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Neglecting India and other popular call center destinations, HP has chosen the region of Northern Africa

Tech giant Hewlett-Packard has expressed interest in creating tech support centers in Africa, though which countries it wants to help develop still aren't disclosed.

"We see Africa as a potential base for providing all sort of services and technical support for customers outside of Africa," said Rainer Koch, HP Managing Director, in a statement to Reuters.  "We plan to invest more in the future on the continent on that perspective."

At a time when the U.S. unemployment is at record levels, the company may suffer from some public criticism -- especially from consumers who do not enjoy dealing with tech support that is obviously in foreign countries.  Popular foreign nations for call centers are often times located in India, Singapore, the Philippines, and Mexico, with these nations chosen for several selected reasons.

India and the Philippines are popular due to cheaper labor, and both nations have large populations of young people familiar with western culture.  Furthermore, India also has a large labor force of workers who have attended university classes, along with a strong familiarization with English.

Singapore also has a large number of English speakers, and is a nation that has a stronger IT infrastructure than other possible markets.

Unlike these other nations, Northern Africa doesn't have these advantages, which HP will have to slowly develop over time.  The company plans to hire at least 1,000 employees by the end of 2010 for its first call center -- HP officials didn't disclose how many facilities they plan to develop.

Also, it will be interesting to see which countries HP chooses, and why the nation was selected.  Many nations in Africa are having problems with war and extreme poverty, so HP must select a North African nation carefully.


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Thank You HP!
By Jimbo on 12/20/2009 8:05:47 PM , Rating: 5
North Africa, eh?
Did Sudan and all the other tier 3 countries just up their rates for contract 'ritual servitude'?

I just got used to decoding what passes for English in most Indian call centers, and now this.

I have a crazy idea, why not just have your call centers in the countries you serve?
Oh, that costs money?
Nevermind!




RE: Thank You HP!
By Uncle on 12/20/2009 8:26:56 PM , Rating: 3
Well its started or will be soon. Africa is the next Continent for slave labour, You think the people in the west that control the purse strings want Africa as an educated continent. Thats why no one is stopping the fighting. Keep the people backwards. Can you imagine how much their going to pay the Africans, when so many still trade and barter without an education. So many are trying to live from day to day in starvation mode. I think you get my drift.


RE: Thank You HP!
By Jimbo on 12/20/2009 8:45:55 PM , Rating: 5
I think there are a lot of people in Africa that don't want Africa as an educated continent.
I have yet to see a current African government that is not corrupt from top to bottom.


RE: Thank You HP!
By AlexWade on 12/20/2009 9:48:24 PM , Rating: 5
Question: Is there any government that is not corrupt top to bottom?


RE: Thank You HP!
By Motoman on 12/21/2009 1:33:19 AM , Rating: 5
Democracy is a process by which the people are guaranteed to have no better government than they deserve.


RE: Thank You HP!
By TheRequiem on 12/21/2009 12:01:28 PM , Rating: 1
HP, if you are listening... I would rather have my engineers wait on hold for several minutes to talk to an American in the USA.

And also, HP, if you truly ship jobs to N. Africa for Tech Support... It will ensure that my business will ensue another PC Manufacturer when I switch my 100+ PC's to Windows 7, so they definitely will not be HP's. I will not tolerate mediocre tech support.

Spend less money for medicore products and the customers will rebel by not buying your products. Simple as that.


RE: Thank You HP!
By Motoman on 12/21/2009 12:41:09 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
Spend less money for medicore products and the customers will rebel by not buying your products. Simple as that.


No they won't.


RE: Thank You HP!
By SunAngel on 12/20/2009 9:50:26 PM , Rating: 1
Humm, interesting comment. In my opinion New Jersey has more corruption as a state than Africa has as a continent as a whole.

If it wasn't for DeBeers, would the African continent even be as known as it is? I mean what else is there in africa that the world could use as a resource? Ivory is nice and so is cheetah fur but really come on, how many men where those things?


RE: Thank You HP!
By Jimbo on 12/20/2009 10:09:10 PM , Rating: 3
Although I'm sure New Jersey is a corrupt place, it really doesn't hold a candle to what passes for day to day business in most of the rest of the world. It really is stunning at how upfront and in your face it is.


