Comcast outsourcers replace engineers with robots
Infosys, IPsoft add cut-rate "humanoids" to solve customer problems cheaper
Comcast outsourcers replace engineers with robots
Joseph N. DiStefano
Infosys Ltd., a Bangalore, India company that does cut-rate software engineering work for big U.S. firms, has "entered a partnership with IPsoft Inc., which uses software robots to replace engineers at top outsourcing customers including Comcast Corp., the largest cable operator in the U.S.," reports India's Hindustan Times here, citing three unnamed sources.
IPSoft, a New York company whose clients also include Bank of America, is also a Comcast tech vendor: It was hired by the Philadelphia-based cable-Internet-video programming giant in 2008 to provide automatic billing systems and added database server and Oracle Financials systems, often "without human intervention". Comcast employs around 3,800 in Philadelphia, including around 600 engineers, executive vice president David L. Cohen said last year.
"Robots and humanoids" from IPSoft (founded by ex-NYU Prof. Chetan Dube), UK-based Blue Prism Ltd. and other upstarts "automate and deliver information technology projects at a cost that is less than one-fourth the billing rates of engineers" from outsourcers like Infosys and Tata Consultancy; the software robots "are the latest threat to India’s $100 billion IT services business," the Wall Street Journal and India's Live Mint reported here in November. "IPsoft counts Comcast Corp., the largest US cable company and BT Group Plc, the UK’s biggest phone firm, among its top customers."
In January, LiveMint and the Journal introduced readers to IPSoft's online problem-solver "Eliza," a blond, blue-eyed "humanoid who works at one of the biggest US cable TV firms, helping hundreds of users solve technical problems over phone and even face to face, through Skype-esque interactions.
"Because she is so closely guarded, Eliza doesn’t have many friends—so far only a dozen people in the world have had the privilege of exchanging pleasantries with her—but she can chat happily in nine languages about anything...
"In work mode, she can solve complicated technical issues in seconds, especially the kind that take normal support engineers minutes, even hours to solve... Not only can Eliza solve queries in a fraction of time it takes her human rivals, she does it at a cost that is less than one-fourth the billing rates for human engineers, and Eliza can clone herself into as many agents as are needed at that moment, dispensing with the need to hire large temporary teams of engineers to cope with a sudden rise in demand for services during peak seasons."
In short, the robotic fixer "is the perfect employee..."
& we wonder where all the jobs have gone. This cutting-edge technology is very cool & great for a co.'s bottom line - but its not so great if you're the call center employee being replaced by Eliza.— kennedy2- I wonder if they are going to LOWER THEIR CABLE BILLS. THE JOB CREATORS!!!— phillygtown
- All of my neighbors are going to move back to India because of this.— Dunsmore
- I wonder how "Eliza" will be able to do anything which requires physical interaction? Oh yeah, she can't. Doesn't sound like much more than a tool to deal with L1 tech support issues. As for Infosys, well Comcast has been learning that they get what they pay for (which is why their upgrades and new services have fallen so far behind the original schedules). This is what happens when you redefine success as something other than the quality of your product.— Yoda117
- I've dealt with these so called robots before, they're even worse then the Indian engineers. At least if you yell at the Indians they'll eventually put you through to an English speaking person. These robot calls put you in a loop and there is no way to talk to a person. You end up screaming into the phone and canceling the service. I'm canceling Comcast this weekend. I will not deal with a company like this. Yes it saves them money but it drives me insane.— neddyflanders
- Yoda117
You may have not heard of Watson from IBM?— ald - So the people there who got the jobs that people here used to have are having their jobs taken away from them by SkyNet?— OurCity2000
- How hard is it to program something to say "power off your computer and modem. wait 30 seconds. power your computer and modem back on. is it working? no? we'll send out a tech".— mephisto
- Great. So now instead of that sinking feeling when you call for help and get an Indian accented person who doesn't understand your problem, you'll be talking to a robot with an Indian accent who REALLY doesn't understand. Now these companies can set new standards for customer non-service.— tomB
