BPIAJ recognises C&W Business as an industry pioneer

C&W Wireless Business Jamaica was recently recognised as a pioneer in the bsiness process outsourcing (BPO)/global services sector, having received one of two Business Processing Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) Industry Pioneer Awards, at the annual BPIAJ Awards Ceremony, which was held at the AC Marriott Hotel in Kingston. The Port Authority of Jamaica won the other award.

According to the BPIAJ, the Industry Pioneer Award recognises the lasting contributions, leadership, enthusiasm, and tireless efforts of C&W Business Jamaica, the country’s leading information and communications technology provider, in supporting the growth and success of the BPO industry.

In the citation from the board of directors, the BPIAJ (now Global Services Association of Jamaica, GSAJ) stated that there are a select few entities whose legacies are intricately woven into the fabric of Jamaica’s economic and technological development, names that are equally synonymous with everyday activity and business productivity.

“Fewer still have pioneered game-changing innovation and built a network so immersed in the daily lives of ordinary Jamaicans and flow of business at every level than the company we so proudly laud for their sterling contribution to every facet of modern Jamaica’s technological and communication development,” the citation read.

The BPIAJ acknowledged that through the partnership of C&W Business Jamaica with the Government of Jamaica, the company had become an integral collaborator in facilitating the transition from garment manufacturing to BPO, which had seen unprecedented growth in revenues from foreign direct investments, partner stakeholders, as well as record-breaking levels of employment, comprising nearly 90 business process operators in the space employing approximately 44,000 persons.

Commenting on the award, Gloria Henry, president of the association, stated, “We salute CWJ for the support that they have given to the GSAJ. They have been with us from the beginning. They were at the birth of the sector, and have supported through all the transitions that the sector has gone through. From data operations to the first voice operations, to contact centres to our current transition up the value chain, they are there to support with high-speed connectivity. They have built out a robust network, and they have continued to build resilience in the network to support the needs and the dynamic growth that this sector has realised over the last three decades.”

The BPIAJ also noted the runaway success of the BPIAJ Contact Centre Incubator, through which numerous start-ups have transitioned into fully operational BPO enterprises, creating thousands of new jobs in the sector.

According to the association, this was due to C&W Business Jamaica’s Quick Start Centre, Jamaica’s first BPO incubator. The technical platform allowed BPO companies to visit Jamaica and test their business model without the usual attendant costs of setting up their own contact centre platform. C&W Business Jamaica was also instrumental in negotiating significant reductions in the accounting rate, that is, the cost for delivering minutes between countries. This, the association said, singularly made the difference between companies choosing Jamaica over other BPO destinations.

In thanking the BPIAJ for the recognition, Stephen Price, vice-president and general manager of FLOW and C&W Business Jamaica, shared that the award is one of the company’s highlights for the year.

“It really is the fulfilment of a long-standing partnership. Since inception, we have continued to support this industry, ensuring that it continues to grow. We believe in the work of the BPIAJ, as it continues to provide jobs for our citizens across the length and breadth of Jamaica. As a business, we are committed to ensuring that we continue to support the growth of the sector. We want to see the current number of seats doubled, and so our commitment is to continue building out our fibre network across the country, to ensure that we deliver on our promise for more seats, more jobs, and more growth within the sector,” he said.