Method for facilitating a transaction involving a company with software assets

• US 20020083152A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Mansurov, Nikolai, Suer, Yalcin, OhChan, Sophia, Campara, Djenana
• Application Number:
  US09/964,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083152A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An objective and reliable way of effecting the technical due diligence process associated with a corporate transaction uses a software analysis tool to extract information on the target entity'"'"'s software assets, followed by performing at least one subsequent step in the transaction as a function of the extracted information. Also, a method of performing technical due diligence on a target entity having software assets, including providing software files to a software analysis tool and obtaining information on the target entity'"'"'s software assets from the software analysis tool. Also, a method of facilitating a transaction involving an expanding entity and a target entity having software assets, including: a third party using a software analysis tool to extract information on the target entity'"'"'s software assets; the third party providing the extracted information to the expanding entity; and the expanding entity performing at least one subsequent step in the transaction as a function of the information provided by the third party.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating a transaction involving a target entity having software assets, comprising:

using a software analysis tool to extract information on the target entity'"'"'s software assets; and

performing at least one subsequent step in the transaction as a function of the extracted information.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes copyright information.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes software owner information.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes third party software information.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes programming language information.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes a high-level quality assessment of the software assets.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein using a software analysis tool comprises:

providing software files to the software analysis tool; and

obtaining said information from the software analysis tool.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the software files include source files.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the software files include object files.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of entities having copyright in at least one of the software files.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of entities and the proportion of the software files in which each of said entities has copyright.

12. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes the proportion of the software files in which no entity has copyright.

13. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes the proportion of the software files in which at least one entity has copyright.

14. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of creators having created at least one of the software files.

15. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of creators and the proportion of the software files created by each of said creators.

16. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes the proportion of the software files not specified as being created by any creator.

17. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes the proportion of the software files specified as being created by at least one creator.

18. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of third party software vendors whose products are needed by at least one of the software files.

19. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of third party software vendors whose operating systems are needed by at least one of the software files.

20. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of third party software vendors whose software tools are needed by at least one of the software files.

21. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of programming languages and the proportion of the software files programmed in each of said programming languages.

22. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information includes a list of file formats and the proportion of the software files in each of said file formats.

23. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein using a software analysis tool further comprises:

running the software analysis tool on the software files.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the information includes copyright information.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the information includes software owner information.

27. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the information includes third party software information.

28. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the information includes programming language information.

29. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the information includes a high-level quality assessment of the software assets.

30. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the software files include source files.

31. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the software files include object files.

32. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of entities having copyright in at least one of the software files.

33. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of entities and the proportion of the software files in which each of said entities has copyright.

34. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes the proportion of the software files in which no entity has copyright.

35. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes the proportion of the software files in which at least one entity has copyright.

36. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of creators having created at least one of the software files.

37. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of creators and the proportion of the software files created by each of said creators.

38. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes the proportion of the software files not specified as being created by any creator.

39. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes the proportion of the software files specified as being created by at least one creator.

40. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of third party software vendors whose products are needed by at least one of the software files.

41. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of third party software vendors whose operating systems are needed by at least one of the software files.

42. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of third party software vendors whose software tools are needed by at least one of the software files.

43. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of programming languages and the proportion of the software files programmed in each of said programming languages.

44. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the information includes a list of file formats and the proportion of the software files in each of said file formats.

45. A method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising:

running the software analysis tool on the software files.

47. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein the third party is contracted by the expanding entity.

48. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein the third party is contracted by the target entity.

24. A method of performing technical due diligence on a target entity having software assets, comprising:

providing software files to a software analysis tool; and

obtaining information on the target entity'"'"'s software assets from the software analysis tool.

46. A method of facilitating a transaction involving an expanding entity and a target entity having software assets, comprising:

a third party using a software analysis tool to extract information on the target entity'"'"'s software assets;

the third party providing the extracted information to the expanding entity; and

the expanding entity performing at least one subsequent step in the transaction as a function of the information provided by the third party.