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When it comes to helping businesses manage
and share their intellectual assets, NASA and its employees are
an excellent resource. One of those resources, Kevin Barquinero,
is co-founder of Knowledge Sharing Systems, Inc. (KSS), of Raleigh,
North Carolina, a significant and influential provider of software
applications.
Barquinero was
employed at NASA Headquarters in the Commercial Technology Program,
making him an expert on the many efforts and successes resulting
from the Agency's various technology transfer activities. Combining
his experience with the knowledge of co-founders Steve Monteith
and Simon Wright, they formed KSS--a company that produces intellectual
assets management software systems for clients in the federal
government, universities, non-profit laboratories, and private
companies.
KSS constructed
and presently manages the NASA Technology Tracking System, also
known as TechTracS, under contract to Langley Research Center.
TechTracS identifies and captures all NASA technologies, manages
the patent prosecution process, and then tracks their progress
en route to commercialization. The system supports all steps
involved in various technology transfer activities, and is considered
the premier intellectual asset management system used in the
federal government today. NASA TechTracS consists of multiple
relational databases and web servers, located at each of the
10 field centers, as well as NASA Headquarters. The system is
capable of supporting the following functions: planning commercial
technologies; commercialization activities; reporting new technologies
and inventions; and processing and tracking intellectual property
rights, licensing, partnerships, awards, and success stories.
NASA TechTracS is critical to the Agency's ongoing mission to
commercialize its revolutionary technologies in a variety of
sectors within private industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace.
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Each
technology entered into KSS TechTracS is given a tracking number
and is carefully followed through all aspects of licensing, patenting,
awards, and other commercialization efforts. |
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NASA's TechFinder web
site, which is fed information by TechTracS, offers users a wealth
of information regarding technologies available for commercialization. |
NASA TechTracS
benefits not only the NASA community, but also the private sector
by making technology transfer information available through its
NASA TechFinder web site at http://technology.nasa.gov.
NASA's TechFinder provides users with a searchable database containing
almost 20,000 publicly available technologies. A simple search
by keyword, state, NASA field center, or reference number, allows
people and businesses to easily view the many technology opportunities
that NASA currently offers to private industry.
While Langley
manages the system, running it effectively requires the expertise
of KSS employees, as well as the cooperation of all the field
centers. Each center provides input and is actively involved
in the system's improvement process. Agency-wide involvement
is unique to the development of the TechTracS software, making
it a shining example of how NASA not only supports the development
of innovative new technologies, but also assists in their refinement.
Both Langley Research Center and Kennedy
Space Center nominated NASA TechTracS for the prestigious Software
of the Year award for 2001. Recently, KSS launched its commercial
intellectual asset management system, KSS TechTracS, which is
aimed particularly at universities and non-profit laboratories.
KSS and NASA TechTracS exemplify the efforts of NASA and private
industry working together to provide people and businesses with
the benefits enjoyed from the country's investment in aerospace
research.
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