The Hindu Business Line : 24/7 Customer looking to grow non-voice biz

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Bangalore Feb. 4 In a bid to sustain its growth momentum, business process outsourcing (BPO) firm 24/7 Customer said that it would follow the non-linear growth model, wherein its revenue growth will not be directly linked to the number of people added.

"We have stopped measuring growth in terms of number of people. We are looking at a non-linear revenue growth, which we aim to achieve through innovation in our service offerings," said Mr S. Nagarajan, Chief People Officer, 24/7 Customer.

Mr Nagarajan, who is also the co-founder, was till recently the Chief Operating Officer (COO). He has been designated at Chief People Officer while Ms Reene Kuwahara, the Chief Delivery Officer for Americas, has been designated as the COO. In the new role, Mr Nagarajan will drive talent management globally while Ms Kuwahara will lead operations across five delivery centres in India and Guatemala.

Mr Nagarajan said the company has over 5,500 people spread across six delivery centres in India, Philippines and Guatemala. The revenue mix is currently tilted towards voice-based offerings that account for 85 per cent of earnings, while the remaining 15 per cent comes from non-voice offerings such as claims processing, data processing, e-mail and chat support among others.

"Our pipeline indicates that the non-voice offerings would increase in the next few years," Mr Nagarajan said. Further, the company was targeting a revenue mix in the ratio of 70:30 from voice and non-voice offerings in the next two to three years, he said.

In recent years, Indian BPO companies such as 24/7 Customer are seen shifting their focus towards non-voice based processes in a bid to enhance their topline growth and boost profit margins.

To strengthen its non-voice offerings, 24/7 recently forayed into finance and accounting. "We have bagged our first client in F&A, and are in the process of setting up a team," Mr Nagarajan said refusing to reveal further details.

24/7 Customer clocked revenues of $70 million in 2005, up from $39 million in the previous year. The company, which has been profitable for the past few years, does not have immediate plans to raise funds, he said.