Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements	Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements The terms “Cognizant,” “we,” “our,” “us” and “the Company” refer to Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation unless the context indicates otherwise. We have prepared the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included herein in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, and Article 10 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements (and notes thereto) included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. In our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been included, and all adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. Operating results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected to occur for the entire year. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, we repurchased 4.3 million shares of our Class A common stock for $244.6 million under our existing stock repurchase program approved by our Board of Directors. As of March 31, 2016, the remaining available balance under the Board authorization was $193.3 million. Additional stock repurchases were made in connection with our stock-based compensation plans, whereby Company shares were tendered by employees for payment of applicable statutory tax withholdings. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, such repurchases totaled 0.2 million shares at an aggregate cost of $12.8 million. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements. In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued an update related to the presentation of debt issuance costs. The updated standard requires debt issuance costs, other than costs incurred to secure lines of credit, be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of that debt liability. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by this update. The guidance is effective on a retrospective basis for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2016. Thus, we have adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2016. We conformed prior period's presentation to current period's presentation on our consolidated statement of financial position. The adoption of this standard impacted financial statement presentation only and had no effect on our financial condition or results of operations. In April 2015, the FASB issued an update to the standard on internal-use software providing guidance to customers in evaluating whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, the updated standard requires the customer to account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer is required to account for the arrangement as a service contract. The update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2016. A company can elect to adopt the update either prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or retrospectively. We have adopted this update prospectively beginning January 1, 2016. The adoption of this update had no material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. New Accounting Pronouncements. In May 2014, the FASB issued a standard on revenue from contracts with customers. The new standard sets forth a single comprehensive model for recognizing and reporting revenue. The standard also requires additional financial statement disclosures that will enable users to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows relating to customer contracts. The standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted but not before periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017. In March and April 2016, the FASB issued updates to the new revenue standard to clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations for reporting revenue gross versus net, identifying performance obligations, and accounting for licenses of intellectual property with the same effective date. The standard allows for two methods of adoption: the full retrospective adoption, which requires the standard to be applied to each prior period presented, or the modified retrospective adoption, which requires the cumulative effect of adoption to be recognized as an adjustment to opening retained earnings in the period of adoption. We are currently evaluating the effect the new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In January 2016, the FASB issued an update to the standard on financial instruments. The update significantly revises an entity’s accounting related to (1) the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities and (2) the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities measured at fair value. It also amends certain disclosure requirements. The update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Upon adoption, entities will be required to make a cumulative-effect adjustment to the statement of financial position as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective. However, the specific guidance on equity securities without readily determinable fair value will apply prospectively to all equity investments that exist as of the date of adoption. Early adoption of certain sections of this update is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the update will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued a standard on lease accounting. The new standard replaces the existing guidance on leases and requires the lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with lease terms equal to or greater than twelve months. For finance leases, the lessee would recognize interest expense and amortization of the right-of-use asset, and for operating leases, the lessee would recognize total lease expense on a straight-line basis. This standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2019. Upon adoption, entities will be required to use a modified retrospective transition which provides for certain practical expedients. Entities are required to apply the new standard at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented. Early adoption of this new standard is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In March 2016, the FASB issued an update to the standard on derivatives and hedging on the effect of derivative contract novations on existing hedge accounting relationships. As it relates to derivative instruments, novation refers to replacing one of the parties to a derivative instrument with a new party, which may occur for a variety of reasons such as: financial institution mergers, intercompany transactions, an entity exiting a particular derivatives business or relationship, or because of laws or regulatory requirements. The update clarifies that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as the hedging instrument does not, in and of itself, require dedesignation of that hedge accounting relationship provided that all other hedge accounting criteria continue to be met. The update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, the entities can choose to apply on either a prospective basis or a modified retrospective basis. Early adoption of this update is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the update will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In March 2016, the FASB issued an update to the standard on stock compensation, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. The update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, entities will be required to apply a modified retrospective, prospective or retrospective transition method depending on the specific section of the guidance being adopted. Early adoption of this update is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the update will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

The terms “Cognizant,” “we,” “our,” “us” and “the Company” refer to Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation unless the context indicates otherwise. We have prepared the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included herein in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, and Article 10 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements (and notes thereto) included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. In our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been included, and all adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. Operating results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected to occur for the entire year.

