Top European Adobe partner grabbed by Cognizant

Cognizant bolsters Adobe operation with Netcentric takeover

US IT services firm Cognizant has snapped up European Adobe partner Netcentric in a move it claims will bolster its offering in the digital marketing space.

Headquartered in Zurich, Netcentric has further operations in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany, as well as delivery centres in Spain and Romania.

Netcentric specialises in digital output and counts Mercedes-Benz, Allianz and Swisscom among its customers.

Elian Kool, CEO at Netcentric, said: "The rapid growth of our business is driven by clients who understand that flourishing with the new digital economy requires merging marketing and digital concepts powered by more flexible IT that is delivered globally.

"By joining forces with Cognizant, we will be able to integrate marketing, technology, analytics and AI to help clients provide personalised experiences across multiple channels and enable their digital transformation."

Around 380 digital marketing specialists will join Cognizant's digital practice through the deal, which is expected to close before the end of the year.

Cognizant works in a host of sectors including communications, finance and retail.

Investment firm Elliott Management took a $1.4bn (£1bn) stake in Cognizant last November, with the services firm seeing its share price rise almost 50 per cent over the last 12 months. Cognizant currently has a market capitalisation of around $44bn.

Gajen Kandiah, president of Cognizant's digital business arm, said: "We are excited about the Netcentric acquisition as it underscores our commitment to our clients across Europe and enhances our portfolio of digital capabilities in the interactive and digital marketing space.

"It also further extends our Adobe Experience Cloud presence for the global brands we serve. We continue to expand on the digital marketing and experience skills our clients demand, and round out our ability to deliver these services to the market at scale."