Hype Cycles 2007 (Technology)

Welcome to the Hype Cycle Special Report for 2007. This year, we assess 1,500 technologies and trends across 70 IT topics, markets and industries to provide you with the most comprehensive assessment of technology maturity in the IT industry.

These Hype Cycles examine technologies and trends driving innovation in business applications as well as IT and network management, such as CRM, workplace technologies and outsourcing. The convergence of business intelligence and corporate performance management is mirrored by the merging of two Hype Cycles, while IT services and outsourcing has been split into three areas: business process outsourcing, consulting and systems integration, and IT outsourcing.

Back-Office Emerging Technologies and Applications (Banking and Investment Services) (Summary)

The back office is increasingly a key area of differentiation for banks needing to deliver product and services with greater agility, responsiveness and lower cost. Consequently, banks will continue with fundamental change within their back-office environments.

Business Intelligence and Performance Management (Summary)

This Hype Cycle examines the evolution of business intelligence over the last year. More traditional BI technologies have become increasingly mature, while new technologies relating to broader performance management concepts have emerged.

B2C CRM Technologies (Summary)

This Hype Cycle reviews the maturity, value propositions and adoption rates of business-to-business CRM technologies. These support specialized processes that engage business entities directly, and via partner networks, to develop demand, grow revenue, fulfill commitments and maintain relationships.

Compliance Technologies (Summary)

Regulatory compliance continues to be a "hot button" for product sales. Although several dozen product categories are successfully being used to reduce compliance risk, organizations that expect a product purchase to solve their legal issues are often disappointed.

Consumer Relationship Technologies (Summary)

Business-to-consumer business models depend on marketing and service technologies. This Hype Cycle shows the maturity of technologies that support these CRM functions, and describes the benefits and best practices for adopting each technology.

Consumer Technologies (Summary)

The consumer electronics industry has begun to deliver the digital home promise, centering on connectivity and delivery of media to devices. Copyright holders are broadening their distribution, but consumer usability and configurability problems continue to impede the delivery of the digital future.

Content Management (Summary)

Content management technologies are being deployed in many different organizations. You should understand the less-mature and visionary ones because they may simplify work processes, reduce costs and improve productivity.

Contact Center Infrastructure (Summary)

Advances in contact center infrastructure focus on integrating a wider range of business functions, improving channel interoperation, supporting Internet standards and using self-service. This Hype Cycle will help you prioritize technology deployment decisions.

Emerging Technologies (Summary)

Themes of this year's emerging-technology Hype Cycle include Web 2.0 innovations, commercialization of novel user interaction techniques, and mobile technologies and applications. Ten technologies have been designated as having a transformational impact.

Enterprise Communications Applications (Summary)

Emerging enterprise communication applications are moving communications from infrastructure-based technologies to networked applications that will be routinely embedded into enterprise IT platforms to assist with the execution of business processes.

High Performance Workplace (Summary)

The trend toward the corporate use of consumer technology is increasing. It's important to understand less mature, more informal high-performance workplace technologies because they may simplify work processes, reduce costs and improve intra-enterprise transactions.

Human-Computer Interaction (Summary)

User interface technologies enjoying high visibility include virtual worlds, gesture recognition and video telepresence. New areas of commercial activity include 3-D displays, microprojectors and ambient displays.

ICT in India (Summary)

India remains one of the fastest-growing information and communications technology markets in the world. This Hype Cycle looks at the technologies and paradigms driving India's growth and identifies where its maturity levels are.

Identity and Access Management Technologies (Summary)

Regulatory compliance continues to be a major force for changes in identity and access management technologies. User provisioning project failures have reduced expectations. Federation is gaining ground. Web access management and password management have become IAM stalwarts.

Linux (Summary)

The Linux operating system is moving into what we classify as its third generation (earlier versions were basic infrastructure and midtier Web/applications) to play a major server role in data centers. Its progress in the PC sector will continue.

Network Service Provider Infrastructure (Summary)

NSPs worldwide are investing in next-generation technologies for more capacity, better operations, lower costs and new revenue streams. This Hype Cycle identifies the key technologies they are considering or deploying as part of their network infrastructures to support services existing and new.

Networking and Communications (Summary)

Networking and communications systems are critical platforms for business, delivering not only connectivity but many other valuable capabilities. Understanding the maturity of networking technologies will help you make more informed investment decisions.

Open-Source Software (Summary)

Use the open-source software Hype Cycle to measure the maturity and market saturation of high-profile open-source technologies across a wide distribution of market segments.

PC Technologies (Summary)

The cost of succumbing to PC hype is constant churn in the installed base, with higher system image and support costs.

Semiconductors (Summary)

We chart the progress of technologies such as transistors, logic devices, architectures and design techniques. Eventually, nanotechnologies based on semiconducting molecules and DNA structures may transform this industry.

Server Technologies (Summary)

This Hype Cycle highlights the emerging technologies of server virtualization, next-generation server building blocks, increasingly dense processors and data center cooling technologies.

Storage Hardware Technologies (Summary)

Organizations with successful storage strategies consistently monitor emerging technologies. It's important to know which ones to invest in and when. Gartner's Hype Cycle for Storage Hardware Technologies, 2007 evaluates the market maturity and expected benefits of 19 storage hardware technologies.

Web and User Interaction Technologies (Summary)

The Web continues to be the centerpiece of enterprise user interface strategies. With the advent of Web 2.0, the Web has taken on a new, more-important complexion. Hype is high; therefore, use this Hype Cycle in conjunction with your enterprise's risk profile to guide technology decisions.

Wireless Devices, Software and Services (Summary)

Enterprises should continue to define the changing business environments, mobile technologies and user requirements before making any large investments.

Wireless Network Infrastructure (Summary)

Gartner evaluates the standards and technologies that will have the most impact on wireless networking infrastructure. Rapid development, but slower maturation and adoption, are leading to the most crowded "Trough of Disillusionment" Gartner has seen.