Technical Feasibility Technical feasibility addresses the issue of whether a product is likely to work as intended. WISC has developed an Expert Network of over 500 experienced consultants. Expert Network members include representatives from universities, federal labs, technical colleges, and the private sector. University expertise ranges from general engineering capabilities to glaucoma diagnosis, dentistry, and computer systems management, to note only a few. Federal experts from the Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard and NASA are available.
Technical colleges provide expertise in construction trades, fire science and auto mechanics.
Level of Competition A crucial element of a new product review is a thorough assessment of the competition. Whether targeted to industrial or consumer markets, all new products are judged by customers relative to existing products. A professional market research manager, with support from upperclass and graduate business students, directs extensive information searches, including preliminary patent searches, in combination with phone contacts to assess competitive activity in the product or service area. WISC investigates product features, prices, and distributors of related products to assess whether the client's product appears to offer competitive advantages. As noted, WISC performs a preliminary patent search as part of its competitive analysis, but it does not offer opinions on potential patentability or infringement issues in regard to the submitted idea.