The hype cycle is a graphical representation of the life cycle stages a technology goes through from conception to maturity and widespread adoption.

The hype cycle is a branded tool created by Gartner, an information technology (IT) research and consultancy company. However, the hype cycle’s stages are often used as reference points in marketing and technology reporting. Businesses can use the hype cycle to guide technology decisions in accordance with their level of comfort with risk. Each stage of the cycle is associated with its own risks and opportunities. [1]

Figure 1. Hype Cycles of Technologies

Figure 1 shows according to Gartner’s research methodology, a technology innovation goes through five phases of its maturity cycle. Gartner uses several market indicators to establish a true representation of the expected value and maturity phase of a technology innovation. [2]

Hype Cycles work:

Each Hype Cycle drills down into the five key phases of a technology’s life cycle.

• Innovation Trigger: A potential technology breakthrough kicks things off. Early proof-of-concept stories and media interest trigger significant publicity. Often no usable products exist and commercial viability is unproven.
• Peak of Inflated Expectations: Early publicity produces a number of success stories — often accompanied by scores of failures. Some companies take action; many do not.
• Trough of Disillusionment: Interest wanes as experiments and implementations fail to deliver. Producers of the technology shake out or fail. Investments continue only if the surviving providers improve their products to the satisfaction of early adopters.
• Slope of Enlightenment: More instances of how the technology can benefit the enterprise start to crystallize and become more widely understood. Second- and third-generation products appear from technology providers. More enterprises fund pilots; conservative companies remain cautious.
• Plateau of Productivity: Mainstream adoption starts to take off. Criteria for assessing provider viability are more clearly defined. The technology's broad market applicability and relevance are clearly paying off. [3]

References:

1. https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Gartner-hype-cycle
2. https://www.bmc.com/blogs/gartner-hype-cycle/
3. https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle

Cite this article:

Thanusri swetha J (2022), Hype Cycles of Technologies, Anatechmaz, pp.175