[Term of the Day]: TechQuilibrium
Term of the Day
“TechQuilibrium”
Definition — What is TechQuilibrium?
“TechQuilibrium” is a new term introduced by Gartner in 2019 to describe the ideal technology equilibrium that enterprises need to achieve in order to thrive under uncertainty about what the world will look like five, ten, twenty years from now.
According to Gartner, achieving TechQuilibrium is the only way to “accelerate in the turns.” In other words, to survive and even excel when faced with economic, geopolitical, and digital disruption, TechQuilibrium is essential.
TechQuilibrium means finding a balance between traditional and digital, but the specifics of this mix will be different for every company. How digital your business needs to be will depend on factors that are unique, both to your organization specifically and to your industry more broadly.
As Gartner notes, there is a saturation point whereby “Organizations can only be as digital as what the market, customers, and society will absorb.” But what’s clear is that no business can survive much longer with a 100% traditional model. Nor will even completely digitally-native organizations likely remain 100% digital.
Consider the moves tech giants like Google, Netflix, and Amazon have made into traditional channels. Amazon sells books in stores as well as online and invested billions in acquiring the brick-and-mortar grocer, Whole Foods. Netflix is also making brick-and-mortar moves as they open their very first IRL cinema.
The key is that each business needs to discover its own specific TechQuilibrium point and invest in the tech necessary to achieve this balance.
According to Gartner, achieving TechQuilibrium is the only way to “accelerate in the turns.” In other words, to survive and even excel when faced with economic, geopolitical, and digital disruption, TechQuilibrium is essential.
TechQuilibrium means finding a balance between traditional and digital, but the specifics of this mix will be different for every company. How digital your business needs to be will depend on factors that are unique, both to your organization specifically and to your industry more broadly.
As Gartner notes, there is a saturation point whereby “Organizations can only be as digital as what the market, customers, and society will absorb.” But what’s clear is that no business can survive much longer with a 100% traditional model. Nor will even completely digitally-native organizations likely remain 100% digital.
Consider the moves tech giants like Google, Netflix, and Amazon have made into traditional channels. Amazon sells books in stores as well as online and invested billions in acquiring the brick-and-mortar grocer, Whole Foods. Netflix is also making brick-and-mortar moves as they open their very first IRL cinema.
The key is that each business needs to discover its own specific TechQuilibrium point and invest in the tech necessary to achieve this balance.