In general, the most advanced technology often found in laboratories, research and development stages. Anyway, the technology then often move the market, at first, at high prices (especially for common people) with time is usually cheaper and, in turn, stopped being “edge”. This is a process which has been seen from quite a long time and that is why it is also called as a Technological Phenomenon that a new technology is launched and the next year it’s been obsolete.Over time, the technology is replaced by better technology, to be finally considered obsolete technology. Anyway, “technology” is a term more advertising, often to encourage the purchase of such technology or to promote it.

Characteristics of technology

To be considered as such, the technology must meet certain properties:

• To be advanced, i.e., an innovation for technologies that already exists.
• It need not be the best in its field, it must be stressed.
• It is expensive, difficult to have technology that is cheap.
• The actual technology is not found in the consumer market at first, usually, when brought to market a new technology, and laboratories are testing technology that will overcome it.
• It is generally associated with technology with greener technology, less polluting and less resource consuming and energy.
  

Currently, the design of technologies is aimed at saving resources (material and energy) and the use of less-polluting components. Hardly a technology is considered “cutting edge” if pollutes more than an older technology. The tendency is to miniaturize the technology; probably the future of cutting-edge technologies is in nanotechnology.

Transfer of Technology

The transfer of technology is the “transfer of systematic knowledge for the development of a product, the implementation of a process or providing a service” (UNCTAD 1990 – United Nations Conference on Trade and Development).

In the transfer of technology can distinguish between two actors:

• Provider, who provides the technology.
• Receiver, who gets the technology.

The actors can be state organizations, companies, sectors, among others.

The transfer can be sold (the usual), donated, leased, exchanged, etc.., and can be transferred either soft technology as hard technology, or both.

Flexibility of Technology

The flexibility of the technology refers to the extent that equipment, expertise and raw materials can be used in other products or services. Contrast with fixed technologies.

Fixed technology

Fixed Technology refers to that technology cannot be used in other products or services. You can also say that it is technology that does not change continuously, such as oil refineries, steel, cement and petrochemicals, etc.

Classification

Type or classification of technologies that refers to knowledge technology type organizational, administrative and marketing, excluding the technical aspects. It is “soft” because the information is not necessarily tangible.

For example, the techniques of conservation of a farming community or technical training in wildlife management could be considered soft technologies. Contrast with the hard technology is usually tangible.