Brian Humphries took over as the CEO of Cognizant in April 2019 and announced a ‘fit for growth’ program, which involved cost-cutting initiatives and exiting non-core areas. He tells TOI that Cognizant is on its course to become industry bellwether again.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. on Thursday posted a 30% year-on-year decline in net profit to $348 million for the quarter ended September on high acquisition-related costs and a one-time tax of about $140 million.

IT major Cognizant reported about 30 per cent drop in September quarter net income at USD 348 million (around Rs 2,578.3 crore), but said it is witnessing strong momentum in its digital business and bookings.

In the current reality, taking a step back and looking at the big picture can be daunting. The way we work has fundamentally changed and digital transformation efforts have been supercharged out of necessity.

Turns out COVID hasn’t just changed the way we work—it’s also thrown a wrench into the machinations of our future robot overlords.

Awareness! That’s what today’s data-driven organizations want. Whether for opportunities or threats, just knowing what’s happening can make all the difference, especially when the latency is near zero.

The first phase of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has wrapped up and the numbers are impressive: more than 5 million loans totaling $525 billion from nearly 5,500 lenders. Any bank that participated will attest that the data processing headaches were just as notable.

From preventative maintenance on white goods to smart mirrors in clothes stores, the IoT is ready to change customer relationships.

This spending is fuelled by high expectations since they aim to drive six per cent of their revenue through voice during this period, it added.

Many of the digital jobs of the future have suffered during the later stages of the pandemic, while in-person health care jobs are on the rise.

Indian companies plan to spend 2.6 per cent of revenues on building voice capability to drive stronger growth in the next five years. They have high expectations for returns as they are aiming to drive 6 per cent of their revenue through voice during the same period.

Indian companies plan to spend 2.6% of their revenues on building voice capabilities in the next five years, a Cognizant survey revealed on Tuesday. This investment strategy is fueled by high expectations for returns, as they are aiming to drive 6% of their revenue through voice during the same period.

With consumers prioritising safety, brands should focus on creating a diverse landscape of online and offline touchpoints.

Blockchain is being used to bring a smart city on the outskirts of Phnom Penh to life. How will its use benefit business? And what are the potential pitfalls?

Mohit Mehta, Vice President and Commercial Leader: Cloud, Infrastructure and Security – Global Growth Markets, at the digital and cloud company Cognizant discusses how IoT devices can balance security requirements with cost and complexity.

There has been a steady stream of transaction tax announcements in the last ten years. High profile Financial Transaction Taxes (FTTs) have been introduced in France and Italy and more specific dividend taxes in the US with 871(m) and 305(c), and Capital Gains Taxes (CGT) introduced globally. As a result, the market has had to wake up to a growing operational challenge on top of those caused by the tide of regulations including MiFID II and EMIR, not to mention planning for the arrival of CSDR.

Earlier on in the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations faced myriad challenges as they sought to reopen office buildings. Temperatures would need to be scanned, density monitored, personnel distances measured, and contacts tracked. In some cases, hand-washing procedures would need enforcing, too.

With the NSW Government releasing its first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and COVID-19 dramatically increasing the pace of digital transformation and the need for AI to enable that change, many businesses are wondering how to navigate the rapidly evolving technology landscape. Moreover, with AI a clear C-suite imperative, businesses must apply AI solutions in smart, economical, and ethical ways. Most importantly, they need to be human-centric.

Data analytics has been widely used by businesses to manage hardware and software, employee productivity, and IT security during the lockdown period.

There has been a steady stream of transaction taxes introduced globally in the last 10 years that financial houses have yet to fully tackle, including dividend taxes in the U.S. — 871(m) and 305(c) — and capital gains taxes, and the recent announcement of potential financial transaction taxes (FTTs) in New York and New Jersey, alongside new regulations represent a growing operational challenge. The increase in these types of legislative moves indicates an evolving need for global market solutions to address these types of taxes and the nuances involved at a state-by-state level.

Cum-ex is still an “important issue” that banks should be looking at “right now”, despite the European securities watchdog publishing its final report on the matter on September 24, Daniel Carpenter, head of regulation at Meritsoft, a Cognizant company, told Global Investor.

What happens when the world is forced to hit pause? When cities, states, and entire countries come to a screeching standstill?

Why traditional companies are adopting cloud applications in a big way.

Health care and life sciences companies are using artificial and machine intelligence for better insights and improved treatment since the COVID outbreak.

In a matter of years, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) capabilities have become critical to an organization’s functioning. As the pandemic forces organizations everywhere to accelerate their digital transformation roadmaps, the latest digital technologies such as Cloud, AI/machine learning, and internet of things (IoT) have led to a new wave of innovation with demand for plug-and-play software solutions.

