SCC services arm plans to build on Pyramid

Acquisition brings HR software development in-house at SCC for the first time

SCC has acquired independent HR and payroll software house Pyramid for an undisclosed sum.

Pyramid will sit in the Specialist Computer Services (SCS) arm of parent company Rigby Group, bringing HR software development in-house for the first time.

"The acquisition of Pyramid gives SCS a fresh, flexible and innovative solution to help grow the future of that business," said Sir Peter Rigby, chief executive of Rigby Group.

"We are very conscious of the loyalty and levels of service that SCS has enjoyed over some 40 years, so it is important we continue to invest in SCS to ensure its growth and success.

"Pyramid offers SCS an up-to-date, highly functional HR Payroll solution to market, develop and sell."

The acquisition marks the first time that SCS has taken direct control of its HR and payroll solutions, having previously built on software provided by Unipay.

SCS will sell the solutions direct to end users, but Tim Markham, managing director of SCC payroll, HR and data services, told CRN that partnerships are a possibility in the future.

"Initially [We will sell] direct to end users, but I'm open to discussions with people who want to onward-sell the software. We're not constrained from that point of view at all," he said. "Providing the organisation fits us, we would be happy to talk to them."

Analyst TechMarketView believes that SCC may have under-used SCS in the past.

John O'Brien, research director at TechMarketView, said: "It's a change in direction for SCC to own its HR and payroll system IP, which till now had relied on NGA HR's legacy Unipay product.

"NGA hasn't been marketing Unipay for a number of years, instead migrating clients on to its ResourceLink SME product.

"This suggests SCS has until now been an underinvested and overlooked opportunity by SCC."

When asked if he thought this was the case, Markham told CRN that it has sometimes been difficult to make SCS seen over the scale of the main SCC business.

"I think that is probably fair to say," Markham added. "Although we were one of the first businesses that Peter Rigby acquired 40 years ago, to get my larger bigger sister to look at us has always been a little challenge, so it gives us something better to hang that hat on. It will help to focus them."