Early Adoption?

When is the right time to adopt some new technology - the shiny "silver bullet" solution that's going to meet all your current and future business needs, make your team ultra responsive to your users, and totally allow you to kick butt?

Before screaming "get it now! get it now!", consider the following.
  • This technology is new, cutting edge stuff. Not many people are doing it. Where can you find help and support when you inevitably hit some road blocks? Will you be forced to troll message boards and user groups for solutions? Will you be using the technology in a way that hasn't really been anticipated, pushing you out even further from the mainstream and making it even harder to get good support?
  • Is this a technology you're buying? If so, how's the company's technical support and reputation? What success stories can they point to?
  • Can you "make do" with some existing (better supported, more widely implemented) solution until this new tech gains wider adoption? Will the ramp up time to figure out this new technology push out your delivery date? Are your customers OK with that?

For me, I'm taking on this new technology risk only if it's my only option. It would be my last resort. While it's kind of cool to be working on cutting edge stuff, there are just too many risks involved. Too many risks to the business. Risks that, in the current economic climate, companies are less willing to tolerate.

Here are some things I'd like to see before implementing a new technology in my business.
  • I want to hear success stories. Instances where capabilities of this new technology greatly enhanced some solution.
  • I want to know that the new tech will make me and my team more productive. For me, productivity is the be all and end all. It allows me to respond to business changes more rapidly, and therefore makes the business more productive and responsive.
  • I like to see at least one book on Amazon. There's an additional legitimacy and permanence to seeing some topic in print rather than only mentioned in blog posts or online documentation.

Everyone is different and I wouldn't mind hearing other views on this topic.

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