AI driven solutions are becoming a competitive differentiator for banks and other financial services—delivering a highly personalized customer experience, improving decision-making and boosting operational efficiency. Yet, many financial services institutions remain in an experimental phase and will need to accelerate actual AI deployment. Otherwise, they risk being left behind by digitally native players.

Physical workspaces are set to undergo a digital transformation over the coming months. While this trend has been on the cards for some time, few predicted that health and safety would be the prime accelerator towards its adoption.

It’s a fetching time for pet insurers. Potential customers identify as pet parents and grandparents, willing and financially able to take measures unheard of just a decade ago to make their pets live longer and healthier lives, according to industry professionals.

The US-based IT services firm rapidly developed new analytics tools to respond to COVID-19 at various levels of business.

For businesses thinking of adopting AI, it is important to have a clear governance structure on how AI will be used and an ethical policy surrounding its usage.

While the COVID-19 crisis may have created a lot of uncertainty, what does seem sure is that the practice of remote working is here to stay.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to seismic shifts in industry priorities. The post-COVID world will be a highly virtual and personal world. The “shift to digital” has accelerated and all industries are being digitally transformed. Financial institutions (FIs) across the globe continue to deal with the fallout of the pandemic.

Jobs that have become highly desirable in the post-pandemic scenario.

With the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in businesses comes the responsibility to apply these AI solutions in a smart, ethical and economically friendly way. Every new application of the technology brings its own unique challenges, so the need to constantly monitor AI use in business is vital. In light of this, here are five key things to consider when implementing, or even thinking about implementing, AI into your company.

The traditional career model first articulated in the early 1900s by Robert Owen as “eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, and eight hours rest” is still around today. Over 100 years on, the workforce is much more diverse and the needs and demands of employees have evolved.

As economies worldwide begin recovering from COVID-19 shutdowns, companies that safely and responsibly reopen their physical spaces at scale can have a distinct competitive advantage over those that cannot do so.

The world is becoming real-time — real-time decision-making, real-time experiences, real-time customer service, and real-time payments. The Covid-19 pandemic has further accelerated the use of digital payments as nobody wants to deal with cash. Once seen as a convenience, digital payments have become a necessity.

The events of the past six months have thrust HR and business leaders into many new realities. Across industries, our workforces and workplaces are being fundamentally redefined, and the very nature of the employee-employer relationship reshaped.

As we approach the end of summer, most retailers have realized that the impact of the pandemic will be long-lasting, especially when it comes to shopping in-store. The new normal requires new safety protocols and innovative experience-oriented value propositions to attract and reassure consumers.

Business leaders must be sensitive to the needs and desires of workers from all walks of life and ensure all voices are heard and appreciated. In fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, leaders create a corporate culture where every individual is valued.

Maintenance of America's strength in technology – and thus its leadership in the world - rests on a renewed commitment to the underlying principles that made it strong in the first place – a focus on the future, an openness to disruption, and providing access to opportunity.

COVID-19’s grave public health, economic, and geopolitical consequences have underscored how interdependent the world’s people, countries, and institutions are. This pandemic has also emphasized the urgency of international cooperation and collective innovation to solve a complex global problem.

It is no secret that the coronavirus outbreak has disrupted all industries across the globe. Unfortunately for the retail sector, it has been one of the most significantly impacted.

HR’s role will become increasingly vital as the world of work changes. The growing reliance on digital technologies, coupled with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, accelerates our transition toward the future of work.

As the world begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders are looking to technology for answers to how to get people back to work and get our economy back on track. As we begin to build the economy of the future, how can technology enable more inclusive opportunity?

As millennials become the largest generation owning and spoiling pets, insurers need to embrace new forms of technology to beat the competition.

In a world where technology enables everything to be artificial, how do we stay human? Futurist Benjamin Pring, Managing Director of Cognizant's Center for the Future of Work, has a few pointers for HR leaders.

The Coronavirus has drastically reshaped the economy and the labor force. Since its rapid spread around the globe, we have experienced titanic shifts in how we work, where we work, and the technologies we use to stay connected. Such massive change is escalating the importance of HR’s role within organizations.

In a special issue from Forbes India, Cognizant CEO Brian Humphries was named among the Ultimate 10 COVID-19 Changemakers as a business leader who is meeting the pandemic head-on. Humphries' profile can be found on page 23.

The pandemic has accelerated shifts in the job market that will prioritize digital skills of all kinds. But the sheer job destruction of the past few months is so great that even the best-prepared fields haven't escaped losses.

