Yahoo Industry Analysis

Cognos Incorporated is a global provider of business intelligence software. The Company's solution helps improve business performance by enabling planned performance management, supported by effective decision-making at all levels of the organization, through the consistent reporting and analysis of data derived from various sources. Using its software, customers can plan and manage the performance of all aspects of their business and gain valuable insights that can be used to improve operational effectiveness, enhance customer satisfaction, accelerate corporate response times and, ultimately, increase revenues and profits. Its integrated solution consists of its suite of business intelligence components, analytical applications and performance management applications.

Cognos is the only company to support all of these key management activities with a complete solution that spans all of the essential components of CPM--enterprise planning, scorecarding, and business intelligence. Business intelligence solutions make up 90% of Cognos' revenue.

Cognos has more than 22,000 customers located in more than 135 countries. The numbers to the left are the percentages of fiscal year 2003 revenues of $551 million in each of three major regions.

Revenue has been increasing steadily, with the exception of a 1% decrease in fiscal 2002. Net Income has likewise been increasing, except in 2002 when it dipped significantly from $64.3 Million to $19.4 Million.

The results for fiscal 2002 include special charges of $33.4 million. These special charges include a net business restructuring charge of $10.2 million and a $23.2 million charge for settlement of a patent litigation action. Excluding the effect of these items, net income for fiscal 2002 would have been $43.4 million.