In October 2009, within the actions set out in its Plan of Support for SMEs, the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office made the Spanish version of IPscore accessible on its website, a free tool for managing intangible company assets.

IPscore can help providers of IP services, such as Regional IP Information Centers and SMEs, evaluate patterns and patent portfolios. IPscore is:

• a Microsoft Access-based tool for evaluating and managing patents.
  
• a guide to identify potential advantages and opportunities for reducing costs.

IPscore can be used to assess:

• specific patents.
• patented technologies.
• R&D projects, even when the patent doesn't exist.
• ideas and project proposals.

IPscore comprises:

• 40 evaluation factors.
• predefined scales that guide responses.
• a quick estimate of the monetary value of a patent (net present value).
• reports on a single patent or a portfolio of patents.
• a database that offers documentation updates and evaluation.

Version 2.2 of this tool was recently released, which incorporates the following improvements:

• Ability to customize questions posed by the system as part of the analysis process (editing, scoring, assessment of risks / opportunities)
• Possibility to adjust the number of questions.
  
• Possibility of customization for a particular purpose or user types.
  
• Ability to import / export customizations carried out and existing data (patents that have been evaluated).
  
• Possibility to use the tool without having Microsoft Access installed on your computer.
  
• Ability to combine evaluations of other patents in a radar chart to make it easier to compare and improve the quality of the evaluation process.
  

IPscore is accessible on the home page of this website, under 'Other Information', and can be downloaded for free by completing the corresponding form.