By Tom Noda
After the boom in call centers, it is becoming obvious that IT outsourcing is the next growth driver for the country?s multi-billion BPO industry as a US-based IT management software firm opened this week its first ?IT Shared Services? office at the Bonifacio Global City.
SolarWinds, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, inaugurated last Monday, May 12, its first IT Shared Services site located at the Eco Tower in BGC in Taguig City.
SolarWinds vice president for international technical support John Kelly said the Philippine facility will provide support for the company’s global operations.
“It will support our core operations to help achieve our global goals,” Kelly said. “The English speaking skills of Filipinos is a huge advantage and it makes them truly global.”
The 15-year-old tech firm employs more than 1,300 people worldwide, including several sites in North America. The company’s international locations include Ottawa, Canada; Singapore; Chennai, India; Cork, Ireland; Sydney, Australia; Utrecht, Netherlands and Brno, Czech Republic.
Kelly likewise cited of what he calls as “natural warmth” of Filipinos or hospitality, a key strength in service-based businesses.
“We’re [living] in a time where we don’t just work in factories. It’s now a knowledge-intensive industry. It’s all about talent. And if you have the knowledge, skills, and is personable, you got great potential,” Kelly said.
SolarWinds director for Philippine operations Allan Sahagun said the local office will be far different from the usual business process outsourcing (BPO) sites in BGC.
Sahagun said the local operation will support a wide range of business disciplines such as IT product support, sales, finance, and operations. SolarWinds also plans to fill a number of positions, including IT support roles.
Aside from high-income, the Filipino executive said SolarWinds is setting its focus on “family relationship” as a retention strategy for employees to stay and remain loyal.
Sahagun said that unlike other BPO players, SolarWinds will observe Philippine holidays so its employees won’t have to go to work and spend quality time with their families.
Another goal, he said, is to have values that teach people to treat a company as a family. “We even call our employees as business partners,” Sahagun said.
Since listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 2009, the company said it has achieved annual revenue growth rates exceeding 20 percent while maintaining strong profitability.
