Technology Relationships Paper Brenda Ferguson-Calloway
CMGT/557 – Emerging Technologies & Issues
November 12, 2012
Ken Orgill

Technology Relationships Paper What is leading edge technology? Leading edge technology is “In the 1960s & 70s, leading edge was 3GL languages such as COBOL, Fortran, etc. In the 1980s, 4GLs such as Progress and Informix emerged. In the 1990s, terms such as COM object and 32 bit relational databases were coined” (Pratico, 2008). Since the new millennium began, we have been hearing about HTML, NET and other web languages. What is bleeding edge technology? Bleeding edge technology is “a high-tech product that is so new that its place in the market is still uncertain. The term is applied to products that present a high level of risk because there is some question about how widely they will be accepted” (Web Finance, Inc., 2012). Bleeding technology is relatively, new technology. Bleeding technology is unreliable because it has not been tested and it has not proven its worthiness or authenticity.
A user will be taking a huge risk to use the bleeding technology which would be more expensive than the leading technology. Bleeding edge technology could be very costly and it could turn into something that could be the beginning of a serious problem. The reason why bleeding edge technology could cause many problems is because it is new and might be quite risky because of the instability. Bleeding edge technology has not been thoroughly tested and has not proven itself to be reliable. As an example of bleeding technology would be an early development of a new computer product that is being develop for the very first time. When a consumer decides to purchase the product, the cost is not the only thing that the consumer faces when choosing to purchase the bleeding edge technology; it is possible that the customer might get stuck with something that no one wants or something that does not work. There are many different types of bleeding edge technology. At one time, the very first ATM (automated teller machine) and the first mobile or cell phones were types of bleeding edge technology. The PSP (Playstation Portable) was also, a type of bleeding edge technology because it was not tested by the consumers ahead of time. It was just a portable handheld video system that was developed by Sony to get the attention of frequent video gamers. Where a computer is concerned, leading edge technology can be a great thing. After a new technology has been created and made available to the consumers, there is a possibility that there will be a decrease in the price after the sale of the technology goes global. The consumer that purchased the product when it was first created purchased bleeding edge technology. The consumer who makes bleeding edge purchases takes all of the risks in order to be the one of the first to own the technology. As I think about bleeding edge technology, I think about the 64-bit hardware and software. Currently, there are many operating systems; however, there is an interval in the production to transfer to 64-bit hardware. The software company did not finance the 64-bit software. What the software company did do was to alter the 32-bit software so it would work with the 64-bit hardware. The 32-bit software was advertised as being faster and because it was proven to be true, the bleeding edge technology became leading edge technology. In other words, the 32-bit software performed well which made it well worth the cost of the technology.
There are several different types of leading edge technology. Wi-Fi is a type of leading edge technology. Wi-Fi is extraordinarily trustworthy and unfaltering. Wi-Fi is has been installed in many places or buildings that are opened to the public such as: * Churches * Community centers * Hospitals * Libraries * Fast food restaurants * Coffee shops * Main Street of many cities * Hotels and motels
At some restaurants, the user would need to make a purchase of food or drink in order to get the daily Wi-Fi access code. Wi-Fi allows the user to gain access to their work when they are away from their office. Wi-Fi also allows the user to access their school work while away from school or home. Wi-Fi is a tremendous advantage to all users because they can gain access while on the go. As we view different advertisements, on the computer, on television, and in newspapers and magazines, we see adjectives such as: * Like new * Improved * Latest and greatest * Better than ever * Fastest
Most of the time, all of the adjectives describe the same technology which gives the consumer the idea that the product’s capabilities are endless. Many consumers tend to purchase products because of the name popularity instead of for what the product can do. The name of the product should not be the main purpose for purchasing a product. In my opinion, the task that a product can accomplish is the only reason for a purchase. Products such as Dr. Pepper 10, Coke Zero, Pepsi Free, Bellsouth, and AT&T were considered to be the “new and improved”. iPods, HD televisions and the top of the line computer technology are considered the ‘latest and the greatest’ because those items are constantly being updated within two to three years.
When a vehicle is bought and driven off the lot, the value decreases instantly because it is no longer brand new. It is now considered a use vehicle. When a computer is purchased, the moment you remove it from the store and open the box, it becomes used or outdated because it is not used. The reason why the vehicle and computer were considered used is because it they are returned, they cannot be sold as new products. In other words they can only be sold as used products regardless of when they were purchased and how much the items cost when they were brand new.
To avoid bleeding technology, the consumer should never be the first person to buy the first prototype of anything. The very first hybrid was supposed to be very economical but the words were deceiving. The first iPhone was not as equipped with the features that regular non-smart phones had. In order to view picture mail sent to the first iPhone, the user had to log-on to the Internet on the computer. I recall Microsoft Windows Vista that was definitely, bleeding technology. There were so many “bugs” that needed to be fixed or repaired. Those who bought computers with Windows Vista or upgraded to Windows Vista bought problems that were hard to get rid of. Eventually, Windows Vista became leading technology after a few years. Bleeding edge technology can become leading edge technology after the technology is tested and the problems are repaired to satisfaction to make sure the product is reliable for the consumers.
It might be a thrill to own the most recent or latest product; it is not much fun to be the product tester, “guinea pig”, or beta-tester if the user has to buy the product before being able to try it out. If the product was free then being chosen as the product tester would be a great idea. An important thing to remember is that a person gets what he pays for. In other words, if you pay a small amount of money for a product, then it would not function very well. Basically, the consumer receives the same quality of product that that he paid for. Putting an unproven product on the market could be very expensive or costly for the organization. It can be somewhat exciting to have the latest product when no one else in your inner-circle has that item in their possession. Regarding bleeding edge technology and leading technology, the consumers should take their time when considering technology upgrades and make sure the product is solid before moving to the next step. Leading edge technology indicates that a new product has been introduced in comparison with other products that were introduced before. The word “bleeding” implicates grief, sorrow, or pain. Bleeding edge technology suggests that the new technology product might not be ready for use by the public.
What is technology convergence? “A trend in which different hardware devices such as TVs, computers and phones merge and have similar functions” (Chaffey, 2008). Technology convergence has been very effective over the last 10-15 years. Technology convergence, basically, merges two or more pieces of technology into one single piece of equipment. Convergence technology is a space saver. There are many different types of technology that are the result of convergence such as: * All in one printer - Consists of fax machine, copier, and printer * Playstation 3 - Consists of Blueray DVD player, game system, and video streamer * Wii - Consists of DVD player and game system * X-box 360 - Consists of DVD player, game system, and video streamer * iPod Touch - Using this technology a consumer can play music, video chat, play games, take pictures, record videos, and surf the Internet.

