ASCAP Selects Cognizant's IT Infrastructure Management Services to Enhance Quality of Service and Enable Virtualization

By Cognizant, PRNE
Sunday, January 9, 2011

Innovative Deal Structure Leverages Cost Savings to Fund Upgrades to ASCAP's Cloud Computing Environment

TEANECK, New Jersey and NEW YORK, January 10, 2011 - Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leading provider of consulting, technology,
and business process outsourcing services, and ASCAP (the American Society of
Composers, Authors and Publishers), the leading U.S. performing rights
organization, announced today that Cognizant has been selected for a
multiyear engagement to provide ASCAP with a range of remote IT
infrastructure management (RIM) services to drive operational efficiencies,
enhance the quality of service, and enable virtualization.

As part of the agreement, Cognizant will manage a broad spectrum of
ASCAP's data servers, networks, databases, messaging platforms, and
BlackBerry devices. Cognizant will assume end-to-end ownership and
responsibility for all in-scope services and will implement high levels of
automation to streamline operations, with robust metrics to provide ASCAP
full visibility on the health of operations.

Cognizant's innovative managed services model is based on guaranteed
productivity gains and business outcomes delivered. ASCAP will leverage the
resulting cost savings to fund additional projects, including upgrading its
cloud computing environment and building an enterprise virtual desktop
infrastructure.

Cognizant uses ITIL-based processes, a pre-built catalog of productized
services, a sophisticated operations maturity model, and its proprietary RIM
2.0 managed services framework to reduce ASCAP's total cost of ownership and
ensure high quality and consistency across its IT infrastructure portfolio.

"ASCAP exists to ensure that music creators are compensated fairly,
promptly, and accurately when their works are performed publicly," explained
Tina Barber, Senior Vice President and CIO, ASCAP. "Last year, ASCAP launched
its new state-of-the art royalty distribution system, allowing members
unprecedented entree to their works, performances, and statements through
Member Access. Cognizant is now helping us to adopt virtualization and
consolidation strategies to enable additional operating efficiencies and add
to our competitive advantage with the rapid deployment of new applications.
As a result of this, we will be able to provide even better service for our
400,000 members worldwide."

Gajen Kandiah, Senior Vice President and Head of the Communications,
Information, Media and Entertainment Practice at Cognizant, said, "In an era
of digital transformation in the music industry, ASCAP is leveraging
technology extensively to provide enhanced member access to performance and
royalty information. Cognizant is pleased to provide ASCAP with optimized
infrastructure management solutions using a global delivery model, leveraging
the latest technologies to manage its performance royalty platforms."

Robert Boles, Senior Vice President, IT Infrastructure Services practice,
Cognizant, added, "ASCAP is committed to making technology enhancements that
make it more convenient for its members to conduct their business and pursue
their creativity. Our infrastructure transformation programs have paved the
way for ASCAP to cater to the needs of its members while also maturing IT
operations efficiently and effectively."

About ASCAP

Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing
Rights Organization (PRO) representing the world's largest repertory totaling
over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from
nearly 400,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has
representation arrangements with similar foreign organizations so that the
ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world where
copyright law exists. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign
affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works
and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the
only American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members.
www.ascap.com

About Cognizant

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology,
consulting, and business process outsourcing services. Cognizant's
single-minded passion is to dedicate our global technology and innovation
know-how, our industry expertise and worldwide resources to working together
with clients to make their businesses stronger. With over 50 global delivery
centers and more than 100,000 employees as of December 1, 2010, we combine a
unique global delivery model infused with a distinct culture of customer
satisfaction. A member of the NASDAQ-100 Index and S&P 500 Index, Cognizant
is a Forbes Global 2000 company and a member of the Fortune 1000 and is
ranked among the top information technology companies in BusinessWeek's Hot
Growth and Top 50 Performers listings. Visit us online at
www.cognizant.com or follow us on Twitter: Cognizant.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements which may constitute
forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are
necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future
events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general
economic conditions and the factors discussed in our most recent Form 10-K
and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Cognizant
undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Catherine Marenghi, Cognizant, +1-781-223-8673, catherine.marenghi at cognizant.com; Pauline Stack, ASCAP, +1-212-621-6278, pstack at ascap.com; Bobbi Marcus, Bobbi Marcus PR & Events, Inc. for ASCAP, +1-310-889-9200, bobbi.marcus at bobbimarcuspr.com

YOUR VIEW POINT
NAME : (REQUIRED)
MAIL : (REQUIRED)
will not be displayed
WEBSITE : (OPTIONAL)
YOUR
COMMENT :