 100 jobs are safeguarded for Teleperformance employees based in Northern Ireland.

Ryan Creighton (Head of Donor Services, NHSBT) said: "The National Contact Centre is a front line service that is critical for NHS Blood and Transplant to help deliver on our mission to help save and improve lives. The experience we provide to our donors is essential to ensure we can maintain our operations and build positive relationships. The staff at Teleperformance truly go above and beyond every day in this pursuit. I’m extremely pleased we have been able to extend our partnership for another 5 years.”

Rachel Robinson, Executive Vice President for Public Sector Services at Teleperformance said: “We have a long established and very successful partnership of over 18 years with NHS Blood & Transplant. I am therefore absolutely delighted we have secured another contract with them. We have a fantastic, committed team who work tirelessly to deliver great customer service to donors on a daily basis. We look forward to building on the important partnership we have with NHS Blood & Transplant to continue to grow, transform and deliver excellence to donors for this critical service.”

Matt Sims, Chief Executive Officer, Teleperformance UK and South Africa said: “The retention of this long term partner is a testament to the success of the Teleperformance UK team. It recognises how Teleperformance UK continues to evolve and drive innovation in an increasingly complex customer service environment. Coupled with the rigour and governance that underpins all our work, I look forward to supporting UK public sector services for many more years to come.”

ABOUT TELEPERFORMANCE

Teleperformance (RCF - ISIN: FR0000051807 - Reuters: ROCH.PA – Bloomberg: RCF FP), the worldwide leader in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management, serves companies and administrations around the world, with customer care, technical support, customer acquisition (Core Services), as well as with online interpreting solutions, visa application management services, data analysis and debt collection programs (Specialized Services). In 2016, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of €3,649 million (US$4,050 million, based on €1 = $1.11).

The Group operates 163,000 computerized workstations, with 217,000 employees across 340 contact centers in 74 countries and serving 160 markets. It manages programs in 265 languages and dialects on behalf of major international companies operating in a wide variety of industries.

Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A, and are eligible for the deferred settlement service. They are included in the following indices: STOXX 600, SBF 120, Next 150, CAC Mid 60 and CAC Support Services. They also have been included in the Euronext Vigeo Eurozone 120 index since December 2015, with regard to the Group’s performance in corporate responsibility.

For more information: www.teleperformance.com

Follow us: @teleperformance

TeleTech (NASDAQ: TTEC), a leading global provider of customer experience, engagement and growth solutions delivered through its proprietary end-to-end HumanifyTM Customer Engagement as a Service offering, today announces it is expanding its EMEA operation with the hiring of key executives to focus on the United Kingdom and Europe.

The new appointments demonstrate TeleTech’s commitment to growing in the European region. The company is poised to disrupt the Customer Experience (CX) industry with the promotion of their Humanify Customer Engagement as a Service offering which brings together smart people, proven processes, and best-in-class technologies to deliver engaging customer experiences - within and across channels all the time.

Iain Banks, VP, Client Partner for EMEA at TeleTech, commented; “We are seeing an increasing global and local demand for CX, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and consultancy services in the UK and across Europe. Our global footprint, a strong executive EMEA team and sustained client growth will enable TeleTech to significantly expand our UK and European offering.”

TeleTech’s Belfast contact centre is a shining example. Established in 2001, the 800+ seat facility has a loyal workforce, strong multilingual skills, and experience across multiple industries and programs. With one of the youngest populations in Europe, nearly 55% of the population being under the age of 40, its location also provides access to a staffing pool of nearly 68.4% of the overall population*.

In partnership with Invest NI, the regional business development agency, TeleTech has been contributing to the growth of the local economy. Northern Ireland is experiencing strong economic growth with unemployment at its lowest levels. Belfast, recently named as the world’s 8th fastest growing retail city, is known for its competitive business environment and highly educated and multi-lingual workforce.

Alastair Hamilton, Chief Executive of Invest Northern Ireland, who recently announced plans for 40,000 new jobs by 2021, said; “Our role is to provide support to businesses to help them grow, stimulating investment in our economy. We are delighted to have seen TeleTech expand and create many new job opportunities. Belfast has a lot to offer and the company’s achievements in setting new standards for customer experience, is something we are proud to be part of.”

For more information on TeleTech operations in EMEA please visit: www.teletech.com/emea

ABOUT TELETECH

TeleTech (NASDAQ: TTEC) is a leading global provider of customer experience, engagement and growth solutions delivered through its proprietary end-to-end HumanifyTM Customer Engagement as a Service offering. Founded in 1982, the Company helps its clients acquire, retain and grow profitable customer relationships. Using customer-centric strategy, technology, processes and operations, TeleTech partners with business leadership across marketing, sales and customer care to design and deliver a simple, more human customer experience across every interaction channel. TeleTech’s 48,000 employees live by a set of customer-focused values that guide relationships with clients, their customers, and each other. To learn more about how TeleTech is bringing humanity to the customer experience, visit TeleTech.com/emea.

