Dell to open second call center in Philippines

Dell will open a second call center in the Philippines early next year to provide additional tech support for its U.S. customers.

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The center is expected to take its first calls in February 2007, Dell announced on Thursday. It follows the opening of another call center in the country earlier this year. Dell announced in March that it would increase the staff at that call center from 700 to 1,400 employees. The staffing level for the new center has not yet been set, it said.

Dell also said it will will invest more than $150 million in customer service this year. The company has opened 10 call centers over the last two years. Other investments include using broadband connections for support teams to remotely troubleshoot problems with PCs.

Dell has borne the brunt of an increasingly tough PC market. Earlier this month, the company reported a profit of $502 million for its second quarter, down by more than half from the same period a year before.

Dell blamed a slow market and continued pressure on prices. At the same time, the Round Rock, Texas, company said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating its financial reports prior to its 2006 fiscal year.