CenturyLink Buys Cognilytics, Looks to Extend Big Data, IT Services

CenturyLink (CTL) has added an advanced predictive analytics and big data giant to its portfolio. The Monroe, Louisiana-based telecommunications company has acquired Cognilytics, which provides advanced predictive analytics and big data solutions to mid-sized and large enterprises. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“CenturyLink’s network, IT services, cloud, managed and big data services, combined with Cognilytics’ decision sciences and advanced predictive analytics, SAP HANA expertise and big data solutions, will enable businesses to accelerate their big data adoption and monetize their data assets,” CenturyLink CEO Glen F. Post III said in a prepared statement.

Girish Varma, CenturyLink’s president of global IT services and new market development, told Talkin’ Cloud that he believes the Cognilytics acquisition provides “huge potential for revenue generation” for CenturyLink, and his company is targeting cloud-related acquisitions to further extend its global reach.

“The Cognilytics acquisition provides us with a different way to grow organically,” he said. “And it likely won’t be the last acquisition you see from us too.”

CenturyLink also noted Cognilytics founder Gary Gauba will become president of CenturyLink Cognilytics and report to Varma.

“We founded Cognilytics with a mission to help customers monetize their data as a strategic asset,” Gauba added. “Our new home at CenturyLink will allow us to carry this vision forward. Together, we will focus on solving business problems and building new comprehensive solutions to provide customers with a competitive advantage.”

The Cognilytics acquisition was announced three days after CenturyLink bought Canadian disaster recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS) provider DataGardens, and both of CenturyLink’s recent moves could help this telecommunications company increase its profits.

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CenturyLink is the third largest telecommunications company in the U.S. and recorded $4.08 billion in core revenues in the third quarter of 2014, which represented a 1 percent year-over-year decrease.

Post, however, pointed out that CenturyLink will continue to search for ways to become more efficient, and ultimately, boost its revenues.

“We have recently integrated and aligned our sales and service delivery models to improve the consistency and effectiveness of our go-to-market strategies as we remain focused on driving increased sales and operating efficiencies in our business,” he said in a prepared statement.

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