TEANECK, N.J., April 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) today announced an exclusive strategic partnership and the acquisition of an ownership interest of 49 percent in ReD Associates, a leading strategic consulting firm specializing in the use of human sciences to help business leaders better understand customer behavior.

Digital technologies are reshaping most aspects of everyday life including how people work, manage their health, are educated, get entertained, shop, and connect with each other. Success in this new era requires new business models and a deeper understanding of how people are engaging with technology. Even centuries-old industries are seeking to better understand their customers in order to serve them in the digital age. Based in Copenhagen and New York, ReD Associates has worked with leading global companies, including Ford, Adidas, Intel, Samsung, Novo Nordisk, Pernod Ricard and many others, to help them form a clear strategy based on a rich understanding of consumer behavior using social sciences research methods and thinking.

As part of this exclusive relationship, strategy experts, behavioral economists, anthropologists, sociologists, and ethnographers from ReD Associates will work with digital strategists, designers, technologists, and data scientists from Cognizant Digital Works to help businesses connect more closely to real-world consumer behaviors and experiences. ReD Associates will retain its management team, clients, and projects, and operate independently. Terms of the investment are not being disclosed.

"The philosophy behind our approach to research and meaningful insights is the science around understanding how things are experienced," said Christian Madsbjerg, co-founder, ReD Associates.  "By joining forces with Cognizant, we are able to expand our business and believe that we can create an entirely new model for how digital strategy is conceived and – most importantly – executed."

Mikkel B. Rasmussen, co-founder, ReD Associates, added, "There is a natural fit between our companies and with the Cognizant Digital Works approach in combining strategy, design, technology, and industry knowledge to create, prototype, and deliver compelling digital transformation for clients."

"While it may sound counterintuitive, 'being digital' also means being more human," said Gajen Kandiah, Executive Vice President, Cognizant Digital Works. "A richer understanding of human behavior can unlock new opportunities for our customers. Based on a deep understanding of what people really want and need, we can use technology to provide more meaningful and engaging experiences. Our partnership with ReD Associates is a natural extension of our current joint work with select clients. Together, ReD Associates and Cognizant Digital Works provide a unique value proposition to customers who are considering digital solutions. ReD Associates provides clients with insight and strategy based on the social sciences, and Cognizant provides technical development and implementation at scale."

About ReD
At ReD, we put a deep understanding of real people back at the center of business decision-making. Our teams solve some of today's hardest problems. Over the last ten years, ReD has led a quiet revolution in thinking about business. All of our work begins with an exploration of the customers' worlds— using social science tools to understand how people experience their reality and, in turn, offering businesses a "reality check" on what is meaningful to people. More information can be found at http://www.redassociates.com/

About Cognizant Digital Works
Today a convergence of new technologies—automation, the sensor-enabled world, AI, platforms, 3-D printing, etc.—as well as shifting demographics, expectations, and regulation are creating a context for a new age of business. Cognizant Digital Works brings together digital strategy, deep industry knowledge, experience design, and technology expertise to help clients design, build, and run digital business solutions. The practice provides managed digital innovation at enterprise scale via its Accelerator Methodology, which includes services around Insight, Strategy, Ideation, Making, and a Foundry where pilot programs are moved to enterprise scale. For more information, please visit www.cognizant.com/digital or join the conversation on LinkedIn.

About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process services, dedicated to helping the world's leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology innovation, deep industry and business process expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that embodies the future of work. With over 100 development and delivery centers worldwide and approximately 221,700 employees as of December 31, 2015, Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow us on Twitter: Cognizant.

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SOURCE Cognizant