SPS Successfully Deploys ExPo 1.0 System for the USPTO

Arlington, VA, March 15, 2002 – Software Performance Systems, Inc. (SPS) announced that it successfully released and implemented the Examination/Post Examination (ExPo) version 1.0 system for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  The ExPo deployment was part of a larger USPTO system release involving 12 information systems, including three that were built by SPS. SPS started development of ExPo in early 2000. This enterprise case management system supports patent examination and post-examination processes for over 4000 users within the USPTO.

SPS was selected as a prime contractor by the USPTO to modernize parts of its existing legacy mainframe PALM system that tracked, monitored, and issued reports on patent examinations; and migrate the system to an open, distributed client-server and partially web-based architecture. Because of the size and complexity of the existing system, the PALM migration had to occur in several increments. Three subsystems (Infrastructure, File Ordering, and Pre-Exam) were released prior to ExPo between 1998 and 2000.  ExPo is the largest and final subsystem release that concludes the migration effort. ExPo provides enhanced features to support the processing of a patent application through the examination and post examination phases, as well as the publication process, USPTO employee productivity tracking and reporting, and Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) calculation.

Due to mandated timelines associated with legislation changes that entailed new requirements for PTA, the ExPo database, PTA calculation, and reporting features had to be released to production as an incremental deployment in June 2001. This incremental deployment required sophisticated data replication processing between the legacy PALM system and the new ExPo database, concurrent with finalizing the ExPo development and testing efforts. ExPo 1.0 was fully deployed in November 2001. The USPTO formed cross-functional teams to manage and support the many challenges of this complex deployment effort, involving the concurrent deployment of ExPo and 11 other inter-dependent systems, all of which had to be modified to convert their existing legacy PALM interfaces over to the new ExPo system.

As a tribute to the significance of the ExPo deployment, Kaj Vetter, the USPTO System Development Manager for the ExPo development effort, stated, "The project […] is a success and will probably rank as one of the best large-scale deployments ever done at the USPTO. The system currently supports 4000 Patent Office employees quickly and efficiently.”

ExPo provides automated support to handle 28 different business/functional areas and batch report processes, such as Examiner Actions, Productivity and Pendency Tracking, Quality Review, Board of Appeals, and Publications. The system is designed to produce over 300 reports and interface with 11 other USPTO systems in the initial release.  Over 60 million records were converted from the legacy PALM system as part of this effort. Technologies utilized in system development include COOL:Gen, Java, XML, Oracle RDBMS, and Crystal Reports.

About SPS
Software Performance Systems, Inc. (SPS), a small business based in Maryland, is a privately held information technology services provider. Established in 1995, SPS specializes in the design and integration of large Web-based solutions for State and Local Governments and commercial clients. SPS has been honored with many national awards, including: #10 ranking in the Computerworld Top 100 Best Places to Work in IT, Deloitte's Virginia Technology Fast 50 and North America Technology Fast 500, and as a SBA Exporter of the Year. More importantly, SPS solutions helped our clients win prestigious awards, including the Grace Hopper Federal Government Technology Leadership Award, the E-Gov Pioneer Award, the Excellence.gov Grand Prize Award, and the Government IT Agency Award for Excellence in Government.
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Contact Information
Software Performance Systems, Inc.
Mike Dorsett, PMP
VP Financial Solutions Division
301-518-5711
MDorsett@goSPS.com
www.goSPS.com