Product analytics is a specialized application of business intelligence (BI) and analytical software that consumes service reports, product returns, warranties, customer feedback and data from embedded sensors to help manufacturers evaluate product defects, identify opportunities for product improvements, detect patterns in usage or capacity of products, and link all these factors to customers. Product analytics can also incorporate feeds from social platforms to track complaints about products. By analyzing product data feeds in real time, this software can proactively alert manufacturers to service and replacement needs in reactive as well as preventive maintenance scenarios, and help route service requests to the proper individuals or, with the help of machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies, perform service remotely.