HR-Expert.com, the online HR advice and resources service operated by Pearson Education yesterday announced it was shutting up shop on 29 September.

The online HR market has been somewhat crowded with several providers battling for market share. Pearson offered a fortnightly newswire on a subscription basis but never secured enough supporters to make the service viable. Whilst this leaves the market slightly clearer, the loss of some Pearson content is to be regretted. They are a major print-publisher, and this action indicates some of the problems which publishers are experiencing in responding to the new online facilities which are now available.

Other online services, such as HR Zone and TrainingZONE undergo regular evolution in their business model as established members of this community will have noticed. Online services need a viable business model, a large membership list, and diverse revenue streams. At the same time, we are seeing a steady trend away from ‘free’ online content (which the publishers can no longer justify) to online payment for the convenience and immediacy of online content. Again, regular users of our Resources areas will be familiar with this trend.

HR Zone says: There is an inevitable process of consolidation which needs to occur within the online HR market. From the users’ perspective, there is a requirement for good content which is categorised into appropriate channels (recruitment, legislation, welfare, strategy, etc.). From the providers’ perspective, there is a strong need to create a single facility which offers valuable Content, strong Community, and efficient Services within an online environment. In the US, hr.com is probably the best example of this emerging model. In the UK, further collaboration or consolidation amongst the existing players may move us towards this more desirable goal.