OMRON and Cognizant Partner to Revolutionize Manufacturing with Unique One-Stop IT-OT Integration
Rhea-AI Summary
OMRON and Cognizant (NASDAQ:CTSH) have formed a strategic partnership to integrate Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) in manufacturing. The collaboration designates Cognizant as the engineering partner for OMRON's Industrial Automation Business products.
The partnership combines OMRON's OT products (sensors, controllers, servo motors, safety equipment, and robots) with Cognizant's IT capabilities (cloud, AI, IoT, and digital twin technologies). Their joint solution targets Automotive, Semiconductor, Electronics, Industrial Manufacturing, Life Sciences, and Consumer Goods industries.
OMRON's extensive product lineup (200,000+ SKUs) will provide field data for Cognizant's Asset Performance Excellence platform and OnePlant™ assessment tool. The integration aims to enhance productivity, improve workforce efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through continuous IT-OT analysis and improvements.
Positive
- Strategic partnership gives Cognizant exclusive engineering partner status for OMRON's Industrial Automation Business
- Access to OMRON's extensive product lineup of 200,000+ SKUs enhances Cognizant's data analytics capabilities
- Partnership creates new revenue streams in multiple major industrial sectors
- Integration of IT-OT systems creates competitive advantage in manufacturing solutions
Negative
- None.
Insights
This strategic partnership between Cognizant and OMRON represents a significant competitive advancement for Cognizant in the manufacturing technology ecosystem. By becoming OMRON's engineering partner, Cognizant gains privileged access to integrate with a massive hardware portfolio (200,000+ SKUs) of sensors, controllers, and automation equipment - effectively positioning itself at the convergence point of IT and OT systems.
The deal addresses a persistent challenge in manufacturing digitalization - bridging the gap between shop floor technologies and enterprise systems. This partnership creates a differentiated market offering where Cognizant can enhance its Asset Performance Excellence platform and OnePlant assessment tool with high-quality operational data from OMRON's devices, creating a feedback loop between management insights and factory execution.
For Cognizant, this represents a multi-faceted opportunity: expanded access to high-value manufacturing verticals (automotive, semiconductor, life sciences), enhanced competitive positioning against pure-play IT providers, and potential for both implementation revenues and ongoing managed services. The comprehensive service scope (consulting through maintenance) suggests opportunities for recurring revenue streams.
While financial specifics weren't disclosed, the partnership's focus on sustainable manufacturing and operational excellence aligns with manufacturing's evolution toward Industry 5.0 - where human-centered approaches and environmental considerations become increasingly important alongside digitalization. This positions Cognizant to participate in manufacturing's next transformation wave rather than merely addressing current automation needs.
This partnership represents a strategic capability expansion for Cognizant into the industrial automation and manufacturing operations space. The IT-OT integration challenge has historically been a significant barrier to digital transformation in manufacturing, with separate technology ecosystems and skill sets creating implementation complexities and integration failures.
OMRON brings crucial industrial automation credibility as the "only manufacturer of control equipment in the world that owns all the equipment used in the production line" - meaning Cognizant gains access to a comprehensive hardware ecosystem rather than point solutions. This positions Cognizant to deliver more integrated implementations than competitors to software or consulting services alone.
The target industries - automotive, semiconductor, electronics, industrial manufacturing, life sciences and consumer goods - represent high-value manufacturing segments with substantial digital transformation spending. Each faces increasing pressure to improve operational efficiency while addressing sustainability requirements, creating demand for solutions that simultaneously enhance productivity while reducing environmental impact.
Beyond the immediate integration opportunities, the partnership creates a data advantage through OMRON's embedded base of operational technology. This field data, when combined with enterprise systems, enables more sophisticated analytics and AI applications than either company could deliver independently. For Cognizant, this partnership potentially transforms its manufacturing practice from generic IT services to specialized industrial solutions with deep domain integration.
- Balancing economic and social value for the future of manufacturing through advanced technologies.
- Promoting sustainable manufacturing by enhancing workforce efficiency, boosting productivity, and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Empowering people through data-driven decision making with manufacturing intelligence, AI & automation and digitalization.
OMRON, known for its advanced automation technology, and Cognizant, with expertise in IT-OT convergence, will offer a unique, one-stop solution for digital transformation. The partnership combines OMRON's OT products, such as sensors, controllers, servo motors, safety equipment and robots, with Cognizant's IT capabilities, including cloud, AI, IoT, and digital twin technologies.
Through this collaboration, the companies provide a distinctive capability to achieve flexible and agile operational excellence. This includes consultancy, on-site implementation, operation, and maintenance. Target sectors for the joint capability include Automotive, Semiconductor, Electronics, Industrial Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Consumer Goods industries.
Combining the capabilities of both companies, OMRON and Cognizant strive to establish a unique business model that addresses on-site and management issues through continuous IT-OT analysis and improvements. This IT-OT integration will leverage both companies' strengths to help promote sustainable manufacturing, enhancing productivity, improving workforce efficiency and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
OMRON's broad product lineup (more than 200,000 SKUs) gathers high-quality field data for Cognizant's Asset Performance Excellence (APEx) platform and its Industry 4.0/5.0 maturity assessment tool OnePlant™. This data, combined with management information, helps analyze IT-side issues and prioritize improvements from a management perspective. Results can be fed back via OMRON's control application and the i-BELT data utilization service, working with customers to address on-site challenges linked to management issues in a comprehensive manner.
"OMRON is the only manufacturer of control equipment in the world that owns all the equipment used in the production line. Cognizant, on the other hand, is one of the world's leading global IT services companies supporting the digital transformation of a wide range of industries with advanced digital technologies such as AI, IoT, and cloud," said Junta Tsujinaga, CEO of OMRON Corporation. "Through this partnership, we will promote the integration of IT and OT to solve urgent issues faced by manufacturing sites, such as significantly improving productivity, reducing operational losses, and speeding up management decisions. The two companies will work together to promote sustainable cutting-edge manufacturing of the future."
"Clients are looking for a Strategic Partner with deep industry and domain expertise, end to end capabilities and the ability to manage complex technologies at various layers of digital factory," said Ravi Kumar S, CEO of Cognizant. "We are excited to partner with OMRON in taking integrated value propositions and capabilities to transform manufacturing for our clients globally. OMRON's expertise in OT data and systems, combined with Cognizant's digital manufacturing and IT/OT integration capabilities, will enable manufacturers to make quicker, more reliable decisions using real-time data. Together, we are committed to advancing manufacturing by leveraging emerging technologies and integrating IT and OT systems to realize a state of manufacturing in the future that is connected, intelligent, autonomous, sustainable, and resilient," he added.
About OMRON Corporation
OMRON Corporation, as a leading automation company with its unique "Sensing & Control + Think" technology at its core, is engaged in control equipment, healthcare, social systems, and electronic components. The company is also developing a data solution business that utilizes a wide variety of data acquired through these businesses. Founded in 1933, OMRON now employs approximately 28,000 people worldwide and provides products and services in more than 130 countries, contributing to the creation of a better society. For more information, https://www.omron.com/jp/ja/ please visit: OMRON Global
About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq-100: CTSH) engineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we're improving everyday life.
See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.
For media inquiries, please contact:
OMRON: Global Corporate Communications and Engagement - Ankur Bhat, ankur.bhat@omron.com ; +81-75-344-7175
Cognizant: GlobalPR@cognizant.com
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SOURCE Cognizant Technology Solutions