The proof is in the patent!
There is a well-known phrase that says – “The proof is in the pudding”. It basically means that you can only judge the quality of something after you have tried, used or experienced it. When talking about iLOQ, we can change the phrase slightly and say – “The proof is in the patent”. Jyrki Kananen, iLOQ’s Chief Technology Officer talks here about the importance of patents to iLOQ’s business and, more importantly, what impact they have on our customers.
So, what do we mean by “The proof is in the patent”? In short, patents are an indication of the quality and innovativeness of a company. With the first one being granted as far back as 2005, iLOQ currently has over 40 patents already registered, and many new ones making their way through the process. iLOQ’s patents are mainly covering technical features and also some of our locking systems.
Some people question the relevance of patents. With increasing competition, companies are filing patents at record-breaking rates in order to protect their most valuable innovations. According to a report from patent analytics firm IP Checkups, worldwide, more than 70,000 patent applications are filed each month. And, at the recent European Patent Office Patent Information Conference in Brussels, the President released figures to show that, at the end of 2016, there were almost 12 million patents in force in the world.
For iLOQ, patents make good business sense. It can be said that they raise the profile of a company and even add value to it. And all the while making life a little more difficult for competitors. They also encourage innovation in technological development. That’s definitely true for iLOQ – we are always looking for something new to patent. And that’s good news for our customers. They can be confident that iLOQ is not going to sit back on its current success; that we will continue to innovate and develop new products and solutions to their real, everyday issues with security and access management. Patents not only protect our know-how and innovations from competitors, they also give us the time and space to really develop them to ensure that they fulfill our customers’ needs.
To support us in the patent registration process, iLOQ works in close cooperation with one of the most experienced intellectual property (IP) specialists in Europe – Kolster. Offering a one-stop-shop solution for all IP services, Kolster acts as iLOQ’s patent attorney, researcher and adviser. By helping iLOQ to develop a competitive edge from patents, they are also enabling us to provide added value for our customers.
iLOQ’s product family is under constant development and testing in order to uphold our operations to the standards set by the security industry. You can find an up-to-date list of our patents in the European patent register. If you have any questions in relation to our patents, please don’t hesitate to put a comment in the box below. We’re happy to help.
