Microsoft expands IT outsourcing role

[OhioChick]

November 24, 2006
Microsoft expands IT outsourcing role
Joint venture extends Microsoft's reach in China
Sumner Lemon

Microsoft has signed an investment agreement with Tata Consultancy Services, completing a deal announced last year to set up a joint-venture IT outsourcing company in China.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will hold a 10 percent stake in the venture, called TCS China. The size of Microsoft's investment was not disclosed.

TCS and Microsoft announced plans in June 2005 to set up an outsourcing company in China. At that time, the venture was billed as a role model for the development of China's software industry.

Based in Beijing's Zhongguancun Software Park, TCS China offers IT outsourcing and other services to companies around the world, including the US, Europe and Asia.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=7693

[Tempest]

1. Tata Consultancy Services increases billing rates

The country's largest software exporter, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is increasing its billing rates for existing contracts, up for renewal, by 3-5 per cent while for fresh contracts the rates will be higher by 5-10 per cent, company CEO S Ramadorai said today.

TCS shares were trading at 0.62 per cent up at Rs 1151.25.

"If there is an opportunity to increase the billing rates in the existing contracts, we will do so. In fact in all contracts (existing), there is contractual clause to renegotiate the rates when it is up for renewal. When there are fresh new contracts and competency is involved and the customer is willing to pay for the expertise, we will raise the rates. For existing contracts up for renewal, we will raise the rates by 3-5 per cent and for new ones, the hike will be 5-10 per cent", the CEO said here on the sidelines of a TCS event.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200611241610.htm

[acmavm]

2. Good old Bill, the American icon. I'm sure Microsoft would go

broke if they didn't outsource.

[superconnected]

3. Having worked at microsoft as little as 3 months ago

I can say their inside phone support is the absolute bottom of the barrel. They outsoured it to india years ago. At the beginning you could at least get people who spoke some english and could understand half or more of what you were saying.

For the last 2 years I've been lucky to get someone who spoke any engish on the phone. I mean they can't even understand numbers when you say them to them to get them to give you a windows activation code. It's bad. Really they're the worst foreign tech support I've ever seen.

Other companies that route to india actually have indian people who speak english. I think micorsoft owns their tech support companies in india so the people there since they have secure jobs, dropped the standards for english and started hiring their friends and relatives or smth.

I suspect Microsoft going with China isn't because it will improve it, but only because it will be cheaper. If they cared about quality, It would have never gotten so bad for internal support. The activation code support part is for internal AND external and is phenomally awful.

[Nomad559]

4. And In other news

Apple still outsources most of It's hardware to Foxconn Electronics In China.

To some degree, most U.S. corporations outsource to other countries.

:(

[Jim Sagle]

5. Cocksuckin' sonsabitches.