IT Payoff, The: Measuring the Business Value of Information Technology Investments

Chapter 7. The Technology Curve

	“Knowing when to get off the old curve and jump onto the new is the secret of staying ahead of the competition.”
	--Richard Foster

Sergei Bubka, a famous Russian pole-vaulter, broke the world pole-vault record, clearing 6 meters in the Paris International Track and Field Meet in 1985. He was asked if he ever expected to clear the 7-meter mark. His response was, “No, there will have to be another technical revolution before that height can be reached.” ^[1] His response implied that there’s only so high that one can jump using a bending fiberglass pole. This is a classic example of the limits of technology. Every technology has a limit up to which point it can be harnessed and significant competitive advantage derived ...