Founded in 1969, Cognos (CSN on TSX, COGN on Nasdaq) employs some 3,500 employees working in offices in 27 countries.

The company has 23,000 clients from over 135 countries. Customers range from governments to companies in every industry in the private sector, including 80% of firms on the Fortune 1000 list.

With revenues of some US$1 billion in fiscal 2007, Cognos sells its business intelligence and performance management software and related services to customers who want to understand, monitor and manage organizational performance while planning future business strategies.

In other words, Cognos software empowers its customers to solve business puzzles and mysteries. Each requires a different approach.

A puzzle has one single, fixed answer to questions like "Where did Cognos international revenues come from?"

In contrast, a mystery requires interpretations rather than simple answers. Each new piece of information demands that researchers judge and assess risk carefully, often involving a complex set of ‘what-if’ questions. An example of a mystery is "In which global markets should Cognos concentrate on to grow its future revenues?"