Identifying and listing various IT-enabled services

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. When you call a customer care number, who answers, and where are they sitting? Very often, they work in an IT enabled services company. Today we will learn what IT enabled services are, and we will identify and list the main types.

Let us start with the meaning. IT enabled services are services that are delivered using computers, phones and the internet. Because of IT, the work can be done in one city, or even one country, for a customer somewhere else. In short, they are called ITES.

Students often mix up IT and ITES, so let us compare. The IT industry makes software, while ITES uses that software to give a service. The IT industry builds apps, while ITES serves customers with them. For example, writing code is IT, while answering customer questions on a helpdesk is ITES.

India is one of the biggest ITES centres in the world, for four reasons. India has a large number of educated, English speaking graduates. Internet and telecom networks are good and affordable. Companies save money when work is done in India. And because of different time zones, Indian teams can work while customers in other countries sleep.

The first big type is BPO, which means business process outsourcing. Outsourcing means a company gives some of its work to another company. Call centres and customer support desks are the most common BPO jobs. Data entry and back office work, like updating records, is also BPO. Billing, payroll, which is preparing salaries, and accounts work are outsourced too.

The second type is KPO, knowledge process outsourcing. KPO work needs expert knowledge and higher education, not only basic computer skills. It includes research and data analysis. It also includes legal, financial and medical services. For example, a KPO team may analyse market data and write a report for a bank.

Now let us list common IT enabled services. A call centre answers customer calls, chats and e-mails. Data entry means typing information into computer records. Medical coding and transcription turn doctors' notes into standard computer records. Online tutoring means teaching students over a video call. Content writing means writing web pages, blogs and product details. Payroll services prepare salaries for other companies.

Here are more services. Banking support teams process loan papers and account requests. Insurance support teams check claims. GIS, which means geographic information system, work makes digital maps used by delivery apps. Animation studios make cartoons and effects for films and games. Human resources services help companies find and hire staff.

Many government services in India are also delivered using IT. Common Service Centres help people in villages apply for certificates and schemes. DigiLocker lets you keep documents like mark sheets online. Train tickets are booked on the IRCTC website and app. People file taxes and pay bills online, without long queues.

Let us draw how a typical ITES helpdesk works. A customer calls the helpline. The agent opens the customer record on the computer. The agent asks, can the problem be solved on this call? If yes, the agent closes the ticket, which is the record of the complaint. If no, the ticket goes to an expert team. Finally, the customer is updated about the result.

What skills do ITES jobs need? Good communication, in English and in local languages, is the most important. Fast and accurate typing is needed, which we practise in this course. Basic computer and internet skills are a must. Patience and politeness with customers make a big difference.

Pause and predict. A bank asks another company to answer its customer calls. A team of lawyers in Pune studies contracts for a foreign company. Is each one BPO or KPO? The call answering is BPO, because it needs basic skills. The legal work is KPO, because it needs expert knowledge.

Let us revise what we learned today. IT enabled services are services delivered using computers and the internet. The IT industry makes software, and ITES uses it to serve customers. BPO includes call centres, data entry and payroll. KPO includes research, legal and medical work that needs experts. Other services include online tutoring, content writing, GIS mapping and animation. Try to list five ITES jobs you see advertised in your city.