RE: Thank You HP!
By chagrinnin on 12/21/2009 6:07:07 AM , Rating: 4
LOL,...took me a sec to get wear you were coming from. :P


RE: Thank You HP!
By smithmc on 12/21/2009 9:24:03 AM , Rating: 1
Please say you're joking. Uranium, bauxite, chromium, gold - not to mention oil - are just a few reasons the West is interested in Africa.


RE: Thank You HP!
By Shining Arcanine on 12/21/2009 12:28:52 AM , Rating: 2
I don't think the people to whom you refer can stop the fighting.


RE: Thank You HP!
By blowfish on 12/20/2009 9:20:11 PM , Rating: 2
I just got used to decoding what passes for English in most Indian call centers, and now this.


I still struggle to understand what passes for English over here in the US! I am in the deep South, though.


RE: Thank You HP!
By jonmcc33 on 12/21/2009 8:37:20 AM , Rating: 2
What part of the "deep" South? I lived in Florida for 3 years and never had any problem understanding peoeple...at least the way they talked. Driving was an entirely different matter.

Now when I was in Biloxi, Mississippi? Some woman said something to me in a hotel and I had to ask her 10 times to repeat what she asked. It was like an alien language.


RE: Thank You HP!
By AyashiKaibutsu on 12/21/2009 9:21:39 AM , Rating: 3
Central/southern Florida doesn't count as the south. Only northern Florida qualifies. Central Florida is basicly a really humid northeast.


RE: Thank You HP!
By n00bxqb on 12/21/2009 3:15:22 AM , Rating: 2
I find Africans easier to understand than Indians, personally.

If HP had their call centers in the US, it would put them at a disadvantage in the marketplace because almost all of their competitors have their tech support in foreign countries that cost less.

Unless the US government steps in, this isn't going to change.


RE: Thank You HP!
By Ebbyman on 12/21/2009 10:34:52 AM , Rating: 3
I don't know about that and it depends on what costs. By what costs could include the cost of losing future business. I used to be a Dell fan and recommended them to my friends and family. I won't go into the back story to save time, but one system gave me a lot of grief and I was on tech support with Indians and it was horrific. I was on the phone with them every month for a failing hard drive and they would follow the same check list. Eventually I would have to run some diagostics that would take like 6 hours and they would tell me that I needed a new hard drive. I would argue with them to tell them that 3 hard drives dead in 3 months means something else is wrong. They would say that they can only replace what is broken. The last time I was so f**king pissed, I yelled at the person to transfer me to an American. I yelled it like 5 times in a row. So after waiting a few minutes, during which time I was expecting the dial tone, some dude gets on the phone greeting me with "Yeah". First thing I ask is "Are you an American?" and he laughed and acknowledged. In the end, I explained what has been happening and told him that something else other than the hard drive is causing the problem. So he sent me a new processor, motherboard, hard drive and a new power supply. That was like 8 years ago and my brother still uses that system. However, I never bought a Dell again and I wonder how many other people did the same thing. I eventually bought an ABS and have been very please with the quality and tech support when needed (actually was my fault and not the system).

The old school Dell tech support was awesome. They hired American geeks who did not necessarily go through the standard bull shit check list. These guys knew computers and fixed them with their experience.

Actually HP can blow me too for this move.


RE: Thank You HP!
By Magnus909 on 12/21/2009 4:50:35 AM , Rating: 2
Makes me think about this phone jacker character:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MTFauI8INY&feature...


RE: Thank You HP!
By kattanna on 12/21/2009 12:04:17 PM , Rating: 2
im just wondering with this new call center, when i call in does the person at the other end first ask me if i am willing to help him get that $10 million out of his country?


What I don't understand is this...
By Pneumothorax on 12/20/2009 8:09:28 PM , Rating: 1
How come China gets away with protectionist policies, while we don't? For example, if you want to sell cars in China you have to build them there. If you want to sell computers in America if you have to build them here and have the tech support HERE!




