GBS WORLD NEWS | WEEK 1 | OCTOBER 2023

News this week from Australia is that Optus, headquartered in Adelaide, has laid off approximately 150 employees – almost half of its contact center workforce. The decision from the telco company is reportedly going to “simplify” its business, though there is speculation from whistleblowers, as the company hired and trained new staff only a few months ago. It has also been alleged that the workers’ redundancy packages would be at risk if they spoke to the media.

Africa’s largest mobile network operator, MTN, has announced a new collaboration to enhance its customer experience (CX). The partnership sees MTN join the global consulting firm, Accenture, and the CX solutions provider, Genesys. The companies aim to use advanced AI and cloud-based solutions to accelerate MTN’s customer-centric innovation, with capabilities such as personalized customer engagement and AI-driven data analytics for advanced operations.

The global online retail market, currently valued at US$4.56 trillion, is estimated to reach US$9.93 trillion by 2030, growing at a 10.21% CAGR from 2023 to 2030. According to Kings Research, the market is anticipated to expand with rapid digitalization, rising smartphone proliferation, and the flexibility of purchasing items from home.

International digital payment technology giant, Visa Inc., has announced a new multi-million-dollar initiative geared at generative AI ventures. Headquartered in California, Visa will be investing US$100 million in companies focused on developing generative AI technologies. This investment is expected to significantly impact the future of payments and commerce.

Google, the global search engine giant headquartered in the United States, has also announced advancements in its AI visions – adding generative AI capabilities to its virtual assistant. The new features will enable Google Assistant to provide personalized help for users in numerous ways, such as planning trips, catching up on emails, and answering questions from multimedia input.

Ellucian, a cloud-based software provider involved in the higher education sector, has announced a partnership with the change-management and transformation consultancy organization, Portare Solutions. The partnership is expected to augment the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) transformation of UK and Ireland higher-education institutions. Institutions will experience a transition to SaaS student information systems, to embrace technological advancements and drive an advanced user experience.

In global news, a new report has been released about the Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) market. The report, published by worldwide market research company Market Reports World, outlines the expected KPO market growth between now and 2030. It also provides in-depth profiles of companies, and discusses emerging market trends, the influence of COVID-19, and the competitive landscape.