What technological advantages do call centers in the Philippines have?

Computer Weekly listed the Philippines as one of the top five outsourcing destinations to watch, and the technology used by call centers in the Philippines is a key factor that caught the attention of the trusted news source.

Philippine call centers use state of the art call center equipment and software systems to ensure that each call goes flawlessly. Other outsourcing capitals may offer similar advantages, but what set the Philippines apart were the low costs and high connectivity rates of the technology.

Low technological costs

According to the same list published by Computer Weekly, the Philippines has some of the lowest telecom rates in the world.

In addition, the Philippines’ information technology (IT-BPO) sector specializes in legacy system maintenance and application development aside from .NET and Java.

Software expert Bill Donovan even suggested outsourcing technical or business functions to develop a more responsive internal IT department.  Because programming services cost about 40% lower in the Philippines than in the US, he chose this location over others, thus helping him reduce payroll expenses by about 60%.

High Internet penetration rate

The Philippines’ high Internet penetration rate makes the country a popular choice for outsourced voice services. In fact, an information and communication technology (ICT) survey conducted by the Philippine census found that the ICT service industry, where call centers in the Philippines belong, is among the six industries with the most established computer hardware and Internet access.

To fortify the connection further, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) installed 150 kilometers of underwater fiber optic cables in the second week of January to provide stronger phone and Internet lines, particularly to small businesses and contact centers in the Visayan region. With initiatives like this springing up across the country, the local BPO segment promises investors sturdier and unhampered business operations.

Other countries may match or even surpass the Philippines in terms of technological advancement, but they may find it hard to earn the nods of businesses looking to save costs and have reliable connectivity, which are two things that call centers in the Philippines readily provide.