Voice technology was already on the rise in India before the pandemic. But the virus ― and the subsequent need for both human-injected and contactless experiences ― served to increase both its pace and popularity.

The pandemic has put the pedal to the metal when it comes to digital adoption and innovations in customer experience (CX). Four senior leaders consider what emerging CX trends will be more relevant than ever in 2021. From voice technology to agile measurement strategies – what’s next for CX?

Black Friday is an immovable event – occurring at the same time of year, every year. With each iteration, we see more customer demand as more shoppers clock onto the best deals they can get in time for Christmas. And usually, we see more people flocking to the high street to get them.

Our working lives have long been open to disruption from tech and other external forces, but the arrival of COVID-19 has shifted the world of work at a rate of change that few could have predicted – and has raised urgent questions about how employment will adapt.

It’s been almost one year since the Covid-19 pandemic started. Data scientists worldwide have been analyzing data gathered during the pandemic to inform policies.

The disruption of the UK’s traditional grocery and supermarket scene by online providers looks to be accelerating, with Amazon now offering free grocery delivery to millions of customers in a massive expansion of the company's fresh food service.

A new challenge from XPRIZRE seeks evidence-based models using artificial intelligence to help governments reopen their economies during the pandemic. The accelerated crowdsourced competition has a total prize purse of $500,000, with the first deadline for team registration set for 8 December 2020.

The XPRIZE Pandemic Response Challenge seeks ways to safely reopen societies amidst a pandemic.

XPRIZE, an organization that creates competitions to solve humanitarian challenges, launched the Pandemic Response Challenge on Tuesday in partnership with Cognizant.

“Hotels use legacy systems for their back-office operations and it often limits the efficiencies they can achieve,” says Cognizant’s Vice President of Travel and Hospitality Joseph Rajadurai.

Cognizant’s recent ‘From Eyes to Ears: Getting Your Brand Heard in the New Age of Voice’ report says that brands not paying attention to voice could already be losing out on millions yearly. And while the vast majority of companies agree that voice will become essential to their success, only 20 percent have a formal voice strategy in place.

Technology has become central to keeping people connected during extended periods of forced social isolation. Whenever people get back to their routines in the physical world, it will merely be an effort to catch up, not be free from the virtual world.

There's a new way to borrow at the checkout counter, and it's finding favour with shoppers on a tight budget. Termed "buy now, pay later" (BNPL), these interest-free, short-term payment plans have captured a sizeable audience in credit-starved, cash-strapped millennials and Gen Zs.

COVID-19 has upended life as we know it. The potential effect of this viral disease on mortality and public health, as well as the lasting socioeconomic repercussions of the crisis, is still unfathomable.

When we look back at the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the unsung victims of the devastating virus is the touchscreen. While the virus made us wary of unhygienic surfaces, the lockdown and social isolation revived our interest in interacting with a human-sounding voice, catalysing the large-scale shift towards the voice interface.

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.