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Thirdera Acquisition

Thirdera Acquisition: Key Details, Impact, and What Comes Next

March 14, 2025

Cognizant's acquisition of Thirdera marks a significant milestone in the ServiceNow ecosystem. Finalized on January 22, 2024, this strategic move enhances Cognizant's capabilities in digital transformation and AI-driven automation. By integrating Thirdera's expertise and workforce, Cognizant aims to create one of the largest and most credentialed ServiceNow partners globally, setting a new standard in the industry.

What Is Thirdera?

Founded in 2021, Thirdera specializes in ServiceNow solutions, offering services such as transformation, digitization, and automation. Their core offerings include assessment and roadmap development, design services, organizational change management, and training. Thirdera stands out as a ServiceNow Global Elite Partner with a high customer satisfaction score of 4.6 out of 5.0. They are also recognized for their extensive certifications, including over 20,000 certifications and being the first to market with Workflow Data Fabric.

Who Acquired Thirdera?

Cognizant is a global professional services company that helps businesses modernize technology, reimagine processes, and transform experiences. It offers a wide range of services, including application services, automation, cloud solutions, consulting, cybersecurity, data & AI, and Internet of Things. Recognized as a leader in the industry, Cognizant has a strong presence across multiple sectors and is known for its deep industry expertise, innovative solutions, and strategic partnerships, including its collaboration with the World Economic Forum.

When Was Thirdera Acquired?

Cognizant finalized its acquisition of Thirdera on January 22, 2024. This strategic move comes amid a growing demand for AI-driven automation and enterprise workflow products. The acquisition aligns with Cognizant's broader strategy to enhance its capabilities in the ServiceNow ecosystem, following a strategic partnership announced in June 2023. This timing underscores Cognizant's commitment to leading in digital transformation and AI integration, reflecting broader industry trends towards automation and AI-driven solutions.

Why Was Thirdera Acquired?

Market Expansion: The acquisition of Thirdera significantly enhances Cognizant's global presence, adding over 940 employees across North America, Spain, Colombia, the Netherlands, and Australia. This expansion allows Cognizant to tap into new markets and industries, aiming to build a $1 billion business focused on AI-driven automation.

Technology Integration: Thirdera's expertise in ServiceNow, including its training platform Thirdera University, will be integrated into Cognizant's ServiceNow Business Group. This integration will bolster Cognizant's capabilities in professional services across key ServiceNow workflows, including generative AI and emerging enterprise workflow products.

Competitive Advantage: The acquisition positions Cognizant as one of the world's largest and most credentialed ServiceNow partners, with over 2,400 specialists and 14,000 certifications. This strategic move enhances their competitive edge by combining Thirdera's extensive certifications and high customer satisfaction score with Cognizant's industry expertise and innovative solutions.

Acquisition Terms

  • Acquisition Price: The financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
  • Payment Method: The payment method was not specified.
  • Key Conditions or Agreements:
    • The acquisition is effective as of January 22, 2024.
    • The acquisition adds more than 940 employees to Cognizant's ServiceNow Business Group.
    • Thirdera’s ServiceNow training platform, Thirdera University, will play a central role in credentialing resources.
    • The combined entity will have more than 2,400 specialists and 14,000 certifications.
    • The acquisition is part of a strategic partnership between Cognizant and ServiceNow to build a $1 billion combined business focused on AI-driven automation.

Impact on Thirdera

The acquisition of Thirdera by Cognizant has led to significant changes in operations and management. Over 940 Thirdera employees have been integrated into Cognizant's ServiceNow Business Group, enhancing its global presence and capabilities. Thirdera's ServiceNow training platform, Thirdera University, will play a central role in credentialing resources, ensuring a seamless transition and maintaining high standards of expertise. This integration aims to create one of the largest and most credentialed ServiceNow partners globally, with more than 2,400 specialists and 14,000 certifications.

In terms of product offerings and services, the acquisition has bolstered Cognizant's capabilities in advisory, implementation, and optimization solutions related to the ServiceNow platform. Thirdera's expertise in emerging enterprise workflow products and generative AI will be integrated into Cognizant's offerings, providing clients with comprehensive experiences in the ServiceNow ecosystem. Employee reactions have been positive, with significant opportunities for professional growth and learning. Customers are expected to benefit from enhanced engagement and operational efficiency, as highlighted by ServiceNow's CEO, Bill McDermott.

For founders considering business transitions, tools like Sunset can assist in managing such processes compliantly, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition.