IT services firm Cognizant and Microsoft have announced an expanded partnership aimed at accelerating the adoption of generative AI among enterprises, transforming business operations, and driving industry-wide innovation. The collaboration leverages Microsoft's advanced generative AI technology, including Copilot, and Cognizant's digital transformation expertise to deliver tailored solutions across various sectors.
As part of the partnership, Cognizant has invested in 25,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot seats for its associates, along with 500 Sales Copilot and 500 Services Copilot seats. This move is expected to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and revolutionize customer experiences. Cognizant also plans to deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot to a million users within their global 2000 clients across 11 industries.
Cognizant CEO, Ravi Kumar S., emphasized the potential of generative AI, stating, "That's why we are investing $1 billion in generative AI over the next three years and leading the development of new research to explore its potential for our clients, their employees and end customers."
The collaboration aims to drive industry-specific transformation, particularly in sectors that have not experienced significant disruption in recent years. For example, a recent research report from Cognizant and Oxford Economics suggests that generative AI could automate up to one-third of tasks for emergency physicians, addressing staffing challenges and improving service quality.
Cognizant and Microsoft will prioritize applications across industries such as healthcare, retail, consumer goods, financial services, life sciences, manufacturing, communications, and media. The partnership will leverage Copilot Studio, a platform that enables users to create and customize industry-and-business-function specific Copilots using generative AI large language models, business applications, and enterprise data.
Cognizant's recently announced Advanced AI Lab will support these efforts by advancing the science and practice of AI through innovation and development of intellectual property and AI-enablement technologies. The lab, based in San Francisco, is staffed by a team of researchers and developers, including AI pioneers and PhDs, and already has 75 issued and pending patents.
Finally, through its Synapse skilling program, Cognizant has already trained 35,000 developers on GitHub Copilot, with plans to extend the training to an additional 40,000 developers. This training initiative is part of Cognizant's strategic effort to ensure that its workforce remains at the forefront of technology and prepared to meet the new demands of the AI economy.
The collaboration showcases Microsoft's ability to form strategic partnerships that drive the adoption of its AI technology across various industries. As Cognizant works with its global client base to implement Microsoft's generative AI solutions, it effectively acts as a powerful distribution channel for Microsoft's products and services.
Partnerships like this are crucial for Microsoft as it competes with other tech giants in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. As Cognizant works with its global client base to implement Microsoft's generative AI solutions, it effectively acts as a powerful distribution channel for Microsoft's products and services. As more companies realize actual business impact from AI adoption, collaborations between technology providers and service integrators will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of work and driving economic growth.