WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Saba (NASDAQ: SABA), the premier people management software and services provider, announced today that according to the recently published Bersin & Associates study on employee performance management, Saba is a clear market leader, receiving the highest possible rating in all six core performance management areas.

Part I of the two part study—The Essential Guide to Performance Management Practices and The Essential Guide to Employee Performance Management Systems—includes research on the importance of an integrated talent management strategy. The results of the research indicate that an integrated talent management approach outperforms point solutions by two- or three-fold in terms of ROI.

In Part II of the study, Bersin & Associates gave Saba its highest ranking—Comprehensive—in all six of its "core performance management" feature sets. Performance management planning and review cycle management, goals management, competency management, performance planning, development planning and performance reviews comprise the “core performance management” feature sets identified in the study. Saba Enterprise 5.4 SP3 also scored well in “advanced performance management” feature sets, with top marks for performance calibration support, job profile management, talent profile management, career and succession management, and global capabilities.

Saba also received recognition in the study for its innovative approach to development planning through “My Success Plan.” Saba’s groundbreaking approach brings together a single, unified view of performance, development, career, learning and succession activities for individual employees. Saba’s “significant global experience” and clear leadership in the ability to address global enterprise needs was also noted in the study.

"Our research shows that in today’s complex business environment, employee performance management strategies must be part of an integrated talent strategy in order to drive a high-performance culture," said Leighanne Levensaler, director of talent management research, Bersin & Associates. "Saba clearly recognizes the need for a unified approach to learning, performance and talent management and has demonstrated innovation in processes—such as development planning and workforce scenario modeling—that bring together information from various people management processes. Organizations using Saba Learning should seriously consider the importance of this integration and evaluate Saba for all of their talent management needs."

“The findings and rankings in the study validate Saba’s leadership in unified people management,” said Bobby Yazdani, chairman and CEO for Saba. “With our commitment to innovation and our understanding of the needs of global organizations, Saba is able to deliver an integrated people management solution that provides organizations of all sizes with a much higher ROI than point solutions.“

About Bersin & Associates

Bersin & Associates is the only research and advisory firm focused solely on research in enterprise learning and talent management. The company’s WhatWorks® research and research-based services are designed to deliver actionable and practical guidance and to improve operational effectiveness and business impact.

Bersin & Associates research members gain access to a comprehensive library of best practices, case studies, benchmarks, and in-depth market analyses designed to assist professionals in making fast and confident decisions. Research areas include planning and strategy, learning programs and delivery, talent management, technology and infrastructure, and measurement and analytics. Member benefits include strategic advisory services, briefings, forums, analyst interaction, and workshops.

Bersin & Associates is the host of the industry’s only annual research conference on enterprise learning and talent management. IMPACT 2009: The Business of Talent®, will be held April 14-16, 2009, in St Petersburg, Florida.

For more information, go to www.bersin.com or call 561 455 0622, extension 223.

About Saba

Founded in 1997, Saba (NASDAQ: SABA) is the premier global provider of strategic human capital management (HCM) software and services. Saba’s people management solutions are used by more than 1,300 organizations and over 17 million end users worldwide. Saba’s solutions increase organizational performance by aligning workforce goals with organizational strategy; developing, managing and rewarding their people; and improving collaboration.

Saba product offerings address all aspects of strategic HCM and are available both on-premise and OnDemand (www.saba.com/products). To ensure long-term customer success, our global services capabilities and partnerships provide strategic consulting, comprehensive implementation services, and ongoing worldwide support.

Saba customers include ABN AMRO, Alcatel-Lucent, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, BMW, Caterpillar, CEMEX, Cisco Systems, Daimler, Dell, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, EDS, EMC Corporation, FedEx Kinko's, Insurance Australia Group, Kaiser Permanente, Lockheed Martin, Medtronic, National Australia Bank, Novartis, Petrobras, Procter & Gamble, Renault, Royal Bank of Scotland, Scotiabank, Singapore Ministry of Finance, Sprint, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanford University, Swedbank, Tata Consultancy Services, Wyndham International, Weyerhaeuser, Underwriters Laboratories, and the U.S. Army, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Department of Treasury/Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Navy.

Headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, Saba has offices on five continents. For more information, please visit www.saba.com or call +1-877-SABA-101 or +1-650-779-2791.

SABA, the Saba logo, Centra and the marks relating to Saba products and services referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Saba Software, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Saba
Alissa Vasilevskis, +1-650-581-2615
Press Relations
avasilevskis@saba.com