Every week, someone in a BPO asks a version of this question: "I work in a technical support voice process for a software company. Am I in IT or not?" Then a friend says "BPO is IT", a relative says "it is just a call centre", and a job portal lists it under "IT-enabled services". No wonder people are confused.
The confusion matters, because the answer changes how you write your resume, which jobs you apply for and how employers will count your experience. This article gives you a clear, practical answer, the way employers and recruiters actually use these terms.
Three terms you need to know
| Term | What it means | Examples of jobs |
|---|---|---|
| IT (Information Technology) | Work that builds, runs or secures technology itself | Software developer, tester, DevOps engineer, system administrator, network engineer, cloud engineer, cybersecurity analyst, data engineer |
| ITES / BPM (IT-enabled services / business process management) | Business processes delivered using technology, often for clients abroad | Voice and non-voice customer service, technical support, back office, AR calling, KYC, insurance and mortgage processing, finance and accounting operations |
| Non-IT | Any work outside technology roles | Sales, operations, HR, accounts, admin, teaching, retail, manufacturing |
In India, the industry body NASSCOM uses the phrase IT-BPM industry to describe both together. That is why BPOs often appear inside "IT parks" and why people loosely say "BPO is IT". But when a hiring manager asks, "How many years of IT experience do you have?", they almost always mean the first row of that table.
So is voice process IT or non-IT?
A voice process (inbound or outbound customer calls) is an ITES/BPO role. For job applications and experience calculation, it is treated as non-IT. The same applies to non-voice processes such as email, chat and back office. Our guide on voice vs non-voice process explains those roles in detail.
What about technical support?
This is where it gets interesting. A technical support voice process (helping customers with internet connections, devices, software or accounts) is still a BPO role, so on paper it is usually non-IT. But the work can build genuine technical skills:
- Troubleshooting step by step (restart, isolate, test, escalate)
- Networking basics: routers, Wi-Fi, IP address, DNS
- Operating system and application issues
- Using ticketing tools and knowledge bases
- Documenting issues clearly for a higher support level
These skills are directly relevant to IT support, service desk and L1 support roles, which are IT roles. So technical support is the most natural bridge from BPO into IT. Read L1, L2 and L3 support explained to see where that path leads.
How employers count your BPO experience
| Role you apply for | Does BPO experience count? |
|---|---|
| Another BPO / customer service role | Yes, fully |
| IT support / service desk / L1 support | Technical support experience is often valued, sometimes counted as relevant; pure voice usually is not |
| Software developer / tester / engineer | Usually not counted as IT experience; you are typically assessed as a fresher in that skill |
| Business analyst (in your domain) | Domain knowledge (banking, insurance, healthcare, telecom) is valued even though it is not "IT experience" |
| Data / MIS analyst | MIS and reporting work inside a BPO can count as relevant experience |
How to describe a BPO role on an IT resume
Write the real designation, then lead with the technical and analytical parts of the work. For example:
- "Technical Support Associate (Voice), [Company], 2024–2026: resolved broadband and router connectivity issues using structured troubleshooting; logged and escalated cases in the ticketing system with clear reproduction steps."
- "Process Associate (Back Office): built Excel reports with pivot tables and lookups for daily team performance; reduced manual reporting time for the team lead."
Then add a separate Skills and Projects section for the IT skills you have learned on your own.
Realistic routes from BPO into IT
| Route | Best for | What to learn first |
|---|---|---|
| Technical support → IT support / service desk → system or cloud administration | People already in tech support who enjoy troubleshooting | Windows, networking basics, ITIL concepts, then Linux and cloud basics |
| Software testing | Detail-oriented people who like finding problems | Manual testing, SQL, Jira, API basics. See non-IT to software testing |
| MIS / data analyst | People who enjoy Excel and numbers | Advanced Excel, SQL, Power BI. See data analyst vs data scientist |
| Business analyst in your domain | Experienced people with strong process knowledge | Requirements, user stories, Agile, SQL basics. See business analyst career in IT |
| Development | People ready for a longer, coding-heavy path | One language, SQL, Git, projects. See getting a developer job as a fresher |
Should you move from BPO to IT at all?
Not everyone should, and that is fine. BPO careers can grow into team leadership, quality, training, workforce management and operations management. Move to IT if you genuinely enjoy the technical side and are ready to study consistently for several months. Move because of interest, not because someone told you "IT is better".
Common questions people search
Is technical support IT or non-IT?
Technical support delivered through a BPO is usually classed as ITES/non-IT, but it builds skills that are relevant to IT support and service desk roles, which are IT roles.
Is a call centre job counted as IT experience?
No, not for most IT roles. It is counted as customer service or BPO experience.
Is KPO IT or non-IT?
KPO (knowledge process outsourcing, such as research, analytics or legal processing) is also part of ITES and is usually non-IT, though analytics work can be relevant to data roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BPO IT or non-IT?
BPO is part of the IT-BPM industry as IT-enabled services (ITES), but for job applications and experience calculation it is generally treated as non-IT.
Is voice process IT or non-IT?
Voice process is an ITES/BPO role and is treated as non-IT experience for most IT jobs.
Is technical support voice process IT or non-IT?
It is usually classed as non-IT because it is delivered through a BPO, but the troubleshooting and networking skills it builds are relevant to IT support and service desk roles.
Does BPO experience count for software developer jobs?
Usually not. For developer and tester roles you are generally assessed on your technical skills as a fresher, though your domain and communication skills still help.
Can I write BPO experience as IT experience on my resume?
No. Always use your real designation. Background verification checks it, and a mismatch can lead to an offer being withdrawn.
What is the easiest way to move from BPO to IT?
For people in technical support, moving to IT support or service desk roles is often the most natural route. Software testing and MIS or data analyst roles are other common entry points.