Taleo

Taleo is a talent-management software brand whose products support recruiting, applicant tracking, performance management, learning and development, compensation, and related human-resources processes. The business traces its origins to Canada, where Martin Ouellet established Viasite in 1996 as a French-language job board for candidates and employers. Ouellet and Louis Têtu subsequently worked with large companies seeking online recruitment systems that could apply the process discipline and efficiency of supply-chain management to hiring. The company later became Recruitsoft, Inc. In 1999, Recruitsoft incorporated in Delaware, established headquarters in San Francisco, and introduced Recruiter WebTop, an online hiring-management system. Its customer base expanded rapidly among large employers. By 2001, referenced customers included Hewlett-Packard, Dow Chemical, Agilent, Hasbro, American Airlines, United Airlines, Deloitte & Touche, Bombardier, MetLife, Cabletron Systems, and Sutter Health. Recruitsoft changed its corporate name to Taleo Corporation in March 2004, aligning the company identity with its software brand. Taleo initially concentrated on online recruiting and applicant tracking, but broadened into a unified talent-management platform. It added or integrated performance-management capabilities in 2008, compensation management in 2009, and learning and talent-development functionality in 2010. The company also used acquisitions to extend its product range, including purchases or integrations involving White Amber, Recruitforce.com, JOBFlash, WetFeet, Vurv Technology, Worldwide Compensation, Learn.com, Cytiva, and Jobpartners. Its offerings were organized principally into Taleo Enterprise for larger organizations and Taleo Business Edition for small and medium-sized businesses. Both were modular, allowing customers to adopt additional functions as their needs developed. Taleo delivered its human-resources management software through a software-as-a-service model. Applications and customer information were hosted in data centers operated and secured by Taleo rather than installed entirely on customer premises. The company also maintained professional-services capabilities for implementation, systems integration, optimization, and related deployment work. Its international reach expanded to 187 countries and 31 languages by 2010. In August 2011, Taleo reported more than 5,000 customers, including nearly half of the Fortune 100. Oracle announced an agreement to acquire Taleo on February 9, 2012, for approximately $1.9 billion. The transaction ended Taleo's independent existence as a publicly traded corporation and incorporated its technology into Oracle's cloud applications portfolio. Oracle continued to use the Taleo name for talent-management software. A December 2013 reference attributed more than 20 million users to Taleo software. The brand therefore represents both an independent SaaS company that helped establish cloud-based enterprise recruiting and a continuing product family within Oracle's broader human-capital-management offering.

Taleo developed from a Canadian online-recruiting initiative founded by Martin Ouellet in 1996. The original business, Viasite, operated a French-language job board intended to connect candidates and employers. Ouellet and Louis Têtu then pursued a broader enterprise opportunity: helping major employers manage recruiting electronically and apply structured, process-oriented methods to hiring. The company was subsequently renamed Recruitsoft, Inc. In 1999, Recruitsoft registered as a Delaware corporation, located its headquarters in San Francisco, and launched Recruiter WebTop, an online hiring-management application. Rather than selling a conventional installed package, the business moved toward a hosted model in which customers accessed recruiting functionality and related data through the internet. This approach positioned the company within the emerging software-as-a-service market. Recruitsoft obtained enterprise customers during its early expansion. By 2001, cited customers included Hewlett-Packard, Dow Chemical, Agilent, Hasbro, American Airlines, United Airlines, Deloitte & Touche, Bombardier Aerospace and Transportation, MetLife, Cabletron Systems, and Sutter Health. In March 2004, Recruitsoft adopted the name Taleo Corporation. The rebranding coincided with the company's effort to establish a broader talent-management identity beyond recruitment software. Taleo expanded its platform organically and through acquisitions. The company added contingent-workforce functionality through White Amber in 2003 and used the 2005 Recruitforce.com acquisition as the basis for Taleo Business Edition. JOBFlash, acquired in 2007, contributed interactive voice response, interview, scheduling, and high-volume hourly-hiring features. WetFeet's recruiting technology and customer base were integrated in 2007, while the 2008 acquisition of Vurv Technology broadened Taleo's applicant-tracking and unified talent-management capabilities. Worldwide Compensation added compensation-management software and expertise in 2010. Learn.com, also acquired in 2010, supplied a software-as-a-service learning-management system and corporate-learning capabilities. Taleo later brought in customers and technology associated with Cytiva and Jobpartners in 2011. The product portfolio developed from an applicant-tracking core into a set of connected human-resources applications. Performance management was integrated into the offering in 2008, compensation management was added in 2009, and learning and talent development became part of the platform in 2010. Taleo described the resulting combination of recruiting and employee information as providing broader talent intelligence. The company served both smaller businesses and large enterprises through modular editions, principally Taleo Business Edition and Taleo Enterprise. It also operated professional-services teams supporting implementation, integration, and optimization. Internationalization was a major part of the company's growth. By 2010, Taleo stated that its solutions were available in 187 countries and 31 languages. Its research-and-development footprint included facilities in Quebec City, Kraków, and Jacksonville, together with development personnel in Dublin, California, and elsewhere. Taleo reported more than 5,000 customers in August 2011, with nearly half of the Fortune 100 represented in that customer base. Oracle agreed to acquire Taleo on February 9, 2012, in a transaction valued at approximately $1.9 billion. The acquisition ended Taleo's independent status as a public company and made its software part of Oracle's cloud applications portfolio. Oracle retained the Taleo product name for talent-management capabilities. By December 2013, references described Taleo software as having more than 20 million users. The brand's history consequently spans the early development of online recruiting, the expansion of SaaS into integrated talent management, and its absorption into a major enterprise-cloud vendor.

