10 July 2009
Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) company Aegis has acquired Call Centre Nucleus, one of the largest privately owned call centre operators in South Africa, for an undisclosed amount.
Johannesburg-based Call Centre Nucleus (CCN) has been in the BPO business for the last seven years and has a capacity of 700 seats, with over 1 000 employees operating out of its two facilities. Its core competence lies in end-to-end inbound customer service in the contact centre arena.
Growth strategy
CCN had revenues in excess of R150-million for 2008/09, with significant revenues from clients located in the UK. Aegis belongs to Indian conglomerate Essar Group, and has revenues of approximately US$500-million.
South Africa will be an integral part of Aegis’s growth strategy, and the company will invest up to $60-million (about R500-million) to expand, develop skills, bring in international experience and create up to 5 000 jobs in the country over the long term.
“CCN is a strategic fit for Aegis,” Aegis CEO Aparup Sengupta said in a statement this week. “This combined entity will offer CCN’s clients and prospects and expanded set of solutions and services from a broader geographic delivery platform.”
Client benefits
Aegis chief marketing officer Sandip Sen said that with more than 33 000 employees globally, Aegis was well positioned to provide customised solutions to meet today’s business needs.
The company services several Fortune 500 companies worldwide in the telecoms, banking, financial services, insurance, healthcare and travel sectors, and has 32 facilities in countries including the US, Philippines, India, Costa Rica and Kenya.
“Additionally, the clients will benefit from greater scale, deeper domain expertise, comprehensive and flexible solution offerings, robust financial strength, and a rich international talent pool,” Sen said.
Destination for business
CCN chief executive Lawrence Brick believed they had found the right partner to guide the company towards future growth, and that the transaction was a win for the company’s customers, employees and stockholders.
“With this transaction, Aegis proves its commitment to develop South Africa as a destination for international business,” Brick said.
SAinfo reporter
Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See: Using SAinfo material
