Astra Business Services? Success Leads to Major Expansion

Astra Business Services, an American company collecting defaulted debts from U.S. consumers, recently announced a major expansion of its operations in India. Running Ontario Systems? Artiva Agency and integrated Guaranteed Contacts telephony products, Astra uses a unique technology strategy. The account executives serving American accounts and the main Artiva servers are located in India while the telephony hardware resides in Indianapolis.

Astra’s American-based technology is connected with the company?s sites in India through International Private Leased Circuits, high-speed fiber-optic channels, accessible only to Astra’s computers. This strategy takes full advantage of U.S. infrastructure and technical support, provides high performance on account executives’ workstations in India, and assures the highest level of security for U.S. consumer information.

“We applaud Astra’s expansion, which is proof of the success of their unique strategy incorporating Ontario Systems’ latest technologies,” said Shawn Kerrigan, regional sales manager for Ontario Systems. “It has been our privilege to work with this team.”

Extensive new training facilities will provide space for approximately 80 account executives on two shifts. A second major operations center, opened on February 1, 2006, will include 250 workstations for account executives serving U.S. consumers, as well as executive offices, training facilities and highly secure technology resources. The center will grow to a multi-shift operation with nearly 100 people already hired. The new facility will provide full “hot-site” backup for Astra’s systems and databases in India.

“This addition of facilities and personnel constitutes a significant increase in Astra’s capability to serve its U.S. clients,” said Feroze Waheed, CEO of Astra. “The expansion reflects our very positive experience serving American companies through the tremendous resource of professional talent in India.”