Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The National Do Not Call Registry was set up in 2003 by the U.S. Federal Trade Com-
mission. Telemarketers who call numbers on the list face penalties of up to $11,000 per call,
as well as possible consumer lawsuits. Over 60 million consumers have signed onto the list
by logging on to the site www.donotcall.gov . Although the registry has greatly reduced the
number of unwanted calls to consumers, it has created several compliance-related issues for
direct marketing companies.
Offshore call centers that provide technical support services are a fact of life for many
technology vendors and their customers. However, vendors and users agree that support
operations have to balance their desire to reduce labor costs with customer satisfaction con-
siderations. In a cost-cutting move, Barclays PLC's Barclaycard credit card unit closed its
customer call center in Manchester, England and transferred 630 of the jobs to Mumbai and
Delhi, India. Barclaycard CEO Anthony Jenkins stated: “Barclaycard's business is becoming
more global, and to stay successful, we must change how we operate to reflect this.” Inter-
estingly, rival financial services firm Lloyds TSB decided to close its call center in Mumbai,
India, and enable customers to contact representatives at local branches directly. 56
Offshore call centers provide
technical support services for many
technology vendors and their
customers.
(Source: © STR/AFP/Getty Images.)
Telecommuting and Virtual Workers and Workgroups
Employees are increasingly performing work away from the traditional office setting. Many
enterprises have adopted policies for telecommuting so that employees can work away from
the office using computing devices and networks. This means workers can be more effective
and companies can save money on office and parking space and office equipment. According
to a survey by CDW Corporation, 44 percent of respondents who work for the federal
government have the option to telecommute while only 15 percent of private sector em-
ployees can. 57
Telecommuting is popular among workers for several reasons. Parents find that elimi-
nating the daily commute helps balance family and work responsibilities. Qualified workers
who otherwise might be unable to participate in the normal workforce (e.g., those who are
physically challenged or who live in rural areas too far from the city office to commute
regularly) can use telecommuting to become productive workers. When gas prices soar,
telecommuting can help workers reduce significant expenses. Extensive use of telecommuting
can lead to decreased need for office space, potentially saving a large company millions of
dollars. Corporations are also being encouraged by public policy to try telecommuting as a
means of reducing traffic congestion, oil consumption, and air pollution. Large companies
view telecommuting as a means to distribute their workforce and reduce the impact of a
disaster at a central facility.
Some types of jobs are better suited for telecommuting than others, including jobs held
by salespeople, secretaries, real estate agents, computer programmers, and legal assistants, to
name a few. Telecommuting also requires a special personality type to be effective. Telecom-
muters need to be strongly self-motivated, organized, focused on their tasks with minimal
telecommuting
A work arrangement whereby
employees work away from the
office using personal computers
and networks to communicate via
e-mail with other workers and to
pick up and deliver results.
 
 
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