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, we repurchased 4.3 million shares of our Class A common stock for $244.6 million under our existing stock repurchase program approved by our Board of Directors. As of March 31, 2016, the remaining available balance under the Board authorization was $193.3 million. Additional stock repurchases were made in connection with our stock-based compensation plans, whereby Company shares were tendered by employees for payment of applicable statutory tax withholdings. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, such repurchases totaled 0.2 million shares at an aggregate cost of $12.8 million.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements.

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued an update related to the presentation of debt issuance costs. The updated standard requires debt issuance costs, other than costs incurred to secure lines of credit, be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of that debt liability. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by this update. The guidance is effective on a retrospective basis for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2016. Thus, we have adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2016. We conformed prior period's presentation to current period's presentation on our consolidated statement of financial position. The adoption of this standard impacted financial statement presentation only and had no effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

In April 2015, the FASB issued an update to the standard on internal-use software providing guidance to customers in evaluating whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, the updated standard requires the customer to account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer is required to account for the arrangement as a service contract. The update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2016. A company can elect to adopt the update either prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or retrospectively. We have adopted this update prospectively beginning January 1, 2016. The adoption of this update had no material effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

New Accounting Pronouncements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued a standard on revenue from contracts with customers. The new standard sets forth a single comprehensive model for recognizing and reporting revenue. The standard also requires additional financial statement disclosures that will enable users to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows relating to customer contracts. The standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted but not before periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017. In March and April 2016, the FASB issued updates to the new revenue standard to clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations for reporting revenue gross versus net, identifying performance obligations, and accounting for licenses of intellectual property with the same effective date. The standard allows for two methods of adoption: the full retrospective adoption, which requires the standard to be applied to each prior period presented, or the modified retrospective adoption, which requires the cumulative effect of adoption to be recognized as an adjustment to opening retained earnings in the period of adoption. We are currently evaluating the effect the new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an update to the standard on financial instruments. The update significantly revises an entity’s accounting related to (1) the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities and (2) the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities measured at fair value. It also amends certain disclosure requirements. The update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Upon adoption, entities will be required to make a cumulative-effect adjustment to the statement of financial position as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective. However, the specific guidance on equity securities without readily determinable fair value will apply prospectively to all equity investments that exist as of the date of adoption. Early adoption of certain sections of this update is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the update will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued a standard on lease accounting. The new standard replaces the existing guidance on leases and requires the lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with lease terms equal to or greater than twelve months. For finance leases, the lessee would recognize interest expense and amortization of the right-of-use asset, and for operating leases, the lessee would recognize total lease expense on a straight-line basis. This standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2019. Upon adoption, entities will be required to use a modified retrospective transition which provides for certain practical expedients. Entities are required to apply the new standard at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented. Early adoption of this new standard is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an update to the standard on derivatives and hedging on the effect of derivative contract novations on existing hedge accounting relationships. As it relates to derivative instruments, novation refers to replacing one of the parties to a derivative instrument with a new party, which may occur for a variety of reasons such as: financial institution mergers, intercompany transactions, an entity exiting a particular derivatives business or relationship, or because of laws or regulatory requirements. The update clarifies that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as the hedging instrument does not, in and of itself, require dedesignation of that hedge accounting relationship provided that all other hedge accounting criteria continue to be met. The update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, the entities can choose to apply on either a prospective basis or a modified retrospective basis. Early adoption of this update is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the update will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an update to the standard on stock compensation, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. The update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, entities will be required to apply a modified retrospective, prospective or retrospective transition method depending on the specific section of the guidance being adopted. Early adoption of this update is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the update will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.