TECHNOLOGY LIFE CYCLE

The Technology Life Cycle

The Technology Life Cycle (TLC) describes the commercial gain

of a product through the expense of research and development phase, and the financial return during its "vital life". Some technologies, such as steel, paper or cement manufacturing, have a long lifespan (with minor variations in technology incorporated with time) whilst in other cases, such as electronic or pharmaceutical products, the lifespan may be quite short. The TLC associated with a product or technological service is different from Product Life Cycle (PLC) dealt with in Product Life Cycle Management. The latter is concerned with the life of a product in the market-place in respect of timing of introduction, marketing measures and business costs. The technology underlying the product (such as, for example, that of a uniquely flavored tea) may be quite marginal but the process of creating and managing its life as a branded product will be very different.

 The technology life cycle is concerned with the time and cost of

developing the technology, the timeline of recovering cost and modes of making the technology yield a profit proportionate to the costs and risks involved. The TLC may, further, be protected during its cycle with patents and trademark seeking to lengthen the cycle and to maximize the profit from it. The 'product' of the technology may just be a commodity such as the polyethylene plastic or a sophisticated product like the ICs used in a Smartphone. The development of a competitive product or process can have a major effect on the lifespan of the technology, making it shorter. Equally, the loss of patent rights through litigation, or loss of its secret elements (if any) through leakages also work to reduce its lifespan. Thus, it is apparent that the 'management' of the TLC is an important aspect of technology development

Technology Life cycle

The TLC may be seen as composed of Six phases (a) Technology Development (Basic Technology ) (b) Technology Application (Technology + Application (c) Application launch (Technology +Application +Product launch) (d) Application Growth (Technology +Application +Rise in product sales) (e) Technological Maturity (Technology + Application + fail in product sales) (f) Degraded Technology (Minimal product sales +loss of application+ alternative technology)

Technology Development Cycle

describes the process of a new technology through the stages of technological maturity:

Research and development

demonstration deployment diffusion commercial maturity

Factors affecting TLC

Requirement of technology
Type of Product Type of Market

Type of Customers
Average return period Complexity of technology

Costs involved in development

Economic conditions Political Environment

Types of Technologies
1.Generic technology -This is commonly used across the industries, greater the range of application, more generic is technology (Ex lubricants, electronic device design)which are widely used in many technology(General technology) 2.Basic technology -This type of technology provides a degree of strategic flexibility to particular user (controlling time and assignment technique, time cost and for example use of optical readers in assembly line of quality control) 3.Key technologies- New work which giving competitive perimeters to organization By huge expenditure on R&D.This type of technology is proprietary and indigenous to the firm and provide competitive frame over other. New technology 3G,i phone, wireless technology, nanotechnology

4.Embodied and disembodied Technologies i.Embodied Technologies -This is for encapsulated in products and physical equipment for manufacturing plant) ii.Disembodied Technologies- This type of technology is mainly intangible in nature. It involves social or management sciences. 5.System and infra TechnologiesSystem technology these technology evolve by combining different technologies through IT for development of large number of applications (CAD,SAP). Infra Technologies- These group of technologies which support research and development and manufacturing ,marketing function in industry (Test marketing ,survey, attitude and taste test) 6.Hybrid technology and Emerging technologiesi.Hybrid technology- This type of technology evolves by combining together features of different technologies (Digital technology) ii.Emerging Technology- The new development of advance system ,process technique with the help of R&D and application of new produce in next 10 years.

The Next BIG Thing!

Wireless
Nanotechnology RFID (Radio Frequency

Identification) Bio-Technology Others