vCustomer, a US-based global provider of BPO, contact centre and technical support services, has said it plans to invest up to $12 million this year and will add about 2,500 professionals by December.

"As far as pure investments are concerned we will be investing $10-12 million in 2004-05 for infrastructure, training and switches. This will be funded through internal accruals," Sujit Baksi, President of vCustomer said.

Baksi said that the company also intended to increase its headcount to 6,000 by December-end from about 3,400 professionals, at present.

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"The rate of our headcount ramp up can be gauged from the fact that we had 1,500 professionals in July last year," Baksi pointed out. The additional professionals would be recruited in the space of technical support and retail, Baksi added. The company currently has three centres in Delhi and one centre in Pune.

"We also plan to create other centres but the location is not yet decided," he said.

vCustomer's revenues stood at $32.5 million in the financial year ended March 2004 compared to $15 million in the previous year.

Baksi, however, declined to give the revenue growth estimates for this year.

Asked if vCustomer intended to go for acquisitions, Baksi termed it as a possibility.

Commenting on factors which could drive the acquisition initiative, Baksi said, "We will go for an acquisition if it gives us back office work, which is currently not more than 20 per cent of our business."

"We can also go for an acquisition of a company which are based in geographies other than the US , or it could be company with diverse customer base in technical helpdesk," Baksi said.

At present 65 per cent of vCustomer's business comes from voice, about 15 per cent from web based e-mail and chat and the balance 20 per cent from back office operations.

"In future we will like to see about 60 per cent coming from e-mail, chat and voice and the balance 40 per cent from back office operation," he added.