I am definitely not a techie person. I know how to use what I have, but I’m not seeking new cutting edge devices or apps to change my life. Honestly, I really don’t think all the fancy gadgets out there are necessary. But I will admit that technology has changed the way we live and communicate in even the most basic ways.
When I’m hanging out with my playgroup moms and someone mentions a fantastic recipe or a babysitter whose contact info she is willing to share, we don’t rush to grab pens and paper. Instead we say things like “will you send that to me?” or “can you message me?” Gone are the days of recipe boxes filled with cute hand written cards. Now, I have a recipe folder within my email. I also have online accounts at a few different sites online with saved electronic “recipe boxes.”
If I ask my mom or a friend for a recipe, I save it away for future use. Then I can access it from anywhere at any time. It is actually very useful--sometimes I’m away and want to cook up a little taste of home. Or I can share the recipe with someone else with just a few clicks. I admit that I still have a recipe box sitting out on my counter but it is more for show than anything. (Some people would say that my Mackenzie-Childs obsession has gone too far). My once cluttered shelf of cookbooks has been whittled back to my few favorites. Finding what I’m looking for is faster utilizing my resources “in the cloud” than flipping through stacks of cookbooks. And I like it this way. Less clutter in my kitchen. Less fear a special family recipe will be lost forever if my index card is misplaced or stained beyond reading. (Remember that episode of Friends when Monica tries to recreate Phoebe’s grandmother’s special cookie recipe? And then it turns out to be the Nestle recipe on the bag of chocolate chips?) Technology can be a safeguard and help drastically reduce kitchen clutter.
Technology is making the same impact in the legal world. Lawyers no longer need to line their offices with shelves of fancy leather bound books. They can use online resources to access the same information. Less clutter and faster. The same information is available from anywhere, eliminating the need to be in the physical presence of a needed document or print resource.
Patdek is making this even more convenient and simple for anyone working with patents. One dashboard to steer patent knowledge from the finding stage, then to analysis, and finally to sharing that analysis with others. In terms of a buzzword, sharing is today’s collaboration. And Patdek tries to manage most of what happens in between too. Patdek enables users to quickly share documents, or even better, just the really important snippets of documents. Passing information back and forth is simplified and enhanced by layers of markups included right on top of document images. Insights and analysis stay where they belong--with the document. (It's like have Grandma’s secret baking tips included right on top of her special cookie recipe.) Context takes patent discussions to the next level. And Patdek provides it all.