Nike selects Cognizant to transform global tech operations

Cognizant has announced a new agreement with sporting brand Nike, to transform and support its technology operations. The contract will cover 40 countries, supporting Nike’s global growth as a whole.

Having become a household name as one of the world’s most prominent sportswear designers, Nike distributes athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories across 170 countries worldwide. The company has a dozen brands that serve more than 30 major sports and consumer lifestyles to that end.

Building on the companies’ 14-year history of collaboration, the latest agreement between Cognizant and Nike will consolidate several of the sportswear giant’s existing IT support functions. Primarily, this will see Cognizant assist both Nike’s customers as well as employees with their technical support needs.

“We are excited to help drive exceptional customer, employee, and partner experiences at Nike by leveraging hyper-automation, AI, and process re-engineering,” said Sushant Warikoo, Head of Cognizant’s Retail Industry Business Unit.

Over the five-year arrangement, Cognizant will serve Nike across more than 230 locations, in over 40 countries. The consultancy will also support the company’s customers, partners, as well as its 70,000 employees through three key areas of technology operations: multilingual IT customer service, deskside and dispatch depot, as well as application and infrastructure support.

“By bridging our retail industry and technology expertise together with our 14-year knowledge of Nike’s business, we are able to equip them with the advanced IT capabilities required to support their global growth and ensure seamless technology experiences for all,” Warikoo added.

Cognizant will offer onsite and remote support across locations worldwide for resolving all hardware issues for employees, from laptops to work phones. Additionally, the firm’s specialists will provide engineering and backend solutions for all of Nike’s enterprise-wide applications, including mobile apps, computer software, and Nike.com.

Nike’s revenue for the 12 months ending February 2023 was $50.6 billion – an 8.13% increase year-over-year. As it looks to build on this momentum, Cognizant and Nike’s collaboration is anticipated to continue furthering Nike’s digital transformation efforts, which have been driven by a continued investment in capabilities that accelerate product innovation, brand distinction, and deep personal connections with Nike consumers globally.

Cognizant is a multinational information technology services and consulting company. The firm regularly partners with the world’s biggest brands, to help improve their digital functions, and provide key services to help them meet the changing needs of customers. Recently this has seen the firm win work from the likes of automotive firm Volkswagen, energy conglomerate Centrica and insurance giant AXA, among others.