Technology evangelist
Encyclopedia
A technical or technology evangelist is a person who attempts to build a critical mass
of support for a given technology in order to establish it as a technical standard in a market that is subject to network effects. Professional technology evangelists are often employed by firms which seek to establish their proprietary technologies as de facto standards
or to participate in setting non-proprietary open standards. Non-professional technology evangelists may act out of altruism
or self-interest (e.g., to gain the benefits of early adoption or the network effect).
Platform evangelism
is one kind of technology evangelism, by which the vendor of a two-sided platform attempts to accelerate the production of complementary goods by independent developers.
Technical evangelists may act, officially or unofficially, on behalf of a company or organisation, or on a personal basis, for instance open source evangelism. An evangelist promotes the use of a particular product or technology
through talk
s, articles, blogging, user demonstrations
, recorded demonstrations, or the creation of sample projects. The word evangelism is taken from the context of religious evangelism
because of the similar recruitment of converts and the spreading of the product information through the ideological or committed.
In the context of commercial
enterprises which attempt to develop or foster a cult following
and religious-like fanaticism, the term evangelist can become an unofficial, or occasionally official, role or title. One example of the term "evangelist" being used in an official capacity, as an active title, is < Mr. Joey Snow, Senior Technical Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation >.
The term "software evangelist" was coined by Mike Murray of the Macintosh division. The first specific technology evangelist was Mike Boich, who promoted the Macintosh
computer for Apple Inc. The job is often closely related to both sales and training but has specific skills related to technology marketing and convincing a potential buyer or user to change from older methods to newer. Technology evangelism is sometimes associated with an internal employee assigned to encourage new ways of doing things within a large organization. The marketing aspect of the role was strongly influenced by Geoffrey Moore
and his books concerning the Technology Adoption LifeCycle
.
A similar term without religious connotations is technology advocate.
(Apple Inc.), Vint Cerf
(Google), Jeff Barr (Amazon.com), Don Box
, Guy Kawasaki
, Alex St. John
, Kiki Stockhammer (NewTek
), Dan Martin (MasterCard
), and Robert Scoble
(in his previous position at Microsoft Corporation). Court records indicate that James Plamondon
was a leading theorist, strategist, and practitioner of technology evangelism at Microsoft during its establishment of Microsoft Windows as the de facto standard PC operating system
. Zandra Nicolas, the Microsoft Developer Technology Evangelist in the Philippines.
In November 2006, a professional organization named the Global Network of Technology Evangelists was formed by Technology Evangelists from Microsoft
, Sun Microsystems
, and Yahoo!
.
Critical mass (sociodynamics)
Critical mass is a sociodynamic term to describe the existence of sufficient momentum in a social system such that the momentum becomes self-sustaining and creates further growth....
of support for a given technology in order to establish it as a technical standard in a market that is subject to network effects. Professional technology evangelists are often employed by firms which seek to establish their proprietary technologies as de facto standards
De facto standard
A de facto standard is a custom, convention, product, or system that has achieved a dominant position by public acceptance or market forces...
or to participate in setting non-proprietary open standards. Non-professional technology evangelists may act out of altruism
Altruism
Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
or self-interest (e.g., to gain the benefits of early adoption or the network effect).
Platform evangelism
Platform evangelism
Platform evangelism is the application of technology evangelism to a multi-sided platform...
is one kind of technology evangelism, by which the vendor of a two-sided platform attempts to accelerate the production of complementary goods by independent developers.
Technical evangelists may act, officially or unofficially, on behalf of a company or organisation, or on a personal basis, for instance open source evangelism. An evangelist promotes the use of a particular product or technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
through talk
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s, articles, blogging, user demonstrations
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
, recorded demonstrations, or the creation of sample projects. The word evangelism is taken from the context of religious evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
because of the similar recruitment of converts and the spreading of the product information through the ideological or committed.
In the context of commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
enterprises which attempt to develop or foster a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
and religious-like fanaticism, the term evangelist can become an unofficial, or occasionally official, role or title. One example of the term "evangelist" being used in an official capacity, as an active title, is < Mr. Joey Snow, Senior Technical Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation >.
