TM M&As

This week, StepStone Solutions, a provider of talent management software, announced it will buy MrTed, a company specializing in talent acquisition software. MrTed's products will enhance StepStone's offerings, positioning the company for continued growth.

Last month, insurance brokerage giant Aon said it will acquire Hewitt Associates, a provider of HR consulting and outsourcing services. Expanding its reach was cited as motivation – and Aon is paying $4.9 billion in cash for a larger HR presence.

Although it is not technically a talent management company, Jigsaw has been associated with the TM space. This spring, Salesforce.com, a provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software solutions, purchased Jigsaw, an online business directory of names and contact information. As was the case with the other-mentioned acquisitions, Jigsaw seemed to provide a necessary piece of the puzzle. (You saw that metaphor coming, right?)