• 2013

  Taleo software exceeds 20 million users

  [1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  A December reference reports that Taleo software has more than 20 million users under Oracle ownership.

• 2012

  Oracle acquires Taleo

  [1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  Oracle agrees to purchase Taleo for approximately $1.9 billion, ending Taleo's independent corporate existence.

• 2010

  Learning and talent development join the platform

  [1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  Taleo adds learning and talent-development capabilities and reports availability in 187 countries and 31 languages.

• 2009

  Compensation management is added

  [1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  The company expands into compensation-management software and services.

• 2008

  Performance management is added

  [1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  Taleo integrates performance-management capabilities into its recruiting and talent platform.

• 2004

  Recruitsoft becomes Taleo Corporation

  [1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  The company changes its name to Taleo Corporation in March.

• 1999

  Recruitsoft incorporates and launches Recruiter WebTop

  [1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  Recruitsoft registers as a Delaware corporation and introduces Recruiter WebTop, an online hiring-management system.

• 1996

  Viasite is established

  [1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  Martin Ouellet establishes Viasite in Canada as a French-language job board for candidates and employers.

Modular, enterprise-oriented cloud software for recruiting and broader talent management, combining applicant, employee, learning, performance, and compensation information.

• Enterprise talent-management suite

  Taleo Enterprise

  Taleo Enterprise was the company's principal offering for large organizations and global employers. It combined recruiting and applicant tracking with modules for performance, learning, development, compensation, and related talent processes. Its modular structure allowed enterprise customers to add capabilities over time, while its SaaS architecture centralized application hosting and data management in Taleo-operated data centers.

• Small and medium-sized business talent-management software

  Taleo Business Edition

  Taleo Business Edition was designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It provided online recruiting and hiring-management functions in a more accessible modular package, with additional talent capabilities available according to customer requirements. The offering was associated with technology obtained through Recruitforce.com and was delivered through Taleo's software-as-a-service model.

• Recruiting and applicant-tracking software

  Taleo Recruiting

  Taleo Recruiting supported enterprise and smaller-business hiring workflows, including applicant tracking and recruitment administration. The product family incorporated capabilities from Taleo's internal development and acquisitions such as Vurv, JOBFlash, Cytiva, and Jobpartners. It formed the recruiting foundation on which Taleo built its broader talent-management suite.

• Performance-management software · 2008

  Taleo Performance

  Taleo Performance extended the platform beyond hiring to support employee performance processes. It was introduced as Taleo integrated performance management in 2008 and was intended to connect workforce information with ongoing employee development and talent decisions.

• Learning-management software · 2010

  Taleo Learning

  Taleo Learning provided corporate learning and development functionality through a SaaS learning-management model. Its capabilities were strengthened by Taleo's 2010 acquisition of Learn.com and helped complete the transition from a recruiting vendor to a more comprehensive talent-development platform.

• 2012

  Oracle acquisition of TaleoM&A

  Background

  Taleo had built a broad cloud talent-management portfolio and a substantial enterprise customer base, while Oracle was expanding its cloud applications capabilities.

  Action taken

  Oracle agreed to acquire Taleo Corporation for approximately $1.9 billion on February 9, 2012.

  Aftermath

  Taleo ceased to operate as an independent public company, and Oracle continued using the Taleo name for talent-management software within its cloud applications portfolio.

  Acquisition value. $1.9 billion (2012 acquisition announcement)

  Source

• 2013

  Oracle continues the Taleo software name[1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  After the acquisition, Oracle continued to market talent-management software under the Taleo name; a contemporary reference reported more than 20 million users.

• 2012

  Oracle agrees to acquire Taleo[1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Oracle announced an agreement to acquire Taleo for approximately $1.9 billion, bringing the talent-management SaaS provider into Oracle's cloud applications business.

• 2011

  Taleo reports more than 5,000 customers[1]Taleoen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Taleo reported that its customer base had exceeded 5,000 organizations, including nearly half of the Fortune 100.

1. 1Taleoen.wikipedia.org