Implications of ICT for Society and Individual

Technology Development Life Cycle

The root of the term technology comes from the Greek word ‘techne’, which means art or skill for doing something not done before, or doing it more skillfully or artistically than before. Simply put, technology provides the means and methods for achieving desirable practical ends.

Having its source in applied sciences, arts and crafts, a technology life cycle is initiated with a prediction that the outcome would give rise to innovative and useful products that are desirable and/or profitable. It is envisaged that the new products will provide convenience, make life easier and bring prosperity. If this prediction is reliable and the process of development is feasible and successful, we will have a new invention. A mere invention, however, may not necessarily lead the process of a technological development to the end. The essence of a technology lies in its being innovative; having the force to bring about a new way of doing things, to improve economic growth and enhance the standards of life. A new technology may develop to its full potential, prevail over a long period of time and even become a dominant technology if it can eventually reach the market place in mass production (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Technology development life cycle