About 20 years ago when I started working in the IP industry dealing with patent renewals, I found myself frustrated about the cumbersome way of working and the many mouse clicks required in what at that time was the current renewal management system.
I asked ‘why can’t we have access to the official webpage, enabling clients to easily send instructions regarding the renewal of patent portfolios?’. I don’t remember exactly what answers I got at the time, but I’m sure that the general opinion was that I was just a little bit ahead of my time or and just a little bit young and naive. In my following quest searching for improvement, I began studying IT development and IT communication, hoping to find answers. The search was long however the future was not ready to reveal itself yet.
Back to the present, it is now evident that IP renewal management is adapting to the digitalised era. Innovation is taking place significantly faster in the digital field, and it is therefore critical to be aware of what clients expect.
Communication through digital platforms has become common in our everyday lives. Technology is advancing faster and faster every day and, for us to keep up, it is essential that we break down the old world silos of information and the dusty communication methods. We must embrace this digital transformation to evolve the culture within our industry. We must know our clients, enable true partnerships and work in an open, collaborative environment.
Without question, the Digital Revolution has resulted in broad social impacts and widespread lifestyle changes. It has increased and improved the ability to communicate and find important information. Additionally, it has made globalisation possible which has, in turn, resulted in more effective and efficient business productivity. Source: www.worldatlas.com
The digitalisation of patent annuity services
Clearly the trend of digitalisation is accelerating. Through the digitalisation of IP renewal management services, the industry is realising its potential and overall efficiency gains. Digitalisation enables the processing of large amounts of patent data and creates effective market-oriented business management to supports the growing numbers of IP rights. Through providing a manageable and accessible digital portal, today we have access to various tools which offer clients a quick, flexible and easy method for managing their patent portfolio. A digital platform that provides overview, control, transparency.
The digitalisation is upon us. It is exciting and amazing, however I cannot help but feeling a little overwhelmed by the technology, the energy, and the speed of this development.
The world is changing – we better be prepared for the next revolution.