Nielsen lays off employees

The uproar against outsourcing work to Indian IT service providers has risen once again as Nielsen, the media company which signed a $1.2 billion outsourcing deal with Indian Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), would lay off 117 workers this month at its largest global technology centre in Oldsmar, Florida, reports Business Standard.

It has 1 700 employees at this facility. The audience measurement company had received property tax breaks in 2001 to build a $100 million global technology centre in Oldsmar. They were pegged to the number of high-wage jobs - those that paid at least $52 000.

But the deal with TCS was followed by news that 117 employees would be laid off, hence Nielsen would reportedly have to forego hundreds of dollars by way of local tax breaks. Although 50 of those workers have been hired by TCS, Nielsen recently announced it was cutting another 170 jobs.

The drift by big companies to increase the number of Australian voices in call centres is set to continue, says Business Day.

Woolworths has handed the task of fielding calls about its new loyalty card to Australians working from home, dubbed "agents" by the industry.

It has chosen the bush over Bangalore and, in recognition of what a friendly and professional voice can do to a brand, it is exploring ways of turning what has been a reactive tool into an active one.

IBM and Thai-based Thanachart Bank Public (TBANK) have signed a 2 billion baht (approximately US$60 million) agreement for a seven-year IT outsourcing services contract, says Fox Business.

The agreement also covers the delivery of services to the Thanachart Group, including Thanachart Securities Public, Thanachart Fund Management, Thanachart Life Assurance and Thanachart Insurance.

The IBM agreement will provide TBANK with a more comprehensive delivery of IT outsourcing services.