RE: What I don't understand is this...
By nuarbnellaffej on 12/21/2009 1:32:22 AM , Rating: 4
While I hate dealing with foreign tech support as much as the next guy, its pretty un-economical to hire Americans to do this sort of work, considering how much they are paid vs. foreign workers.

Personally what has become of Africa is really quite sad, the only thing that will ever change that will be an upsurge in their economy much the same as in Asia.

And finally, do you have any idea how expensive consumer goods would be if you stopped importing!? Like tennis shoes, tv's, clothing, air fresheners, computers, lamps, alarm clocks... etc. While I to would like to see American industry return to its glory days, you have to admit foreign trade has really given a boost to our standards of living.


By jonmcc33 on 12/21/2009 8:41:48 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
its pretty un-economical to hire Americans to do this sort of work, considering how much they are paid vs. foreign workers.


It isn't "un-economical" by any means. It keeps jobs in the US which helps our economy. It's un-economical to put jobs in foreign countries because the US loses those job slots.

But, you get the parrallels of the tech support as well. Indian might be hard to understand but they will struggle to help you at least. Americans can be having a bad day and decide to treat you with an attitude because of that. I have had to hang up on more American tech support people because they refused to assist me. At least the Indian people just transfer me around. I don't really get a chance to hang up.


RE: What I don't understand is this...
By AEvangel on 12/21/2009 10:03:09 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
While I hate dealing with foreign tech support as much as the next guy, its pretty un-economical to hire Americans to do this sort of work, considering how much they are paid vs. foreign workers. Personally what has become of Africa is really quite sad, the only thing that will ever change that will be an upsurge in their economy much the same as in Asia. And finally, do you have any idea how expensive consumer goods would be if you stopped importing!? Like tennis shoes, tv's, clothing, air fresheners, computers, lamps, alarm clocks... etc. While I to would like to see American industry return to its glory days, you have to admit foreign trade has really given a boost to our standards of living.


WoW....you really have no clue about our economy or the way it really works.

Lets see since the real unemployment rate is hovering close to 20%, the standard of living is actually dropping in the US. The only jobs that are being created here are service industry type which means a much lower standard of living for Americans and companies like HP make less $$.

You have to realize that the last 20 years or so our economy was purchased with Credit which is now blowing up, look at the dropping Dollar and the rising price of Gold.


RE: What I don't understand is this...
By Ringold on 12/21/2009 2:44:42 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The only jobs that are being created here are service industry type which means a much lower standard of living for Americans and companies like HP make less $$.


All the top 10 paying college majors according to starting pay that I can think of are technically "service sector." Engineers, accountants, they're all providing a service. If you bother to look, those type of workers are continuing to be hired even now, though in fewer numbers and temporarily with vastly higher experience requirements. You're the one that doesn't know about modern economics, namely post-industrial economies.

Even when countries attempt to force manufacturing to stay in wealthier countries, expensive automation systems reduce manpower requirements from the thousands of low-skilled laborers to the dozens of high-skilled engineers and technicians to maintain the equipment. Again with the education in economic matters issue; you'd know this, as it makes sense for that to happen in capital-rich countries and the opposite to occur in labor-abundant countries.

Fighting the advancement of technology and the economy is pointless. The focus shouldn't be on getting more jobs from the last century, but how to get people to realize they need to up their skill levels.

As much as liberals also fight that aspect of economic growth, its strange to me they fight international economic integration by way of trade so much. They hunger for a single world government... the WTO is much more likely to achieve that in all the ways that matter than the UN will ever be. It's how the EU snuck up and stole sovereignty, by first selling the single market concept.


By nuarbnellaffej on 12/21/2009 9:08:38 PM , Rating: 2
The problem is that so many people believe the notion that industry creates wealth, whilst services consume it. This is utter nonsense.

Just because someone works in the service sector and doesn't produce something that can physically packaged and sold on a store shelf doesn't mean they aren't producing anything. It's a service they are selling, instead of a physical 'product'.

I often tell people to look into the Ruhr valley in Germany to see what happens if the Government attempts to 'protect' manufacturing. After decades of subsidies and tariff's, all they managed to do was slow the collapse of the industry in that region.

