Wipro Spectramind, the business process outsourcing arm of the billion dollar software major Wipro, has stopped working on the Microsoft Service Network's customer service and billing support process.

According to company sources, Wipro Spectramind gave up the process early this month after MSN pared down its requirement from 70 seats to 17 seats in its May demand forecast.

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The process employed 125 people and the number has been fluctuating constantly depending on the quantum of work outsourced by MSN every month.

The company decided that the reduced volume of business did not justify the resources that it tied up in terms of human resources, training, etc. Wipro Spectramind continues to work on other MSN accounts though.

Raman Roy, president and chief executive officer of Wipro Spectramind, said, "I cannot comment on specific accounts but I can say that there has been no customer initiated action on our business that could be linked to quality of service or norms set up by our company."

The Wipro Spectramind personnel who have been working on Microsoft's customer service and billing support account will now be re-deployed to other MSN accounts.

Wipro Spectramind, the second largest third party BPO outfit in the country (according to Nasscom 2003-04), has been servicing a number of MSN accounts such as Internet access, broadband, BBN, customer service and billing support out of its Navi Mumbai facility. It has also been handling a short-term outbound project for MSN.

Though the exact quantum of work handled by Spectramind for Microsoft is not known, MSN is one of Wipro Spectramind's more important clients.

Industry observers have shown some concern over Wipro Spectramind's increasing propensity towards losing important clients.

In January, Capital One -- a fortune 500 financial services company -- snapped ties with Wipro Spectramind after it detected quality lapses in the outbound project handled by the Indian call centre.