Business Line: Cognizant’s Group Chief Executive for Technology and Operations Discusses the Company’s Strategy for Europe

R. Chandrasekaran, Group Chief Executive, Technology and Operations, Cognizant

“The fact that we crossed $1 billion in annual revenue from Europe in calendar 2011 underscores that Europe is an important market for us and we will continue to focus on that market,” says R. Chandrasekaran. “In particular, we continue to focus on building local teams on the ground across key markets in Europe to address the specific needs of European clients. We are also ensuring that we have the capability to deliver the full range of Cognizant service offerings in discrete European markets to meet client demand.”

He adds, “The overall European IT services market is roughly the same size as the North American IT services market, yet the penetration of the global-delivery model in Europe is currently a fraction of that in North America.  As such, we believe Europe merits our continued focus and investment.”

Chandrasekaran notes that downturns and challenging economic situations have always served as a catalyst for the growth of the IT industry. “The current situation is no different in Europe,” he says. “Today, clients are looking to buy a broader range of services — consulting, applications, infrastructure, and business process services. Another significant shift we are seeing is that clients want to navigate both cyclical and structural shifts simultaneously. As such, they are seeking a partner who can drive cost-savings and innovation on one integrated platform, and are increasingly turning to partners such as Cognizant.”

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