Many economists have wrote, that if the German Government had simply let the regions industries die out, the Ruhr valley likely would have transformed itself into something resembling silicon valley. Now days its an area of high unemployment, a mini rust belt in Germany.


RE: What I don't understand is this...
By Uncle on 12/22/2009 3:15:26 PM , Rating: 2
With goods designed to be thrown out just as the warranty expires,does not raise my standard of living.It means I have to work to replace shoddy goods vs raising my standard of living.


By nafhan on 12/21/2009 10:32:30 AM , Rating: 2
Part of the reason China can get away with protectionist policies is purely economic: labor is cheap. If the per capita GDP in China was $50,000, then protectionist policies would likely be economic suicide. In other words, even without the protectionist policies, most of the stuff would still be "made in China". Conversely, as their GDP goes up, it will make less sense to build stuff there and protectionist policies will end up hurting the economy if they remain in place.


wtf
By xxsk8er101xx on 12/20/2009 7:55:38 PM , Rating: 3
Is HP out of their fricken minds?

Forget Africa how about you just build a facility in the middle of Afghanistan!

It'll be bombed left and right by every terrorist on the planet because it's "America".




RE: wtf
By lco45 on 12/21/2009 12:00:45 AM , Rating: 2
Actually this is a good way to fix 'broken' countries that have a propensity to war and violence.

Employment opportunities can do more to change a society that almost anything else.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/paul_collier_s_n...

Luke


RE: wtf
By bigdawg1988 on 12/21/2009 12:58:24 AM , Rating: 3
That reminds me of a line in a great movie:

"The brothers walked in with guns, and walked out with jobs!"
Kalinga in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNBt4srCn84


RE: wtf
By Motoman on 12/21/2009 1:34:18 AM , Rating: 3
How much for 1 rib?


RE: wtf
By messyunkempt on 12/21/2009 3:55:47 AM , Rating: 2
U'd be surprised how often that happens...

http://flimmr.passagen.se/movie/armed_gunman.actio...


RE: wtf
By Ringold on 12/21/2009 1:10:25 AM , Rating: 2
Exactly, this is great news, from a global economic and human-interest perspective. The process that raised hundreds of millions from absolute poverty in Asia and reduced the incidence of war in Asia (and everywhere else capitalism has touched; Germany hasn't invaded France lately) has unmistakably begun in Africa, the last place on Earth completely left behind.


It's all about the money...
By ultimatebob on 12/20/2009 8:11:13 PM , Rating: 3
I guess that their support employees in India and Costa Rica are starting to demand more than $2.50 an hour. Time to find cheaper labor again!




RE: It's all about the money...
By Chadder007 on 12/20/2009 9:35:50 PM , Rating: 3
Pretty much, its almost sickening. But, part of the blame goes to people wanting to be cheaper and cheaper systems, not thinking about paying more for support.
When people can get a $500 laptop, they want a $300 one, when it goes to $300, they want a $200 dollar one.....etc


RE: It's all about the money...
By AEvangel on 12/21/2009 10:05:05 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
I guess that their support employees in India and Costa Rica are starting to demand more than $2.50 an hour. Time to find cheaper labor again!


Just wait till they demand to be paid in another currency since the American Dollar is becoming worthless.


I can see it now...
By shabby on 12/20/2009 7:59:24 PM , Rating: 5
Tech support: thank you for calling hp... btw im a nigerian prince trying to offload $20,000,000.00 dollars, would you be interested in helping me out?




RE: I can see it now...
By maevinj on 12/20/2009 11:32:04 PM , Rating: 2
This one should get a 6


Ears Ringing
By sorcerdon on 12/20/09, Rating: 0
RE: Ears Ringing
By jdietz on 12/20/2009 9:00:31 PM , Rating: 2
I don't think most African people still hunt but I could be wrong. I think most are unemployed.


RE: Ears Ringing
By HrilL on 12/21/2009 3:25:03 PM , Rating: 2
meaning they are hunting for food. What they are hunting doesn't have to be a living animal.


RE: Ears Ringing
By lagomorpha on 12/22/2009 1:53:35 AM , Rating: 2
Occupation

Yesterday: Child soldier
Today: HP Technician

Was that in bad taste?


