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58 HWT to boost BPO sector

Published:Thursday | July 5, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Kenyon Hemans
This Gleaner photo taken in May shows progress on the 58 HWT technology park development at 58 Half Way Tree Road in Kingston. The structure is part of a complex housing five units.

Pumping more than US$323 million into the local economy annually, business process outsourcing (BPO) has been booming in Jamaica for more than 10 years.

Being one of Jamaica's largest burgeoning industries, with an excess of 50 companies, employing more than 25,000 people islandwide, the BPO sector continues to improve its profit share. Just recently, Jamaica was awarded the 'City of the Year' prize for BPO at the Nearshore America's Nexus 2018 conference for its excellent performance in that industry.

Among the more than 50 firms in Jamaica, there are at least 15 which have been in operation since the start of the century, including Xerox and Sutherland Global Services. The former has a worldwide staff complement of 93,000 raking in annual revenue of US$6.7 billion. In Jamaica alone, Xerox employs some 6,000 people at 11 centres, providing support for corporations in fields such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, retail, and transportation.

 

Varied clientele

 

Other industries serviced by BPOs in Jamaica include, technology and media, financial services and insurance, medical, legal, public sector, education and professional services, as well as travel and tourism. Meanwhile, Jamaicans serve in the capacity of technical support and customer service agents, finance and accounting clerks, claims processors, graphic designers, as well as work in software development, market research and analysis. Most recently encouraging the uptick of BPOs is the opening of the ultra-modern 58 HWT Tech Park on Half-Way-Tree Road, Kingston.

Operated by Stanley Motta Limited, the compound is the largest BPO facility in the English-Speaking Caribbean.

The centre boasts more than 230,000 square feet of office space for BPOs and other technology-based companies, along with associated services like healthcare and food and beverage. But its main focus remains supporting BPOs.

Last year Stanley Motta Ltd announced it would invest more than US$30 million to develop 58 HWT, the nation's only integrated tech campus, owing to its desire to support the growing BPO industry.