The OAUG, an independent group based in Atlanta, said late last month that four of the many PeopleSoft user groups have joined it in recent months.

Elizabeth Stephens, chairwoman of one of those groups, PeopleSoft Credit & Accounts Receivable Experts, said linking up with the OAUG was a "no-brainer. We're all part of Oracle now."

Stephens is a senior business analyst at Reed Business Information , which uses the PeopleSoft 8.9 financial application.

Patricia Dues, president of the OAUG, said in a statement yesterday that her organization "is focused on integrating new user groups into the Oracle family."

Dues, a project officer in the Las Vegas city manager's office, said the OAUG continues to reach out to PeopleSoft groups.