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Please visit the COVID-19 response page for resources and advice on managing through the crisis today and beyond.

Living our purpose

Engineering modern businesses to improve everyday life

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Imagine.
A business that is always aware of what people need at the moment they need it.

Without question, 2020 was a year that called for heroes. Pandemic, political turmoil, social unrest and billions of lives upended.

Amid these challenges, science, technology and industry stepped forward to respond. Businesses assembled resources, and R&D shifted into hyperdrive to provide advances when the world needed them most. Indeed, modern businesses met the demand in 2020, gearing every aspect of their operations to stay relevant for the people they serve.

These companies represent a new kind of enterprise. We call them modern businesses because they’re designed for the future and engineered for change. Equipped with technology, reimagined processes and improved experiences, these organizations are able to improve the world around them. Modern businesses are poised to identify needs instantly and to respond to them immediately. 

2021 Proxy Statement

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2020 Annual Report

Living our purpose

Get the 2020 Annual Report

 

We design, build and implement new ways of operating that help businesses anticipate and act, instantaneously.

 

A COVID-19 symptom tracker is developed and delivered in days

From the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare technology company Sensyne Health PLC wanted to help people track their symptoms and share that information with medical providers. Up against the clock as the virus spread, we worked with Sensyne to create a free digital-first mobile app called CVm-Health. It helped people record and monitor their symptoms to assess their COVID-19 risks. Built and launched in just 16 days, the speed of our collective purpose improved efficacy of care in a pandemic that was evolving by the minute. Together, we met an urgent call to help people in need.

Small and midsize businesses can now better serve the needs of their communities

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are the heart and soul of local economies—and the communities that depend on them for services. Comcast’s advertising sales division, Effectv, partnered with us to uncover new ways for these vital institutions to promote their businesses and connect with their audiences. We conducted deep field research to learn firsthand how TV advertising could help smaller businesses expand their reach and relevance. Using those insights, we helped create an industry-first solution: the Effectv TV Ad Planner. This innovative media buying platform makes ad spending more precise to promote growth in communities.

Improving educational equity by sensing and acting on donor trends

Dreams and determination should be enough to ensure the success of every child. However, obstacles exist that require action from the larger community. Teach For America (TFA) is a non-profit founded to confront educational inequities in underserved areas. The organization depends on strong donor relationships to support its mission. Working together with its executive sponsors and strategists, we engineered TFA to better sense and act on donor trends—introducing multiple payment options, increased automation and improved reporting. Amping up relationship insights with our banking expertise and transforming their contribution processing, we help maximize every dollar they raise to multiply the good they do for U.S. students nationwide.

Technology can be a force for good. We take actions to meet the needs of our stakeholders.

Environment
At Cognizant, we are developing a global greenhouse gas reduction strategy, which we address in detail in our 2020 ESG report.
Social
As a knowledge-driven business with unique technology solutions, our social efforts focus partly on education and the future of work to drive inclusion in technology.
Governance
Whether it’s our commitment to ethics and compliance, or our safeguarding of data security and data privacy, “doing the right thing, the right way” is the cornerstone of our approach and is fundamental to our collective success.

2020 performance and acquisitions

As a result of consistent execution and transformational progress, we exited 2020 well-positioned for future growth. Strong cash flow funded an accelerated pace of investments, driving improved commercial momentum and greater value for our shareholders.

REVENUE

$16.7B

down 0.8% as reported and 0.7% in constant currency1 from 2019

CAPITAL RETURNED

$2.1B

through dividends and share repurchases

GAAP OPERATING INCOME

$2.1B

with 12.7% operating margin

FREE CASH FLOW2

$2.9B

comprised of operating cash flow of $3.3B net of capex of $0.4B2

ADJUSTED OPERATING INCOME1

$2.4B

with 14.4% adjusted operating margin1

CAPITAL DEPLOYED ON ACQUISITIONS

$1.1B

1 Constant currency revenue growth (CC), Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin are not measurements of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” in our 10-K (pages 27-29) for more information and a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, as applicable.

2 Free cash flow is not a measurement of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP and is defined as cash flows from operating activities ($3.3 billion) net of purchases of property and equipment ($0.4 billion).

Our 2019 business snapshot

See last year’s financial performance and case studies from our digital battlegrounds.

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