PeopleSoft releases give HR a hand

The Pleasanton, Calif.-based software maker delivered the human resources applications, part of its version 8.8 package of corporate software programs, as it had promised early last year.

The introduction of the new products mark PeopleSoft's entry into two emerging software niches: incentive management and online employee training applications.

PeopleSoft develops business software for coordinating a broad range of business tasks, including human resources, inventory tracking, bookkeeping and sales and marketing. PeopleSoft 8.8, which is being released in stages over the next several months, also features updated data mining tools and expanded bookkeeping and sales and marketing features.

The company competes with SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards and Siebel Systems.

PeopleSoft said its Sales Incentive Management software, one of the recently released products, helps companies design and administer incentive payment plans--such as bonuses and commissions--to reinforce business goals. The first version of the software is designed specifically for computer and electronics companies, as well as for industrial manufacturers.

Another release, Enterprise Learning Management, is intended to help companies create training plans for employees. It also tracks employee enrollment and completion of training courses.

Both products are part of a larger, interconnected line of human resources applications that the software maker has rebranded to reflect a new focus on helping companies increase employee productivity and performance instead of solely reducing paperwork for human resource administrators.

The set of new human resources releases includes applications to help companies keep better track of employee performance and field employee requests for human resources information. Another program allows workers to log into time-reporting systems remotely, while another lets companies consolidate payroll data from multiple computer systems, according to PeopleSoft.