With digital transformation front and center on CXO agendas, providers are scrambling to take advantage of the market opportunity.
One emerging strategy appears to be a 1+1=3 approach, with service providers in different spaces joining forces to complement existing capabilities and fill some gaps. Take, for example, the recent alliance between Cognizant and Verizon, which is designed to deliver customers digital transformation, integration, and business process support, focusing on customer experience and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Working together, the two companies can present a more viable digital strategy than either can on their own; specifically, through the combination of Verizon’s core mobile offering and Cognizant’s consulting and integration expertise. By partnering, moreover, each gains access to a new pool of customers.
The plan certainly appears to make sense, and many others will certainly follow. For clients, I’d says it’s still wait-and-see time. As they say in academia, “more research is needed.”
Alliances are sure to be a hot topic at Collaborate 2015, to be held later this month in Dallas. Representatives from leading traditional outsourcers will be there in full force, as will network and telecom services providers. We look forward to some lively discussions.