Let me help you with that pondering...
By CrazyBernie on 12/21/2009 12:56:27 AM , Rating: 2
Don't do it.




By nuarbnellaffej on 12/21/2009 9:14:26 PM , Rating: 2
I certainly won't open in the US, so I'd rather it go to Africa than China.


this is actually good news since
By alpensiedler on 12/21/2009 11:49:30 AM , Rating: 2
i can understand french way better than i can understand hindi or any of the other 25 indian languages.

...you were all thinking it... ;o)




By Smith007 on 12/21/2009 6:12:41 PM , Rating: 2
So, you have people answering in Hindi when you all for halp? get real :(


Hp Purchases
By btc909 on 12/21/2009 1:30:07 PM , Rating: 2
Last year I stopped buying & recommending HP Inkjet printers due to the massive bloatware driver installs.
I switched to Canon. I personally never liked HP Plotters except from the models that are around 10 years old now.
The laser printers are about the only thing I would buy.
I've worked with serveral models of business line HP systems & I wasn't impressed. Maxtor hard drives were the norm & they failed often. The other major problem was with overheating due to CPU fan fins being spaced too close together causing dust buildup. "the fan is really loud" time to pop the cover again. Good luck finding spare parts for home systems on eBay since HP seems to have a new model every freakin week. That is one advantage Dell has, finding parts for millions of the same system sold is easy.

Tech support in North Africa is insane.




RE: Hp Purchases
By lagomorpha on 12/22/2009 1:57:32 AM , Rating: 2
HP has two sets of drivers for most of their printers on their website. One of them is smallish and unobtrusive, the other one is the same as the one on the CD and is massive and annoying.


By bravacentauri83 on 12/20/2009 10:56:49 PM , Rating: 2
...but instead it's called "Lord of Tech Support"




Please press 4
By Regs on 12/21/2009 10:00:03 AM , Rating: 2
If you are calling about our new service center, please press 1. If you are calling about our new gaming platforms press 2. If you are calling in need of warrantee information press 3. If you are calling in need of repair information press 4. If you are calling because you hear animal sounds coming from your speakers please press 5. If you are calling because you happened to be trapped under one of our fallen blade servers press 6. All other calls please hold the line.

While you are holding, do you know HP offers new infant safety features on all of its new lap tops? Now there is no need to worry about the lap top closing down inveterately on your toddlers head.

Also, be aware that HP is not held liable to all domestic disputes when using one of our branded HP computers as a weapon.

If you are still holding and would like to talk to a customer service agent, press 1. Then press 2 twice. While you are at it, press 6, because I like the sound it makes when you press 6.

Are you still there? Please press 5 if you are. Press 2 if your name is Burt. All other names, press 1.

Please wait while we transfer your call do the next available assistant.

"Hello my name Kimikumeseida Malu Kanikabaker Maltidu *animal sounds in the background*"

*Hangs up*




This was inevitable..
By Jalek on 12/21/2009 4:21:01 PM , Rating: 2
The problem here is that companies haven't been there to build out their fiber networks. HP can be the new arrival to do it, then the others will follow. It'll cost them a few million to start up, but at pennies a day for labor, it'll even out.

Carly's still a rockstar to one political party for gutting HP's design labs and sending everything overseas. The political will's still to get the jobs out of America. The GOP for the cheapest labor possible and the DNC because overseas industry is greener than industry in your backyard.




singapore
By poohbear on 12/22/2009 5:41:32 AM , Rating: 2
lol singapore has a "large number" of english speakers???? English is the official language of the city state!!!! everybody speaks it! get ur facts straight. u're better of saying large numbers of canadians speak english as only 70% of canada is english.




Going To Africa
By iceman1110 on 1/16/2010 12:52:51 PM , Rating: 2
Well if you go to Africa I will be buying something that has support in the USA, not going to put up with this outsourcing of American Jobs. Wake up HP this is crap.




"So, I think the same thing of the music industry. They can't say that they're losing money, you know what I'm saying. They just probably don't have the same surplus that they had." -- Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA









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