Concerto to set up global help desk in February

In spite of reports of some companies shifting back their help desk operations out of India, US-based Concerto Software has firmed up plans to set up its global help desk in February here with 70 people in to provide high-end support to worldwide customers.

"We have zeroed in on two cities "" Bangalore and Hyderabad "" to set up our global help desk which will provide product and technical support to our global customers," Pramod Ratwani, vice-president, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Concerto Software Inc said here.

He said company President James D Foy is expected to visit India in February to announce the setting up of the centre which would involve a significant amount of investment.

At present, globally, the company has three help desks "" US, London and Singapore "" and when set up, India would be the fourth one.

Even though the Indian centre would take up new assignments, there is expected to be some job-shifts from its Boston-based help desks to India resulting in 'job losses', he said.

"There would be some overlapping of jobs and to cut that we have to trim the workforce at Boston and shift some part to India," Ratwani said while adding companies would have to look at improving their own bottomlines first and whatever was required to improve the profitability, it would be done.

Concerto, which makes software for call centres, itself has a small call centre operation in Mumbai with 30 people.

This centre, however, gives tier-i support to global companies by handling the basic queries.