Innovation requires creativity, originality, and forward thinking. At DMD, we continuously develop new solutions to help our clients reach more of their healthcare business goals. 
One of the distinguishing characteristics of DMD’s prowess in this area is our in-house engineering teams. By pioneering new technologies and new capabilities, our internal teams have been instrumental in creating new opportunities in digital marketing that our clients can use for competitive advantage.
I sat down with Matthew Raggard, Vice President of Product Development, to get his insider take on a recent important achievement; the award of a patent for DMD’s AIM (Audience Identity Manager) XR technology.
The Patent Process
David Reim: Matthew, I hear you have some news to share.
Matthew Raggard: Absolutely! We’re very proud to announce that DMD was awarded a patent last month for our AIM XR technology.
DR: Can you share a bit about the process of obtaining the patent?
MR: We started R&D on what would become the cornerstone of AIM XR in early 2015. We realized pretty quickly that our novel technology for identity authentication on websites was very robust, and outlasted other traditional cookie-based tagging methods in the market. We decided to file our patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in September 2015, and worked with them over the next few years to formalize this application into a granted patent, which we received on June 30, 2020.
Unique Authenticated Identity Technology
DR: What does a patent for this technology mean for DMD, as a company?
MR: Being granted a patent in the U.S. is no small feat, as it is a very rigorous process that takes several years. However, the awarding of a patent is a validation that our technology is unique, and recognition that DMD is the only company in the U.S. with this authenticated identity technology.
DR: How does this impact DMD’s clients?
MR: It means our clients can feel confident that DMD has clear ownership of the core technology that underlies AIM XR. With this knowledge, clients can leverage AIM XR to identify opt-in HCPs visiting their website, or 2,000+ other medically-related websites, in real-time, without requiring a login.
Looking Towards the Future
DR: Does DMD have more patents in process?
MR: Yes, quite a few! DMD’s R&D team has been hard at work over the last several years, which has enabled us to file additional applications in 2017, both within the U.S. and internationally, and also more recently in 2020. We believe strongly in a culture of innovation, and our team works very hard to provide the latest technology to complement our existing Email, Programmatic Advertising, and AIM XR product lines.
DR: You’ve been heavily involved in this process long before the patent was filed. Did you develop this technology by yourself?
MR: Definitely not; this was a solid team effort by many of our senior leaders, engineers, data scientists, and subject matter experts at DMD. I do want to offer a special callout to Johnny Harlamert, our Director of Research & Innovation Development, who is the primary architect of our AIM XR technology and has led several of our recent patent applications.
We’re always pushing the envelope to develop the next big idea.
We have a phenomenal group here at DMD, and we’re always pushing the envelope to develop the next big idea.
Next Generation of Digital Engagement
The AIM XR patent is just one more example of how DMD is at the forefront of digital marketing and business intelligence. Via the ability to identify opted-in healthcare professionals, across multiple devices, we can now deliver deep content insights that were previously elusive. It is this type of innovation, and the product applications that result, that allow our clients to succeed through competitive advantage, year after year.