* Source: https://www.nisra.gov.uk/news/labour-market-report-october-2017

In between Europe and The Americas, Portugal stands to capture the new wave of tech innovation investments. After being hard hit by the 2008's global financial crisis, the country is showing promising growth signs. At the forefront of the recovery is the Portuguese IT industry, which is gathering the attention of tech companies, multinationals and VC firms.

Portugal is in the same time zone as London, with world-class telecommunications infrastructure and a high-quality education system that makes it 15th out of 72 countries in English proficiency, this sunny country has opportunities until recently left undiscovered by tech firms. Its mature legal and fiscal environment, government incentives to investment, and political stability, among the other characteristics presented above, led Gartner to place it in 5th best country for captive or outsourced IT and business process services in 2015.

Culture is another reason why the country has been gathering such buzz, besides the well-known climate and cuisine, Portugal has a high educational quality with several thousand new IT graduates entering the job market a year with western standards of performance. Indeed, one of the major worries of companies experimenting with outsourcing is the level of culture compatibility between the head office and the team overseas; a challenge that is greatly diminished by the similar business culture between Portugal and the rest of the Western world.

To get ahead, companies need to cut costs while still being able to improve the quality of their end product. This was the conundrum of the 20th century, however, with globalization and the disruption of international markets due to technological innovation, the 21st century's answer to it has but one name: nearshore - the establishment of a dedicated team of developers in a foreign country. Portugal's labour costs are about 50% of the EU average and there are several government financial and tax incentives should you decide to set up a business here; which is also increasingly easy to do so due to bureaucratic reforms in recent years, you can now create a business in 2.5 days (4th fastest country in the world).

Lisbon, Portugal's crown jewel, is increasingly talked about as one of Europe's leading innovation hubs. The capital was the first one to be awarded with the European Entrepreneurial Region of the Year in 2015 by the EU's Committee of Regions and is rated by an Allianz 2016 study as the 5th best performing startup community in Europe. Adding to it, the city also boasts a high quality of life, low cost of living and is listed as one of Europe's safest cities.

At Lisbon Nearshore, we are keen to provide the very best nearshore and staffing services to help your business reach its goals. We are proud to have in our ranks some of the best developers around, a talent which has been recognized by our clients. To work with us is akin to have an extension of your in-house team, a perfect combination of onshore and nearshore teams, but less costly and more flexible. An authentic connection, in the same time zone, you can expect a pragmatic, iterative agile approach to your projects without experiencing global time zone or cultural challenges, with high quality outcomes. Our Nearshore team will be dedicated to your Project for an agreed timeframe alongside your specific requirements, and can be blended to include Technical Coordination, Solution Architecture and Project Management. We provide world-class development capabilities that can be employed at half (or lower) of central Europe costs, high level of English proficiency, modern telecommunications infrastructure, tax incentives and a favorable business environment.

The Cooperative Group sold its remaining stake in the Coop bank today, removing itself completely from the business. The Cooperative Groups stake in the bank has been cut down dramatically in the past month from 20% to nothing as part of a restructure of the business. Underlying profit at the bank has fallen by half from last year as the US hedge fund that bought a majority stake in the bank tries to turn it around by 2020. Sales at Coop food increased by 3.5%, with convenience stores doing well in particular, rumours persist of a potential buyout of food stores owned by Nisa with the proceeds.

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The City UK, an influential trade body for the financial industry in the UK has warned about the unpredictability of Brexit and is hoping for a transition period with the European Union. Gerard Lyons, an economist and former Brexit campaigner is also arguing for a transition period. The City UK has highlighted the danger of Brexit on the financial industry and how the UK may lose its dominant position. Around 10,000 jobs in finance are expected to leave the UK in the coming years according to a Reuters survey. "For our industry, this really is crunch time." said City UK chief executive Miles Celic.

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Alphabet Incorporated's Google said it would bay over one billion dollars for a division of HTC, moving Google forward in the smartphone market. This is not the first foray into the market for Google, whose failed purchase of Motorola raised eyebrows a few years ago. Questions are already being asked by analysts over the decline of HTC over the past 5 years. As part of the deal, Google gains about 2,000 employees and intellectual property rights.

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BMW have launched their second tech start-up programme in the UK at its headquarters in Farnborough. The programme is looking for five start-ups to improve multi-platform retail process, improve business process through automation, develop software for a pay to use system and regulatory technology. Jonny Combe, General Manager of product and channel development at BMW financial services in the UK said the programme helps keep BMW up to speed with industry change. Four of the five previous start-ups continue to work with BMW, insurtech provider Wrisk, online marketplace Drover, cloud based payment provider Divido and data analytics firm Cazana.

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Outsourcing firm Capita has seen profits rise in the past six months but revenues declined, worrying investors. The major contract win rate for Capita has increased from one in three to one in two as the company continues its restructure programme. Nick Greatorex, interim CEO of Capita said "We remain confident that these actions (the restructure) are making Capita a simpler business, well positioned for the future under new leadership."

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