Patents by Inventor Christopher H. Wicher

Christopher H. Wicher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8121889
    Abstract: An information technology portfolio is managed using assessments that are based on a set of criteria. Each of the criteria may have one or more attributes, and may be different in priority from one another. The criteria are preferably directed toward evaluating, ensuring, and/or improving acceptance of the products in the portfolio by their target marketplace or market segment. Assessments are performed, using the criteria and attributes, and results of these assessments may be used when making various decisions regarding the products in the portfolio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Luis Casco-Arias, William L. Bliss, Jr., Stephen Biondi, Thomas D. Christopherson, Charles S. Gauthier, Katherine A. Imming, Brian L. Peterson, Christopher H. Wicher
  • Publication number: 20110137695
    Abstract: A company's ability to expand its market presence by delivering value to emerging and immature markets is influenced by its ability to develop a rich and differentiated value net within these emerging markets. Techniques are disclosed for making resource placement decisions in an objective manner, using results from a value chain analysis. Geographies or locations that are candidates for the resource placement are analyzed in terms of a set of criteria which, in preferred embodiments, are directed toward identifying strengths and weaknesses of each location as part of an overall value chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William D. Goldberg, William E. Hutson, Christopher H. Wicher
  • Patent number: 7957996
    Abstract: A company's ability to expand its market presence by delivering value to emerging and immature markets is influenced by its ability to develop a rich and differentiated value net within these emerging markets. Techniques are disclosed for making resource placement decisions in an objective manner, using results from a value chain analysis. Geographies or locations that are candidates for the resource placement are analyzed in terms of a set of criteria which, in preferred embodiments, are directed toward identifying strengths and weaknesses of each location as part of an overall value chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William D. Goldberg, William E. Hutson, Christopher H. Wicher
  • Publication number: 20040230506
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing an information technology portfolio using assessments that are based on a set of criteria. Each of the criteria may have one or more attributes, and may be different in priority from one another. The criteria are preferably directed toward evaluating, ensuring, and/or improving acceptance of the products in the portfolio by their target marketplace or market segment. Assessments are performed, using the criteria and attributes, and results of these assessments may be used when making various decisions regarding the products in the portfolio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Luis Casco-Arias, William L. Bliss, Stephen Biondi, Thomas D. Christopherson, Charles S. Gauthier, Katherine A. Imming, Brian L. Peterson, Christopher H. Wicher
  • Publication number: 20040230464
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for designing information technology products by influencing design of a product using a set of criteria. Each of the criteria may have one or more attributes, and may be different in priority from one another. The criteria are preferably directed toward ensuring, and/or improving, the product's acceptance by its target marketplace or market segment. In preferred embodiments, information that defines “best practices” for various ones of the criteria is gathered during a product assessment, and this information provided to product teams to be used in product design decisions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Bliss, James E. Carey, Thomas D. Christopherson, Charles S. Gauthier, Katherine A. Imming, Brian L. Peterson, Thomas P. Pitzen, Christopher H. Wicher
  • Publication number: 20040230469
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for identifying platform enablement priorities for information technology products using product assessments. The assessments are performed using a set of criteria. Each of the criteria may have one or more attributes, and may be different in priority from one another. The criteria are preferably directed toward evaluating, ensuring, and/or improving acceptance of the products by their target marketplace or market segment. Results of the assessments are used to identify platform-specific deficiencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas D. Christopherson, Katherine A. Imming, Christopher H. Wicher
  • Publication number: 20040199417
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for assessing information technology products by comparing a product (including a product still under development) to a set of criteria. Each of the criteria may have one or more attributes, and may be different in priority from one another. The comparison is preferably directed toward ensuring, and/or improving, the product's acceptance by its target marketplace or market segment. In preferred embodiments, a product assessment score is created as a result of the comparison. When necessary, a set of recommendations for product changes is also created. The criteria/attributes may be prioritized in view of their importance to the target marketplace or market segment, and the assessment results are preferably provided to product teams to influence the importance of product planning and/or development efforts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Randy D. Baxter, William L. Bliss, Stephen Biondi, Robert J. Bojanek, James E. Carey, Thomas D. Christopherson, Charles S. Davis, Kathleen A. Diedrich, Charles S. Gauthier, Uwe K. Hansmann, Katherine A. Imming, Pamela A. Kaplan, Roger Q. Kerr, Brian L. Peterson, Thomas P. Pitzen, Christopher H. Wicher