Technology maturity

Definition
Technology maturity refers to where on the evolutionary curve a given technology is.

Overview
A technology that is considered "immature" is one in which there are still flaws that prevent users from getting the full benefit of the technology.

A "mature technology," on the other hand, is a technology that has been in use for long enough that most of its initial faults and inherent problems have been removed or reduced by further development. In some contexts, it may also refer to technology which has not seen widespread use, but whose scientific background is well understood. One of the key indicators of a mature technology is the ease of use for both non-experts and professionals. Another indicator is a reduction in the rate of new breakthrough advances related to it &mdash; whereas inventions related to a (popular) immature technology are usually rapid and diverse, and may change the whole use paradigm &mdash; advances to a mature technology are usually incremental improvements only.