TEANECK, N.J., Oct. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) today announced that it has been positioned by Gartner Inc. in the "Leaders" quadrant of the 2013 Magic Quadrant for CRM Service Providers Worldwide¹.

According to the Gartner, Inc. report, "Leaders are performing well today, gaining traction and mind share in the market; they have a clear vision of market direction and are actively building competencies to sustain their leadership position in the market." It stated, "CRM implementation services continue to be in high demand. Service providers are widening beyond CRM software to include consulting, analytics, digital enterprise and social CRM."

The Magic Quadrant focuses on the CRM consulting and solution implementation market worldwide. The relative positioning of service providers was based on the "ability to execute" and "completeness of vision." The ability to execute was assessed on a provider's core services, overall business, financial, strategic, and organizational viability, sales execution/pricing, market responsiveness and track record, customer experience, and operations. The factors considered in assessing a provider's completeness of vision consisted of market understanding, innovation, and the strategies for sales and marketing, service offerings, and industry and geographical focus.

"The ever evolving dynamics of social media and lower barriers to switching products and service providers mean that building strong customer relationships must increasingly be at the forefront of business transformation and competitive advantage. The focus of CRM has moved to building and managing the entire customer experience," said Peter Grambs, Senior Vice President of Cognizant's Customer Solutions Practice. "We believe Cognizant's positioning in the Leaders quadrant speaks to the strength of our extensive experience implementing CRM solutions across markets, countries and industries, and our consulting-led ability to address specific industry requirements for CRM via mobile, social and e-commerce channels. In delivering the right messages to the right customers at the right time through the right channels, we feel that Cognizant helps clients 'run better' and 'run different' by addressing the opportunities and complexities presented by virtualized business models and structural shifts in technology."

¹Gartner, Inc. "Magic Quadrant for CRM Service Providers, Worldwide," by Patrick J. Sullivan and Ed Thompson, September 18, 2013, ID Number: G00248693. Click here to access the full report.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing 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 50 delivery centers worldwide and approximately 164,300 employees as of June 30, 2013, 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.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions and the factors discussed in our most recent Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Cognizant undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Cognizant