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Case study

The challenge

The news publishing industry faces intense pressures triggered by the rise of digital media. To stay competitive, Gannett, a US media powerhouse, successfully grew its business and maintained its leadership through a series of mergers and acquisitions. Gannett needed to streamline the patchwork of redundant platforms it had accumulated. To pivot to a digital-first approach and gain the synergies from the company’s acquisitions, Gannett Technology, the company’s IT division, engaged Cognizant for a broad transformation effort that ranged from optimizing human capital to automating network assets.

Our approach

Gannett Technology leveraged Cognizant’s digital publishing expertise and experience in application and infrastructure outsourcing to create an IT optimization and transformation plan. In addition to streamlining IT operations, the plan’s goal was to accelerate the company’s Global Workforce Initiative (GWI), a program to standardize IT processes and documentation. The plan also aimed to foster a staff augmentation relationship with Cognizant. The GWI leveraged smart operations, platform-driven intelligent process automation (IPA) and information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) best practices to deliver efficient IT change management and support services.

We supported new and existing customer and COTS applications to reduce overall IT spend and drive efficiency. We also expedited IT ticket management with streamlined technical support services and managed and enhanced applications that supported circulations and publishing services on iSeries to maintain SLAs and automatically manage changing resource demands. Agents within the Network Operations Center ensured that links and networks work correctly. The GWI also enables Gannett to focus on core business needs without sacrificing cost-effective IT support services or resources.

IT consolidation program builds synergy from recent acquisitions

As a result of the streamlining and consolidation, Gannett Technology improved overall service quality and the levels of application and infrastructure support. Transitioning from a custom IT shop to a SaaS-based platform and COTS shop enabled the company to reduce application development time, integrate new technology and lower overall costs. By standardizing IT operations using ITIL best practices, Gannett consistently meets SLAs for ticket management and digital infrastructure. By managing IT operations throughout the GWI implementation, Gannett maintains continuity and ensures success from start to finish. With Cognizant as a trusted advisor and transformation partner, Gannett is positioned to move ahead as a digitally focused media and marketing solutions company.

Over 50%

reduction in day one IT spend through right-shoring and automation

Reduced IT spend

for year two and year three from the project baseline by an additional 40% in total

Improved SLAs

with reporting and industry best practices