TEANECK, N.J., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leading provider of consulting, technology, and business process outsourcing services, today announced a joint development program with Microsoft to deliver cloud enabled solutions to enterprise customers. As part of this program, Cognizant has set up a state-of-the-art "Octane Solution Center" to accelerate development of cloud-enabled next-generation solutions that integrate Cognizant business services and Microsoft technologies.

The Octane Solution Center extends Cognizant's long-term partnership with Microsoft and will facilitate collaboration between customers and senior business technology specialists, solution architects, security experts, and change management professionals. Enterprise decision makers will be able to discover, envision, prototype, and evaluate innovative cloud-enabled solutions to their business problems. Cognizant's industry-aligned Octane solutions will ultimately deliver disruptive levels of value by combining a full range of Cognizant services — including consulting, solution accelerators, and technology management — and Microsoft cloud-enabling technologies such as Azure.

Bob Perry, Director of Product Engineering at LexisNexis, USA, a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions for the legal industry, said, "Cognizant has been an integral innovation partner for LexisNexis in our adoption of new Microsoft-based technologies aimed at the delivery of next-generation products for the legal research market. Cognizant has provided the expertise and best practices necessary to leverage the promise of changing technology in meeting the demands of our customers. Their expertise and dedication to our relationship has positioned us for growth, scalability, and customer satisfaction."

Inaugurating the Center in Bangalore, S. Somasegar, Senior Vice President of the Developer Division at Microsoft, said, "Enterprises seeking to adopt cloud technologies are looking for trusted advisors to help them address their concerns and show them how organizations can realize the potential of applying cloud technologies. Cognizant, with its proven expertise on Microsoft technologies, deep domain knowledge, and innovative solutions, is well placed to provide advice and lead customers toward profiting from Microsoft cloud services."

Cognizant is a key Microsoft global service integrator and has dedicated Microsoft centers of excellence built to design and implement business technology solutions that employ a broad portfolio of Microsoft technologies. The jointly funded Octane Solution Center expands the long-standing alliance to focus on creating next-generation solutions that enable new thresholds of business performance by leveraging cloud delivery models and technologies.

"Cognizant's early capabilities on Windows Azure are helping us explore potential solutions for our customers using this technology," said Rajaramana Macha, Senior Vice President of R&D at Invensys Operations Management, a leading provider of industrial automation and information technologies, systems, software solutions, services, and consulting to global manufacturing and infrastructure industries.

"Cognizant is committed to helping customers create optimized levels of business performance for the new virtualized organization, and delivering services that enable them to increase business effectiveness, efficiency, innovation, and virtualization. This strategic program will enable our customers to realize the full potential of Microsoft Cloud technologies and redefine the way they deliver value to their customers," said R Chandrasekaran, President and Managing Director of Global Delivery at Cognizant.

About Cognizant

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services. Cognizant's single-minded passion is to dedicate our global technology and innovation know-how, our industry expertise and worldwide resources to working together with clients to make their businesses stronger. With over 50 global delivery centers and approximately 88,700 employees as of June 30, 2010, we combine a unique global delivery model infused with a distinct culture of customer satisfaction. A member of the NASDAQ-100 Index and S&P 500 Index, Cognizant is a Forbes Global 2000 company and a member of the Fortune 1000 and is ranked among the top information technology companies in BusinessWeek's Hot Growth and Top 50 Performers listings. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions and the factors discussed in our most recent Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Cognizant undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Cognizant