• Mass.-based Kronos has acquired SaaShr.com (SaaShr) of Branchburg and its parent company, WebApps, in an all-cash transaction. The privately held SaaShr offers a software as a service (SaaS) workforce management suite for small and medium businesses (SMBs). Kronos said it would accelerate the pace of innovation at SaaShr, which is now operating as “SaaShr, a Kronos company.”

Kronos acquired SaaShr after an extensive review of available technologies and concluded it was by far the most technologically advanced and feature-rich solution in the SMB market,” a company spokesperson said.“The company charter remains the same—focused on providing SaaS-based workforce management solutions to small and midsize businesses through a network of partners,” she added. “All company executives and all employees in New Jersey and Missouri remain with the company.”

• NJBiz reported Panasonic’s North American operations will increase the size of  its business-to-business technology arm, Panasonic System Communications Co. of North America, by 25 percent. That business, which creates solutions for business customers such as customized ruggedized laptop computers, is now located in Secaucus and will add 90 marketing, sales, product, business development and engineering jobs. More new hires are expected when the company moves its headquarters to Newark in 2013. 

• Panasonic also announced the formation of Panasonic Healthcare Co. of North America, which will consolidate the business operations of the Panasonic Healthcare Group and the former Sanyo Biomedical Solutions Group. The company will be based in Secaucus and have operations in Wood Dale, Ill., and Houston. It will handle products like pharmacy automation technologies and Panasonic’s CardioHealth Station.

• CNET and AllThingsD reported SecondMarket, the New York-based company that sells private shares in many pre-IPO companies and is known for its relationship with Facebook, has laid off 10 percent of its workforce in anticipation of the Facebook IPO. SecondMarket has New Jersey roots. Greg Besner, CFO, started several companies in the Princeton area before moving to the company.

• Red Bank-based Natcore Technology said it had created “absolute black” silicon solar cells—cells so black, they absorb virtually all the incident sunlight throughout the daylight hours. The firm said, “In a world where companies are struggling to increase the power output of a solar panel by fractions of 1 percent, absolute black silicon will provide a 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent increase.”