Cognizant creates largest pure-play ServiceNow partner with Thirdera buy

Cognizant has realised its ambitions to create the largest pure-play ServiceNow partner through the acquisition of Thirdera. 

A key part of the acquisition is Thirdera’s ServiceNow training platform, Thirdera University.

The addition of Thirdera, an Elite ServiceNow partner, aligns with Cognizant and ServiceNow’s partnership to build a $1 billion combined business focused on artificial intelligence- (AI)driven automation.

Thirdera has ServiceNow consultants in North America, Spain, Colombia, the Netherlands, Australia, India and the Philippines, among other locations, and holds training and certifications such as including Certified Master Architects and Certified Technical Architects. In May, Thirdera landed in New Zealand with the appointment of Kat Carter as the first country lead. 

“The acquisition represents our commitment to offer clients one of the most comprehensive experiences in the ServiceNow ecosystem, with robust capabilities in professional services across key ServiceNow workflows and emerging products including generative AI,” Cognizant Asia Pacific CEO, Jane Livesey said. 

Additionally, with Thirdera team members based across APAC, including Australia, New Zealand, India and the Philippines, this acquisition continues Cognizant’s commitment and growth to the region.

This will create a combined Cognizant ServiceNow Business Group with more than 2,400 specialists and 14,000 certifications – together creating one of the largest and most highly accredited ServiceNow partners globally.

“This is a pivotal moment for redefining customer engagement and operational efficiency,” Thirdera CEO and co-founder Jason Wojahn said. 

“We believe leveraging Cognizant’s scale, resources and cross-industry expertise will help us revolutionise how our clients work.

“We aim to transform the fabric of our clients’ work environments, creating substantial value and offering our employees significant opportunities for professional growth and learning.

“Cognizant’s bold move is an example of how our partners are looking to capitalise on the enormous market opportunity with ServiceNow.”

ServiceNow CEO and chairman Bill McDermott said Cognizant’s plan to acquire Thirdera, the largest pure-play ServiceNow partner, will turbo-charge the business’ ability to build generative AI (genAI) industry leading solutions on the ServiceNow platform.

The acquisition is expected to close in January 2024.

Cognizant has made several acquisitions throughout the years, including Servian and Magenic in 2021 and Contino in 2019.