The Hindu Business Line : Tech Mahindra in $24-m deal with New Zealand co

Pact line
To create low-cost points for services, differentiate on customer experience
Manpower needs to be met by hiring into Tech Mahindra in New Zealand

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Mumbai, June 23 Tech Mahindra has bagged a $24-million (about Rs 111 crore) engagement to assist Telecom New Zealand — popularly called Telecom — overhaul its retail business and offer better customer service at cheaper price points.

According to the contours of the 18-month commitment, the city-based telecom solutions provider will be responsible for programme management and end-to-end systems integration of Telecom’s Next Generation Telecom (NGT) retail transformation initiative, Mr C.P. Gurnani, President (International Operations) of Tech Mahindra, told Business Line in a telephonic chat from New Zealand.

The NGT programme is expected to run for a number of years, with customers starting to see new products and services within two years, according to a joint press release issued on Monday.

According to Wikipedia, Wellington-based Telecom is the second largest mobile operator in the island nation of New Zealand. It provides the full range of Internet, data, voice, mobile and fixed-line services throughout New Zealand and Australia. It is also the largest company by value on the New Zealand Exchange.

Looking ahead

“With this partnership in place, we intend to create a significant change; among other things, our aim is to achieve low cost points for our services and to differentiate on customer experience,” said Mr Pawel Grochowicz, General Manager of retail transformation, for Telecom New Zealand.

The company is currently in the process of spending NZ$1 billion a year on communication networks and Internet-based services.

In this deal, however, there will not be any transfer of employees from Telecom to the Indian company’s fold.

“We will meet the manpower requirements for the deal by hiring into Tech Mahindra in New Zealand,” said Mr Gurnani.

Tech Mahindra, which is the country’s sixth largest IT exporter according to industry body Nasscom, has been working on smaller scale technology projects in New Zealand for about a year now. However, this is the largest engagement bagged by Tech Mahindra in the island country till date, said Mr Gurnani.

Tracking the development, the Tech Mahindra scrip hit an intra-day high of Rs 767, before closing at Rs 761.8, around 0.94 per cent higher than the previous day’s close on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

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