The last decade – and 2020 in particular – has seen dramatic shifts in the way we work, and more change is yet to come. As technology evolves, so too will the HR job roles required to manage all of this

Cognizant has hired Sophia Mendelsohn as its new Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of ESG. In her new role, Mendelsohn will work with Cognizant leadership to define and execute the company’s strategy around corporate citizenship related to environmental, social, and governance matters.

In an exclusive interaction with THE WEEK, he talked about the restructuring and the growth challenge.

PPP was created in response to COVID-19, and has been successful despite some confusion and frustration among the many businesses applying for loans. To better understand the program and how banks can successfully service businesses who’ve applied, we sat down with Jack Leach, commercial banking practice leader at Cognizant.

Businesses around the world are falling victim to the significant impact that COVID-19 has generated and are now feeling the consequences it is set to leave in its wake. The financial services sector is no different.

Bret Greenstein, SVP and Global Head of AI & Analytics at Cognizant, talks artificial intelligence with Infinia ML’s James Kotecki.

The overarching agenda for organisations to achieve success is highly susceptible to change. Decades’ worth of IT innovation has led to continually shifting priorities for organisations, and cost-optimisation or speed can no longer be the sole focus for companies.

As the industry awaits a decision from the ESMA on a possible further delay to the CSDR settlement discipline regime, Daniel Carpenter, head of regulation at Meritsoft, a Cognizant company, explained that market participants need to be prepared for the significant impact of the new rules when they do come into force.

From how remote work is changing the ways we communicate with colleagues and supervisors, to what our workplaces might look like when we return, this week's edition of Path Forward explored how COVID-19 is reshaping the future of work.

In an interview, Brian Humphries, CEO, Cognizant talks about the business visibility, the H1-B visa impact and the exits.

Employee safety is a major concern for Australian mining corporations. Even today, with arguably the best mining safety regulations in the world, there continues to be serious injuries and sometimes fatalities. Fortunately, the industry is in a good position to address these concerns with the help of technological advancements in automation.

Businesses around the world are falling victim to the significant impact that COVID-19 has generated and are now feeling the consequences it is set to leave in its wake. The financial services sector is no different. Banks were dealing with hurdles even prior to the

Remotopia empowers us with networks and platforms to create, connect and accomplish.

Since the start of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, technology has played a vital role in ensuring retailers survive a low footfall and a drop in sales. Even beforehand, solutions like e-commerce and augmented reality (AR) were becoming increasingly popular, while high street shops saw fewer visitors.

In an interview with HFS CEO Phil Fersht, Brian moves beyond the business talk and straight to the deep end – the personal, the humble, the lessons learned – and the stakes set firmly in the ground.

Ben Pring discusses the shift to remote work post-pandemic.

We are now all involuntary participants in the seismic disruption shaking the foundations of society, technology, economics, healthcare and more.

The guest experience has always been at the heart of the hospitality industry. As new technology becomes available, we are already seeing hotels across the world embrace innovation to further enhance and personalize that experience, for example, hotels in Singapore are trialling facial recognition for faster check-ins.

In the midst of COVID-19, puppies and kittens have emerged as go-to companions to get us through the extended public healthcare crisis. This is one important reason pet insurance is touted to be the next hot growth segment for personal insurance carriers, as the global market is projected to surpass $10 billion by 2025 and grow 6.7% annually.

Cognizant has hired the former director of technology transformation of the US government, Anil Cheriyan as its new Executive Vice President of Strategy and Technology.

No one could have predicted the global coronavirus pandemic or its impact on business and everyday life. The COVID-19 crisis changed how people work, study, shop and make decisions, affecting every business sector.

The COVID-19 crisis represents perhaps the greatest challenge to the way companies operate in living memory. Almost literally overnight, entire industries were shut down and production abruptly halted or curtailed, as governments across the world implemented "social distancing" rules that limited the number of people who could be together in a single place.

Predict and prevent– that’s what back-office operations managers at buy and sell-side firms preparing for Europe’s Central Securities Depositories Regulation (CSDR) settlement discipline regime are starting to think about so they won’t have to pay hefty financial penalties or endure buy-in requirements if they fail to settle their European trades on time.

Massive change produced by the #COVID19 recession will drive renewed double-digit growth for certain firms and send others to irrelevance says Malcolm Frank via Business Today.

One of the biggest expectations we have of digital transformation is the hope that it will bring fresh impetus, particularly for the industrial sectors. Internet of Things (IoT) or Industrial internet of things (IIoT) is the pillar on which these hopes are built.

Think about this: for decades now, some of the most innovative and game-changing organizations on the planet have operated completely remotely and virtually from day one, releasing product after product, without even paying their participants.

With Industry 4.0 embraced at scale over the past few years, COVID-19 has only accelerated its influence in the manufacturing space.