* Smart phone - This device has the capability to play music, play games, take pictures, record videos, make calls, and surf the Internet.
May times, the consumers do not make wise decisions before deciding to purchase technology. May times, we are excited about the new technology that we forget that all technology does not work properly when it is first made available to the public. We are captivated by being one of the first consumers to buy a particular product. I believe many consumers are more “caught up” in what the product is instead of what the product does. The consumer should make sure that the product is what is needed instead of just “a want”. In today’s society, popularity is the purpose of many technology purchases. Bleeding technology, leading edge technology, and technology convergence are closely related. Technology convergence has lead to technology becoming bleeding technology and leading edge technology. Bleeding technology can eventually become leading edge technology within a period of time after the bleeding technology is tested and is proven to be effective and reliable.

References
Chaffey, Dave. (2008). DaveChaffey.com : Your Guide to Digital Business. Define 'Technology convergence ': Definition : What Is? Retrieved November 4, 2012, from: http://www.davechaffey.com/E-marketing-Glossary/Technology-convergence.htm
Pratico, Andy. (Feb 22, 2008). Is "Leading Edge" Technology Important? Retrieved November 11, 2012, from: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/selecting-erp-systems/is-leading-edge-technology-important-22653
Web Finance, Inc. (2012). BusinessDictionary.com. Bleeding Edge Technology. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/bleeding-edge-technology.html#ixzz2BxP1EoZI