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AQX Law Firm: Product Strategy and What’s Ahead

IP Business Management | IP Cost Management | IP Strategy | Patent Management | Trademark Management
AQX Law Firm: Product strategy and what’s ahead
Tags: AQX Law Firm

At Anaqua, client-led innovation and product strategy have been part of our DNA since our founding.  As a matter of fact, the two founders of Anaqua were IP professionals who saw a gap in the market and decided to address it.  Customers continue to drive the roadmap, supported by advancements in technology and business practices.  We partner with the best in the industry and the new capabilities in AQX Law Firm reflect this partnership and investment.

Listening to our customers and the industry

In November 2020, Hyperion Research awarded Anaqua the Highly Innovative designation for our Customer-Driven Roadmap and Persona Driven User Interface.  We formalized our client involvement to understand their immediate needs, listen actively to where the industry is moving, and work closely with innovators and researchers on how we can approach different problems at hand.

Client groups involved in Anaqua’s product development approach include: an Executive Council which defines Anaqua’s 3- to 5-year product strategy, a Steering Group which outlines the roadmap for the next 12 months and Working Groups which comprise of clients who focus on specific IP product topics to develop requirements, validate solutions, and define best practices. These are very active groups where we get input about needs and test ideas and new product development. Simply put, if it is not in our clients’ best interest, then it is not in our product roadmap.

We also reach out and get input from the industry at large. During one of our recent surveys conducted among 1100+ law firms across our clients and prospects, we asked for input on key challenges in managing IP law firms and managing patents and trademarks.  Issues including docketing automation, PTO (Patent and Trademark Office) integration, and improved client portfolio management were at the top of their priority list. These priorities now get woven into our product strategy.

Also, a key element of understanding our customer’s needs is through our Client Success team. Joe Bichanich, Client Director, Global Law Firms is incredibly committed to our customers and making sure that their needs are tracked and sent straight back to the product team. This close-knit relationship has helped us build their needs into our recent product releases faster than ever, and to ultimately delight our customers.

Building and integrating a suite of products for law firms

While customers drive our roadmap, we develop some of the enhancements, we partner for some, and we acquire for others.I’d like to walk you through some of our recent acquisitions that have expanded our product portfolio. Quantify IP (Global IP Estimator), See Unity™, and Actio IP (Anaqua Foreign Filings) - all add to the ways we can support our law firm customers.

  • Global IP Estimator, undoubtedly the best-in-class cost estimation tool, has helped law firms across the globe in estimating IP filing costs for more than 25 years.
  • Connectivity (formerly SeeUnity) software helps law firms with enhanced real-time and asynchronous content integration and migration capabilities within their existing IT ecosystems, which provides better connectivity between IPMS and other mission critical systems.
  • Actio IP (Anaqua Foreign Filings) helps IP practitioners by handling the national phase filing of the PCT applications and the validation of European granted patents.

Partnering with the best

Anaqua is constantly on the lookout for new partners and consultants who complement our products. Our strength in building quicker and tighter integration with 3rd party solutions has helped our partners raise up innovative solutions to law firms via the AQX Law Firm platform.

One of the leading partner success stories has been with Aurora North, a leader in delivering IP prosecution software, services, and consulting. As part of this partnership, Anaqua will more tightly integrate AQX Law Firm with Aurora North’s IP prosecution solutions.

AQX Law Firm 10.5 and beyond

I am excited about the upcoming release of AQX Law Firm 10.5 – the IP practice management platform specifically built for law firms. With the help of our agile R&D team, we’ve had three major releases of AQX Law Firm since I joined Anaqua. With this specific release, our objectives are to:

  1. Make IP operations as efficient as possible with excellent process workflows, ease of access to IP data, and connectivity to other systems law firms use.
  2. Strengthen client collaboration with the AQX Law Firm Client Portal and dynamic Hyperview dashboards.
  3. Provide integration with Document Management Systems - AQX Law Firm now integrates with third-party Document Management systems, making storage of documents in existing systems even easier.
  4. Improve file intake tools to help law firms grow their practice.
  5. Enhance renewals management and processes for law firms.

We are building AQX Law Firm to be even more intuitive for law firms to achieve their business strategy.  We will continue to invest to solve key challenges the law firm industry faces and develop innovative solutions for law firms. Together with our client community working groups, a team of talented developers, and a responsive client success team—we can do anything.

Stay tuned to learn more about the new release of AQX Law Firm in the coming weeks!

Written by: Jayne Durden, VP of Law Firm Strategy