Analytics and AI are changing the game for customers across industries. Defining the leading edge of this important trend is Cognizant. The company is a recognized leader in data analytics and AI services, helping customers engineer their data estates through data modernization services, then leveraging innovative technologies to accelerate growth, increase operational efficiency, create better experiences for customers, and control costs.
Cognizant builds on that foundation with intelligent solutions that enable organizations to reimagine their business through rich insights. Customers choose Cognizant because of its data science talent, industry expertise, design practices, and technology—which the company delivers with speed, agility, and at scale.
Cognizant’s data modernization services help customers move beyond legacy infrastructures and aggregate structured and unstructured data from a variety of sources into unified data platforms. The company leverages a unique methodology that maps a customer’s data maturity against the attributes of platforms developed by organizations that were born digital. This approach provides the lift needed for customers to achieve a modern data platform.
Intelligent offerings leverage data to create meaningful insights. Cognizant uses analytics, machine learning, and advanced artificial intelligence technologies such as deep learning and Evolutionary AI to help customers optimize their business and IT strategy, identify new growth areas, and outperform the competition.
In addition, Cognizant’s consulting services help customers develop their own internal data science and AI skillsets, from setting up data science practices to Centers of Excellence, and more.
Mastering cloud ahead of the curve
Data management has been a core practice at Cognizant since the company’s beginnings more than 25 years ago. That deep focus is one reason why the company recognized the advent of cloud, and then AI, as possessing tremendous potential to disrupt and transform the value attainable from data.
Cloud opened opportunities to treat data differently than in the past, such as with cloud-based data lakes. AI is perhaps an even more transformative technology, making it possible to derive greater meaning from much wider varieties—and vastly higher volumes—of data than ever before.
Presciently recognizing the disruptive potential of these technologies, Cognizant jumped in and mastered them, becoming an early adopter, and building internal proficiencies and services to help customers benefit from these newly minted opportunities. “With the emergence of cloud-based data, we saw tremendous growth in new types and forms of data, like IoT, unstructured data, and video and images,” says Bret Greenstein, SVP and Global Markets Head of AI & Analytics for Cognizant. “CIOs were having a hard time keeping up because they were still treating it as a challenge of managing data. We saw the need to unlock the value in the flood of data and make it accessible across the enterprise.”
Today, Cognizant’s Data and AI Consulting domains encompass one of the largest practices in the industry focused on leveraging Microsoft Azure Analytics Services, Microsoft Azure ML, Microsoft Cognitive Services, and Microsoft Bot Framework solutions to help customers solve their most challenging problems quickly and effectively.
Making a big investment in Microsoft Azure Analytics and AI
Technology partnerships are extremely important to Cognizant, and one of its deepest and most lasting relationships has been with Microsoft over the past 15 years. “From senior executive leadership to ground-level execution, we’ve always had very good alignment with Microsoft,” says Anil Nagaraj, AVP & Head of Data Engineering for Cognizant. “Microsoft keeps the promises it makes to its partners and enterprise customers. Not only do we choose Microsoft, so do our customers, again and again.”
The two companies have harmonious business philosophies and go-to-market strategies across customers and industry focus areas. Over the next three years, Cognizant plans to make a substantial investment in Microsoft AI and Microsoft Azure services. Together, the two companies have developed a number of joint offerings aimed at helping customers reimagine their data estates, including the Cognizant Intelligent Microsoft Bots in Action framework and “Make it Real” workshops for customers across the US.
Cognizant is expanding the focus of its existing Microsoft Center of Excellence in AI and other next-gen technologies to drive competencies across architecture, technology leadership, value delivery tools, and enablement. Over 2,000 Cognizant associates are trained on Microsoft Azure ML, over 1,000 on Microsoft cognitive services, and 300 are experts in deep learning. And this is just the beginning.
Cognizant customers benefit from the performance, scalability, security, and privacy controls in the Microsoft platform combined with Cognizant’s expertise and AI and data services that enable them to get faster time-to-value and drive better outcomes from their data investments.
Microsoft has recognized Cognizant’s leadership in AI, including as Data Platform Partner of the Year (awarded multiple years in a row), and for participation in the Microsoft AI Inner Circle partner program. Cognizant also plays a critical role in the Microsoft Partner Advisory Council on data, analytics, and AI.
Making a difference for every customer
Cognizant has delivered transformative Analytics and AI solutions to over 100 clients across multiple industries, including:
A large North American convenience store retailer engaged Cognizant to modernize a legacy data estate to gain more visibility and greater understanding over its more than 10,000 physical store locations, drive greater operational efficiencies, and enhance customer service. Cognizant migrated more than 16TB of historical data to the Microsoft Azure cloud with no downtime. The retailer reduced infrastructure and licensing costs by 40 percent.
A pump manufacturer and water supply company in Central Europe collaborated with Cognizant to transform its field service experience. The solution created a centralized knowledge management platform and a HoloLens and AI-powered remote training and instructional solution to enable technicians to more effectively diagnose and maintain equipment that resulted in cost reduction of 50 percent in the first year.
“The deeper Analytics and AI partnership between Microsoft and Cognizant will help accelerate digital transformation for our customers across industries,” says Simran Sachar, Analytics & AI Director, Microsoft One Commercial Partner. “Together with Cognizant, we are changing the game on Analytics and AI with a strong focus on accelerating the customer journey and business outcomes.”