For some years now, drone technology has been billed as the next big thing. For many, the associations that spring to mind when thinking about the technology are their uses in military defense, surveillance, awe-inspiring landscape photography, and wedding videos.

Businesses are bullish on the future of voice technology like Amazon, Apple and Google's digital assistants, with consumers relying on the contactless tools more than ever during the pandemic, according to a study by professional services company Cognizant. Exclusive local data shared with Which-50 from Cognizant’s Centre for the Future of Work shows Australian brands lead the region in voice strategy but still face privacy and skills challenges.

Nasdaq-listed Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. is strengthening its leadership team with a mix of internal promotions and external hires in a bid to return to growth.

"We are pleased that we are entering Q4 executing increased promotions, and we are accruing bonuses at substantially higher levels than last year," said CEO Brian Humphries.

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?