PARIS, February 12 /PRNewswire/ -- HR Access, a leading provider of Payroll and HR management software applications and HR outsourcing services, announces a 19% increase in its turnover compared with that of 2007- the result of an ambitious development policy implemented throughout the year 2008. Looking back on a year of success...

Very strong growth achieved by an efficient and functionally rich software solution

The development dynamics initiated in 2007 was strengthened in 2008, enabling HR Access to record an organic growth of its turnover by 19% compared with that of 2007, and by nearly 51% over the course of two years.

This success is primarily linked to the strengthening of HR Access' international presence. HR Access has indeed opened two new offices in Ireland and in Morocco, and acquired approximately fifty new clients, both in existing markets such as the City of Brussels, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in France, and in new markets such as Algeria, with la Société des Eaux and l'Assainissement d'Alger (SEAAL).

A key factor in the success of HR Access is the HRa Suite 7 solution, which was launched at the end of 2007, and continues to be rolled out worldwide: following in the footsteps of the United Kingdom, Spain and Tunisia, soon Belgium, Germany, Africa and the Middle East will also benefit from this product. Since its launch, some thirty companies have started implementing HRa Suite 7- such as Nexity, La Poste, Bouygues Construction in France, CAF in Spain, Crédit du Maroc or National Bank of Abu Dhabi in the Middle East. The first clients to use HRa Suite 7, such as Air Liquide, have already gone into production during the year 2008. More than 1 million employees will soon be managed with this new software application.

The development of outsourcing services, a response adapted to the needs of the market

In order to respond to the needs of the companies, regardless of their size, and to better assist them in their development, HR Access strengthens its Outsourcing offer with a new comprehensive range of outsourced HR services based on its Employer Services Platform (ESP) - a unique combination of HR Access-owned capabilities: technical infrastructure, technologies, HRa Suite 7 solution and dedicated Services Centres.

Some thirty companies, such as Gallina Blanca, Feu Vert and Bankinter in Spain, and La Banque Postale in France, have already chosen to implement the outsourcing services provided by HR Access. Some existing clients, such as GDF Suez, Air Liquide, or even Porcher Industries, have also opted to use these high value-added services. There are already more than 100,000 employees managed by HR Access.

Another example of the success in outsourcing achieved by HR Access is the offer 'Activo a Recursos Humanos' (ActivoA), a pioneer project launched in 2007 by HR Access and BBVA, the 2nd largest financial institution in Spain. Directed towards the market of small and medium-sized businesses, this offer provides businesses and their employees with a single multi-service portal that meets their needs in terms of outsourcing the

management of human resource services. Since its launch, the ActivoA offer has already attracted 25 clients. As part of its roll-out, more than 600 sales people at BBVA have been trained in order to accelerate the penetration of this solution into the Spanish market.

In order to better accommodate their clients with this change, HR Access launched a consulting service called Diagnostic Performance HR in 2008, making it possible to perform an on-site evaluation of the HR organization, analyzing the problems and identifying ways of improvement by coming up with action plans.

In addition to its products, HR Access has expanded its network of partners - business partners, technology partners and reseller partners - at the international level in order to offer its customers a full range of services, and to enhance their professional skills and the functional coverage of their solutions.

Development supported by a dynamic HR policy

In order to support its expansion and its development, HR Access has set up an active recruitment policy: in 2008, the number of staff members climbed from 760 to more than 900.

HR Access is still continuing its recruitment initiatives. For example, in Tunisia, HR Access has resumed its HR Access Campus sessions; developed in 2006, there are actual business plans designed to recruit new graduates with diverse backgrounds.

In France, HR Access has just launched its HRIS Career Fair in partnership with Capgemini and Logica: a job fair designed to recruit payroll and human resources professionals who will respond effectively to the current need for skilled and experienced candidates to support the numerous HR Access projects.

This past year, 2008, has been very positive, not only in terms of our international development, of strengthening our positioning in our main markets in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, but also in terms of growth. Our software solution HRa Suite 7 is drawing more and more clients, which has been a real success since the first months in which we began marketing this product. The takeoff of our outsourcing services is promising and holds great potential for growth. This progress cannot be achieved without developing certain skills. That is why HR Access places emphasis on its human capital by increasing its recruitment and strengthening its values and corporate culture, explains Michel Picaud, President and CEO, HR Access EMEA. We aim to be a true long-term and strategic partner for our clients in the area of human resources, by adapting ourselves to their needs and by being better equipped to anticipate them. In order to do so, we will also strengthen our investments in Research and Development, enhance our flagship solution HRa Suite 7, and launch new offers of outsourcing services, he concludes.

About HR Access:

HR Access's solutions are the result of 35 years experience in research, development and implementation in the core competencies of Human Resources Management. HR Access provides a comprehensive offering of solutions and services covering the entire life cycle of our customers' HRIS, combining both local and international expertise to offer: applications software, services such as consulting installation, integration, training, regulation tracking, maintenance and Outsourcing services. Today, HR Access manages more than ten million employees worldwide.

An international leader in Human Resources Management, HR Access Solutions employs almost 900 people - based in France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Great Britain, Ireland, Morocco, Switzerland and Tunisia, with 600 customers spread across 54 countries.

To know more: http://www.hraccess.com

Press relations: Wellcom Agency, Amandine Ferré Ingrid Zémor, Tel: +33(0)1-46-34-60-60, E-mail: af@wellcom.fr / iz@wellcom.fr