Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
needs and desires) or negatively (the developers are paternal
istically dictating what customers should want).
changed or updated so often?
If you own your computer or have a friend who owns one,
think about the last update made to the operating system. What
new features did you notice? How important were these features to
you? Did you feel that the new version outdated your older version
too quickly? Or, were you holding your breath for the next edi
tion's release? When considering changes in software, an important
initial observation is that different people view rates of change in
different ways. For example, a developer who wants to publicize
new or enhanced features on a regular basis may seek to release
new versions of software every few weeks or months. Publicity that
highlights new, innovative capabilities can support an image that
the developer's package represents the leading edge of technology,
which in turn will encourage sales. Certainly, if your product has
the latest features and outperforms the competition, users will be
inclined to buy your product over your competitors'. Generally,
computer technology changes rapidly, and the competitive advan
tage goes to the companies that utilize innovative ideas quickly. In
the computer world, technology that is one or two years old prob
ably has been surpassed in important ways in capacity, capability,
or speed. The degree to which the latest packages actually improve
on today's technology, however, is often exaggerated in advertis
ing, as you'll learn in the next chapter. Still, the developers benefit
from promoting changes and new features when seeking to draw in
new customers, and are likely to advocate for a product that
changes frequently.
On the other hand, users of technology likely appreciate stabil
ity in a product. If a software package meets their main needs, users
may have little motivation to change. Whereas a developer might
want to release a new version every three months, users generally
would prefer a longer schedule; even a new version every two years
may seem too frequent an update! A change in software requires
time and expense for purchasing, installing the software, and re
training. Such an investment may be worthwhile if the new version
