NTL outsources broadband tech support to IBM

Some 500 NTL broadband tech support staff at the cableco's call centre in Swansea are to be shunted to IBM as part of an outsourcing deal between the two companies.

Workers at NTL's broadband technical support team will make the move in September under TUPE (Transfer of Undertaking - Protection of Employment) rules. While some workers will be end up working for IBM, others will only make it as far as employment agency Manpower.

Although tech support staff will be moved to IBM and Manpower, they will continue to be based in the same building in Swansea.

"We do not anticipate that there will be any compulsory redundancies as a result of today's announcement," said NTL.

Plans to increase the number of jobs (handling general or fault-related calls from residential customers) at the Swansea call centre by almost 400 over the next couple of months remain unaffected by the outsourcing decision.

Said NTL exec Peter Wilcock: "Achieving customer service excellence is vital to NTL and we believe that by outsourcing this specialist function to IBM we will be better placed to meet the needs of our broadband customers."

In April, NTL announced plans to shed 1,500 workers and reduce the number of call centres from 13 to just three. ®

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