Technology consultancy Cognizant has acquired New Signature, an independent Microsoft public cloud transformation specialist. The deal, for which financial terms were not disclosed, is expected to close in Q3 2020.
The acquisition will form the foundation of a new dedicated Microsoft cloud solutions group at Cognizant.
New Signature is based in Washington, DC and was founded in 2003, and helps clients in a range of industries leverage the Microsoft business clouds of Azure, Microsoft 365, and Dynamics 365. The firm supports projects across the full lifecycle, from planning to deployment and ongoing support.
New Signature has more than 500 cloud experts primarily based in the US, Canada, and UK, with offices in Washington, Atlanta, Orlando, Toronto, and London.
The firm’s recent client projects include a cloud migration for Virgin Atlantic Airways, an IoT solution for The Hershey Company, and a solution to map all public defibrillators in the UK for the National Health Service (NHS).
“The pace of cloud adoption continues to accelerate across industries, with Microsoft’s cloud solutions among the preferred technologies to help transform and strengthen businesses,” said Greg Hyttenrauch, president, Cognizant Digital Systems and Technology. “Acquiring New Signature will enrich our cloud-first capabilities and complement our increasing strengths as a Microsoft partner.”
New Signature is one of 70 Azure Expert Managed Services Providers worldwide and has 16 Gold Microsoft competencies or specializations. The firm was named a Microsoft UK Partner of the Year in 2019 and a Microsoft US Partner of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
“In joining Cognizant, we will have access to Cognizant’s deep industry expertise and global scale, and together, provide best-in-class cloud solutions for the intelligent workplace, applied innovation, and managed services,” said Jeff Tench, CEO of New Signature. “We share a passion for innovation and look forward to our future at the heart of Cognizant’s new Microsoft Business Group.”
The move is Cognizant’s fifth cloud-related acquisition in 2020, including Workday specialist Collaborative Solutions, and Salesforce specialists Lev and Code Zero.
Cognizant says that cloud continues to be an area of strategic focus and investment for the firm, which is based in Teaneck, New Jersey and has 291,700 employees across 166 global offices. The company was named a Leader in Gartner’s 2020 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Professional and Managed Services, Worldwide. Cognizant was also recently named a 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year in three categories: SAP on Azure; Government; and U.S. Partner for Modern Workplace – Apps & Solutions for Microsoft Teams.