The term "software evangelist" was coined by Mike Murray of the Macintosh division. The first specific technology evangelist was Mike Boich, who promoted the Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
computer for Apple Inc. The job is often closely related to both sales and training but has specific skills related to technology marketing and convincing a potential buyer or user to change from older methods to newer. Technology evangelism is sometimes associated with an internal employee assigned to encourage new ways of doing things within a large organization. The marketing aspect of the role was strongly influenced by Geoffrey Moore
Geoffrey Moore
Geoffrey Moore is a Silicon Valley based high technology consultant, venture partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures and author.His books are derived from his Silicon Valley consulting work at The McKenna Group and The Chasm Group , and earlier work by Everett Rogers on adopter categories and diffusion...
and his books concerning the Technology Adoption LifeCycle
Technology Adoption LifeCycle
The technology adoption lifecycle is a sociological model developed by Joe M. Bohlen, George M. Beal and Everett M. Rogers at Iowa State University, building on earlier research conducted there by Neal C. Gross and Bryce Ryan...
.
A similar term without religious connotations is technology advocate.
Notable technology evangelists
Notable technology evangelists in the commercial arena include Steve JobsSteve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
(Apple Inc.), Vint Cerf
Vint Cerf
Vinton Gray "Vint" Cerf is an American computer scientist, who is recognized as one of "the fathers of the Internet", sharing this title with American computer scientist Bob Kahn...
(Google), Jeff Barr (Amazon.com), Don Box
Don Box
Don Box is a Distinguished Engineer currently working at Microsoft.Along with Bob Atkinson, Mohsen Al-Ghosein, and Dave Winer, Don was one of the original four designers of SOAP, a basic messaging layer for web services....
, Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki is a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, bestselling author, and Apple Fellow. He was one of the Apple employees originally responsible for marketing the Macintosh in 1984. He is currently a Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures, and has been involved in the rumor reporting...
, Alex St. John
Alex St. John
Alex St. John, along with Craig Eisler and Eric Engstrom, created the original Microsoft DirectX specification. Alex became a Windows game technology evangelist for DirectX through magazine articles and interviews on the newly created web....
, Kiki Stockhammer (NewTek
NewTek
NewTek, Inc. is a San Antonio, Texas-based hardware and software company that produces live and post-production video tools and visual imaging software for personal computers...
), Dan Martin (MasterCard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
), and Robert Scoble
Robert Scoble
Robert Scoble is an American blogger, technical evangelist, and author. Scoble is best known for his blog, Scobleizer, which came to prominence during his tenure as a technology evangelist at Microsoft. He is married to Maryam Ghaemmaghami Scoble. He has three children; one from a previous...
(in his previous position at Microsoft Corporation). Court records indicate that James Plamondon
Jim Plamondon
James Plamondon is a technology evangelist, technical writer and inventor notable for his role at Microsoft, in the 1990s, in systematizing the theory and practice of platform evangelism.Technical Writer=...
was a leading theorist, strategist, and practitioner of technology evangelism at Microsoft during its establishment of Microsoft Windows as the de facto standard PC operating system
United States v. Microsoft
United States v. Microsoft was a set of civil actions filed against Microsoft Corporation pursuant to the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 Section 1 and 2 on May 8, 1998 by the United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states. Joel I. Klein was the lead prosecutor...
. Zandra Nicolas, the Microsoft Developer Technology Evangelist in the Philippines.
In November 2006, a professional organization named the Global Network of Technology Evangelists was formed by Technology Evangelists from Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, and Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
.
See also
- Technology Adoption LifecycleTechnology Adoption LifeCycleThe technology adoption lifecycle is a sociological model developed by Joe M. Bohlen, George M. Beal and Everett M. Rogers at Iowa State University, building on earlier research conducted there by Neal C. Gross and Bryce Ryan...
- Apple evangelistApple evangelistAn Apple evangelist, also known as Mac evangelist, Mac advocate or Apple fanboy is a promoter of Apple products such as the Macintosh, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. As a group, the followers are called the Cult of Mac....
- Diffusion of innovationsDiffusion of innovationsDiffusion of Innovations is a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread through cultures. Everett Rogers, a professor of rural sociology, popularized the theory in his 1962 book Diffusion of Innovations...
- MarketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
- Operating system advocacyOperating system advocacyOperating system advocacy is the practice of attempting to increase the awareness and improve the perception of a computer operating system. The motivation behind this may be to increase the number of users of a system, to assert the superiority of one choice over another or out of brand loyalty,...
- Evangelism marketingEvangelism marketingEvangelism marketing is an advanced form of word of mouth marketing in which companies develop customers who believe so strongly in a particular product or service that they freely try to convince others to buy and use it...
External links
- Interview with Microsoft's .NET Compact Framework Technical Evangelist
- Interview with Microsoft Windows Vista Technical Evangelist
- GNoTE - Global Network of Technology Evangelists
- Top 10 Mistakes in High Tech Marketing
- Evangelism beyond boundaries with an Evangelist !!!
- Letter to a Technology Evangelist, by Simone Brunozzi (Technology Evangelist for Amazon.com)