January 26, 2019 marks Cognizant’s 25^th anniversary as a company. Since 1994, the company has grown into a multi-billion dollar corporation with more than 270,000 associates across the globe. Born the same year as SMS text messaging, today Cognizant brings AI, AR, and VR to the world’s largest enterprises.

“Cognizant’s remarkable growth story started 25 years ago,” said Cognizant Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Francisco D’Souza. “Over this period of time, we’ve scaled Cognizant from a 200-person software development and maintenance firm to a Fortune 200 global professional services leader that employs more than 270,000 associates who help clients apply digital technologies to transform and grow their businesses.  I’m deeply grateful to all of our associates around the world for building such a great company with such tremendous prospects.” To hear more thoughts from D’Souza, click the video below.

To mark the occasion, Cognizant executives rang the Nasdaq opening bell on January 25th. Participants included D’Souza, joining via satellite from Chennai, India, and Chief Financial Officer, Karen McLoughlin, who was live in New York. “Our clients know that today they have to build new customer experiences; they have to have automated processes on top of a secure, scalable technology in order for them to be successful,” said McLoughlin in a Nasdaq Behind the Bell interview. “We’re a company of people who love to creatively solve problems; we have deep knowledge of the world in which we operate and of our clients’ businesses, technology, and infrastructure. We’re constantly developing our people, improving and renewing our knowledge which makes us a force to be reckoned with in the marketplace.”

Offices around the globe are also celebrating the anniversary and will continue to do so throughout the year. In India, there have been numerous events across locations, with more than 120,000 associates joining in the festivities.