UK builds its own Silicon Valley

NPower's decision to locate its call centre in the North-East is the latest example of the UK region becoming “like a Silicon Valley for the customer services industry”, according to the company's chief executive, reports The Northern Echo.

The facility, at Rainton Bridge Business Park, Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, was by npower CEO Volker Beckers and Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson.

It concluded the largest property deal in the North-East for a decade after the energy supplier bought the £60 million office building from Northern Rock.

NECi has unveiled a new call centre solution aimed at small to medium-sized call centres, says Call Centre Helper.

The solution is called the Unified Communications for Business suite. While NECi has been slowly rolling out call centre solutions through the channel, it has now chosen to formally release the suite.

Over the past 18 months, a number of companies have installed the solution including the O2 Arena, Kennel Club, Virgin Games, Bonhams and a number of Hosing Associations.

Technological advances and the uncertain economic climate worldwide have seen the customer relations industry face its share of challenges and opportunities, writes Al Bawaba.

Government contact centres in the Middle East are putting more emphasis on efficiency and effectiveness. Technological advances have resulted in more informed customers and hence, increased expectation of performance not just in quality but in quantity of interaction.

With the industry in the region still growing, 2010 has been all the more defining for the industry's future. Key industry influencers are meeting to find ways to develop and improve their communication with the public.