In addition to responding to changing customer expectations, higher operating costs, new technology, and an evolving regulatory landscape, financial services organizations now also face the uniquely challenging business environment created by COVID-19.

While most of us are content to guess, there are other people who are actively figuring it out and their findings and educated assumptions could help us all prepare for the future. Among them is Ben Pring, IT futurist and cofounder of Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work, which tracks trends across technology, business and society.

Industry experts discuss the evolution of automation in manufacturing and how it can help the industry navigate the challenges of COVID-19.

Manufacturing stands to make considerable progress through Big Data and AI, but the complex challenges of the industry have slowed uptake.

The anticipated changes to the world of HR will give rise to the emergence of many new roles, which are highlighted in a recent joint report from Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work and Future Workplace: 21 HR jobs of the future.

“As HR leaders are often consumed with handling impending disruption to jobs due to automation, changing workforce demographics or multi-generational workforces, they have less time to address the key issue of how these massive transformations will impact the organisation – and fundamentally change the role of HR professionals,” said Robert Hoyle Brown, vice president of the Cognizant Centre for the Future of Work.

Cognizant formed its Embrace network to drive and support an inclusive working environment for LGBTQIA+ colleagues. The community has become more important than ever during the pandemic, when employees have not been able to be physically together.

The Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic says it has been providing local residents with more than 2,000 meals per week using a private donation that originally was supposed to for an after-school program.

Pari Sanghavi, senior director, life sciences supply chain and manufacturing at Cognizant and Jim Lehane, global leader business development at Zenith discuss how manufacturing must change following COVID-19.

Many leaders in large companies are out of sync and out of touch with their workforce, markets, and competitive landscapes. That is according to research, which found that only 12 per cent of global executives feel their business leaders have the right mindsets to lead them forward in a new world of work and credibly transform the business.

COVID-19 has taken a dramatic toll on many industries, most notably retail. Up until now, the retail industry flourished by ensuring higher footfall to boost sales. Today, however, retailers need to tackle the epic challenge of working — within curbs — to manage footfall, while meeting changing consumer demands. Will we ever again look at increasing footfall as a measure to boost sales?

Social distancing was a virtually unknown expression until recently. Today it is a critical prevention strategy for people around the globe. As it becomes a cultural norm – and as consumers seek ensured hygiene, health, security, and trust – how retailers and brands amend their customer experiences today will have implications on future loyalty-building and growth efforts.

Finding new ways to boost supply chain management efficiency is more critical than it's ever been. Robotic process automation -- or RPA -- is one technology that may help.

Jason Oxman is joined on the Download On Tech podcast by Cognizant’s Global SVP Head of Artificial Intelligence Bret Greenstein and Vice President of Government Affairs & Legal Tobi Young. Bret and Tobi cover how Cognizant is responding to the COVID-19 crisis for their employees and for their customers, as well as the ways that technology is being utilized to combat the effects of COVID-19 and ways that the use of technology by individuals, companies, and governments might be different moving forward.

One of the expectations we have of digital transformation is the hope that it will bring fresh impetus, particularly for the industrial sectors. Internet of Things (IoT) or Industrial internet of things (IIoT) is the pillar on which these hopes are built, says Andreas Golze, senior vice president at Cognizant.

Many Americans are working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s unclear when people will or should return to the workplace. The shift toward more remote work could have significant repercussions for employees, companies and the marketplace. Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores these transformations -- and their advantages and drawbacks -- in a two-part series.

From the CME surpassing 25 million contracts for 15 continuous trading days, to Euronext share trading transactions being up 92%, March was an unprecedented month for trade volumes.

"Cognizant has designed and developed an online test booking facility for a retail pharma chain, helping millions of patients across the United States save time by quickly locating test centres and scheduling tests," says Sairamkumar Jayaraman.

COVID-19 will change everything -- and the way we work and learn will be no exception. Will the traditional office structure be a thing of the past? Could our education system start to look more like a lifelong journey? Tech futurist Ben Pring and head of TED Chris Anderson tackle these questions and more in this thought-provoking interview.

Humphries and his team of 2.90 lakh employees — a majority of them in India — are gearing up to face the challenges post Covid. In this interaction with BusinessLine, Humphries discusses the impact of the pandemic and the road ahead.

Crisis plants the seeds of ingenuity, and as the world struggles out of the COVID-19 pandemic and into an unknown new normal, it’s clear that entire industries will be transformed by innovations that have emerged to combat the disease.

On this episode of IT Visionaries, Allen Shaheen talks about his evolving relationship with technology, how companies are adapting to and embracing technology more than ever, and why reinvesting in STEM programs is the only way to ensure a prosperous future.