Hype Cycle Definitions

Gartner's Hype Cycles provide a snapshot of the relative maturity of technologies, IT methodologies and management disciplines, comparing overhyped areas against those that are high impact. They estimate how long technologies and trends will take to reach maturity, helping organizations decide when to adopt.

Snippets from the Five phases of the Gartner Hype Cycle:

• Technology Trigger: The first phase of a Hype Cycle is the "technology trigger" or breakthrough, product launch or other event that generates significant press and interest.
  

• Peak of Inflated Expectations: ... a frenzy of publicity typically generates over-enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. There may be some successful applications of a technology, but there are typically more failures.

• Trough of Disillusionment: Technologies enter the "trough of disillusionment" because they fail to meet expectations and quickly become unfashionable.
  

• Slope of Enlightenment: ... some businesses continue through the "slope of enlightenment" and experiment to understand the benefits and practical application of the technology.
  

• Plateau of Productivity: A technology reaches the "plateau of productivity" as the benefits of it become widely demonstrated and accepted... and stable.

The Priority Matrix supplements the vertical visibility or "hype" axis of the Hype Cycle with a focus on the potential benefit of the technology, rated as transformational, high, moderate or low.
2007 charts, with links to Gartner, the Gartner media industry blog.