Technology Adoption Life cycle

The use of the term technology has changed significantly over the last couple of centuries. Before the dawn of the 20th century the term itself was considered very uncommon in English. It was more or less referred to the description or study of the useful arts. Today in the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century man has become very skillful in using the knowledge, the craft, the system and the tools to make devices which embody certain category of technology. These are called technology products. Products such as computer, electronic devices, computer software are a few examples of technology products.

 Now a days technology product is used by every single single out there. Even the homeless person today uses a mobile phone. Technology products in this period follow a definite system where the prototype version or versions of the product is launched first. Sequentially the contrary versions get updated time to time and after a while the ultimate version becomes the mainstream product which is marketed and manufactured. In this technique there are two sets of consumers which are categorized as early adapters and late adapters. We can also perceive a equivalent design in the technology adoption lifecycle which is a sociological model developed by Joe M. Bohlen, George M. Beal and Everett M. Rogers to track the buy patterns of hybrid seed corn by farmers.

 The technology adoption lifecycle report summarized the categories as:

 * Innovators

 * Early adopters

 * Early majority

 * Late majority

 * Laggards

 The prematurely adopters first of all occupy contrary media and they appreciate a language totally different from their later counterparts. Tech companies who target early adopters require to go through an completely different method and approach to make revenue and sales from consumers. Early adopters support really technical and informative websites and visit blogs to read comments from experts.

 The late adapters or the mainstream consumers are the complete opposite of this. They only perceive an emotional language. This is a class of language which excites them and motivates them. They do not obtain any kind of attention out of technical data or involved information.

 There are specific schools of thoughts when it comes to attaining achievement with either or both early and late adopters. This perception states that if a technology product is successful with early adopters then it has a massive opportunity of attaining prosperity with the late adopters or mainstream consumers. E.G. Microsoft had launched a series of versions of Windows 7 which were as follows:-

 * Pre Alpha

 * Alpha

 * Beta

 * Released Candidate

 * Release to Manufacture or Marketing (RTM)

 * General Availability

 The early adapters got hands on the first few versions and there was a useful vibe about the new windows operating system even before the RTM version release on July 2009.

 In only eight hours, pre-orders of Windows 7 at Amazon.co.uk surpassed the demand Windows Vista had in its first seventeen weeks. It was also a massive achievement with the late adapters or the mainstream consumers when the Retail version hit the stores on October 2009.

 So there are instances where thoughts and reviews of the early adapters help their later counterparts take decisions in buying technology products. Although some might debate that there are exceptions.

 Jeff Savitz  President of Savitz Research Solutions, has received outstanding reviews as a presenter and workshop leader for his thought-provoking, breakthrough market research and lively, interactive style.