Cognizant snaps up cloud business platform in fifth buy of the year

By Narinder Kapur

  • 29 Jul 2020
Credit: 123RF.com

Nasdaq-listed IT major Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp has acquired New Signature, a firm that specialises in Microsoft-focussed public cloud business transformations.

This acquisition – at least the fifth made by Cognizant this year – will help the acquirer to expand hyperscale cloud advisory services. It will also use the move to set up a new unit focussed on Microsoft cloud solutions.

New Jersey-based Cognizant did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.

As part of the overall move, New Signature’s 500-plus strong staff will join this new unit. These employees are based in territories including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

New Signature – set up in 2003 – also has operations in South Africa. The firm is a cloud-first company that delivers solutions across a project and product lifecycle.

“The pace of cloud adoption continues to accelerate across industries, with Microsoft's cloud solutions among the preferred technologies to help transform and strengthen businesses,” Cognizant digital systems and technology president Greg Hyttenrauch said.

New Signature’s portfolio includes projects such as a cloud migration assignment for Virgin Atlantic Airways, an internet-of-things solution for The Hershey Company, and a mapping solution for public defibrillators in the UK for the country’s National Health Service.

This latest acquisition by Cognizant in the enterprise services space is indicative of its interest in ramping up offerings to customers. In May, it acquired Collaborative Solutions, a privately held consultancy that specialises in Workday enterprise cloud finance and human resources services.

In March, the IT major acquired Lev, a US-based digital marketing consultancy and Salesforce specialist. In February, the firm announced that it was planning to acquire the French operations of EI-Technologies, a Paris-based privately held digital technology consulting firm and Salesforce specialist.

It also acquired Code Zero Consulting, a supplier of consulting and implementation services for cloud-based configure-price-quote and billing solutions.