Innovation is often the by product of a business seeking new markets or techniques for existing products and services. But innovation can also come from within a company. When a company discovers a method of product production that works well, it often “innovates” by developing the process further and producing more of the same product. Even when a company stays with the same product type, such as computers and printers, it sometimes invents newer, more efficient ways to perform those tasks.
Innovation means different things to different people. An invention is typically a new idea, though sometimes an invention is just a product that makes existing products better or more efficient. Companies often assert to be the creator of innovation, and display a huge mountain of patents as proof. patents are proof of innovations, of having conceived of something first, and then documenting that new invention through a patent process.
Examples of new inventions include cellular phones, computers, televisions, jet airplanes, medical devices, personal computers, cars, trucks, consumer products, machinery, utility appliances, computer software, information technology, wireless communications systems, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and many other innovations. The process of finding new inventions is sometimes made much easier by the development of new product applications. Inventions are often the result of someone else’s idea being taken a step farther than their original version. These new creations may be used in new ways that weren’t imagined.
New product applications allow the inventor or inventors to demonstrate their ingenuity and creativity. Inventions and innovations are the result of someone else’s observations and experiences, or discoveries that are made possible by new equipment or processes. Many times, these inventions and innovations are patenting to protect the rights of the person or company that brought them into the public eye. A patent helps to demonstrate to the world and to the legal system that you are the inventor of the particular item, idea, or invention that you are claiming.
Innovation is just as important as creativity in business models. Both are necessary for businesses to move forward and become the dominant player in their industries. Innovation can be defined as a sudden and unexpected innovation in a field that otherwise had no competitors. Sometimes there is not a clear trend or development pattern in an industry; however, numerous new innovations have been developed and shown to be successful.
There are many people that are innovators; however, not all of them have the ability to patent their inventions. It is important that the innovators obtain protection for their inventions. It is equally important for the innovators to understand that they need to develop a “game plan” before they start on any type of new business model. In order to patent an innovation, the innovator must demonstrate to the patent examiner why their invention is new and not obvious from the prior art.