4. Cognizant

Company acquired: Idea Couture

Head count: 170 employees

Annual revenue:  Not disclosed

Purchase price: Not disclosed

Date of Announcement: July 28

Cognizant purchased Toronto-based design firm Idea Couture to increase its investment in social science-based IT development.

The Teaneck, N.J.-based company - No. 7 on CRN's Solution Provider 500 - gained social scientists, strategists, anthropologists, user-experience experts, designers and product developers in the acquisition, which the company says will help it connect social sciences research with the design and creation of real-life solutions focused on solving real-world problems.

The acquisition builds on the investment Cognizant made in April when it acquired a 49-percent stake in Copenhagen-based human sciences consultancy ReD Associates.