However, recent technological developments mean that such concentrations are no longer really necessary for many functions. Using this technology, remotely based agents can in effect be managed exactly as if they were physically together in a call centre. The virtual call centre, as this development is known, opens up many opportunities for flexible management of variable workloads including facilitating the transfer of work to other time-zones, outsourcing or the use of teleworkers. Furthermore, the rapid growth and speed of change in the sector has created very volatile conditions in the industry. The report concludes that there is a strong potential for the development of virtual call centres.
Teleworking covers a broad range of activities, of which virtual call centre work is only one.
Attitudes to teleworking The respondents in the survey were in general highly positive about home-based call centre work. The respondents had a wide range of work experience in sectors in which call centres are to be found and seem likely to have relevant skills and knowledge to offer an employer. A substantial proportion had skills or knowledge of relevance to sectors which use call centres. Over three-quarters of respondents rated themselves good or excellent on a range of skills associated with call centre work and with teleworking. There was, however, a strong interest in further training in skills relating to teleworking.