HP confirms jobs to India move

No longer 'rumour and speculation'

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in IT Director, 16th May 2005 10:15 GMT

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HP has finally confirmed that it is shunting its customer support for UK punters to India.

Last week El Reg reported how hundreds of technical support workers in the UK could lose their jobs within the next six months following HP's decision to move more work overseas. Insiders who now face an uncertain future revealed how services outfit Tenty4help had been dumped by HP.

At the time, HP declined to comment on what it dismissed as "rumour and speculation". However, the digital giant appears to have had a change of heart.

"HP can confirm that the UK technical support for UK consumers, previously provided by Twenty4help, is to be moved to another HP support centre based in Chennai, India," it told us in statement. Finally.

The statement continues: "HP will continue to use the Twenty4help, based in Newcastle, UK, for any pre-sales enquiries or customer service issues which do not require advice from a technician. The changes will take place in two phases, 60 per cent of the technical support calls will move across in August and the remaining 40 per cent in November.

"This decision is not a reflection of the standard of service provided by Twenty4help and the workers at the Newcastle site, but rather a need to run our business as cost-effectively as possible in an increasingly competitive market." ®