The Joys of Offshoring

[Emperor Dalek]

Civil unrest in Bangalore, India, has led to the closure of a call centre used by UK-based LLU ISP Be. A 24-hour government-imposed curfew kicked in yesterday evening at 5.30pm (UK time) leaving Be's broadband punters without any cover.

In an email to customers yesterday evening the firm explained: "As you are aware, the majority of our Be agents in our call centre are based in India.

"We have just been informed that there is a 24 hour government enforced curfew in Bangalore due to local civil unrest and, as a result, we are unable to handle any calls or tickets from there as of 5.30pm today. Unfortunately this unrest has affected not only our main call centre, but also our back-up sites.

A spokesman for the ISP told El Reg that Be has drafted in a small team of contractors from the UK to provide emergency back-up.

As for Be's outsourced call centre staff in Bangalore, they "will return to work as soon as it's safe to go back", he said.

Still, that's globalisation for you.

[Gold Dalek]

Contractors to the rescue again eh?

[DodgyAgent]

.

Still, that's globalisation for you.

Emperor is that the globalisation that has been created by the technology that so many of you have made so much money out of building?

[Emperor Dalek]

Of course, DA, and the irony is not lost on me.

It just seems that in the rush to off-shore little attention has been paid to the nature of the destinations, i.e. unstable countries (geologically and politically) with weak, if any, legal protection of workers and/or your data.

I feel it only a matter of time until one of the big players gets seriously caught with their pants down. This could be a major fraud with no comeback due to weak local laws, a devastating earthquake, polictal upheavel, you name it.

[DaveB]

Dalek: Invasion Earth?

Thats it! They wer'nt invading, they were just trying to off-shore ( off planet? ) their call center operations!

[Emperor Dalek]

I told the Black Dalek you'd never believe the guff about that mine in Bedfordshire being to extract the Earth's core and replace it with a propulsion unit.

[Black Dalek]

I told the Black Dalek you'd never believe the guff about that mine in Bedfordshire being to extract the Earth's core and replace it with a propulsion unit.

Eh? don't remember you saying that!, our last conversation was about the feelings that you still had for me!

[wendigo100]

Black Dalek, are you still a compleat and utter barstard?

[Black Dalek]

Black Dalek, are you still a compleat and utter barstard?

Before I answer could we please establish your gender

[Emperor Dalek]

Eh? don't remember you saying that!, our last conversation was about the feelings that you still had for me!

You said you were intimidated by the size of my dome.