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Management of technology and research relies on being able to make the right decisions at the right time which in turn depends on the quick availability of reliable information. Whether deciding on strategy like what direction the innovation and research arm of the business should take and which are the areas the competition has left room for improvement on to tackling issues like finding the right people to develop a certain technology or to license a component from, the management responsible for products, research, development and technology need a constant birds eye view of not just their own IP assets but also a clear perspective of the competition and the wider technology landscape to steer the business in the right direction.

Patent analysis tools though all geared to deliver information and intelligence around patents are often different in terms of their features and capabilities. How do you know what features to look for in a solution that would help your organization? Here is a brief overview of the various important features found in most comprehensive patent data analysis tools and what components to look out for during the evaluation process.

The archives of the PIUG/PATMG Patent Information Discussion List (PIUG-L) remains available indefinitely. PIUG-L served as a medium for discussion of questions relating to patent information until it was replaced by the PIUG Discussion Forum (PIUG-DF) on February 1, 2009. Both PIUG-DF and it predecessor PIUG-L contain news and questions and concerns about new developments in patent information from patent information users, patent offices, including the USPTO, the EPO and others, and patent information vendors. Indexing and searching techniques, new databases and systems (online, in-house or on CD-ROM), and developments in existing databases are suitable as topics for discussion.