HCL Technologies (HCL Tech) has bagged a contract from Direct Energy, a North American energy services firm, to implement and manage residential billing and customer care operations. Under the agreement, HCL Tech will implement and manage residential billing and customer care operations of Direct Energy in the Alberta market. HCL Tech will also provide infrastructure hosting, application management and business process services. This outcome-based deal includes efficiencies gained through customer-focused self-service channels. This will enhance delivery on current and future customer expectations, while providing new capabilities to strengthen customer retention and acquisition. In addition, optimization initiatives are expected to reduce overall operating costs for Direct Energy. We maintain Accumulate rating on the stock with a target price of 1,070.