Though information extraction (IE) research has more than a 25-year history, F1 scores remain low. Thus, one could question continued investment in IE research. In this article, we present three applications where information extraction of entities, relations, and/or events has been used, and note the common features that seem to have led to success. We also identify key research challenges whose solution seems essential for broader successes. Because a few practical deployments already exist and because breakthroughs on particular challenges would greatly broaden the technology’s deployment, further R&D investments are justified.