Each feature on the technical roadmap is described using a set of categories that tell you how ready it is, who can use it and what kind of support to expect. This page explains what each label means. The software readiness taxonomy can also be viewed in our taxonomy browser.
Availability and user readiness
Availability of a tool for user groups, taking into account the stage of its development.
🌐 General availability
Openly available with no caveat that the tool is still being stabilised. Suitable for broad use.
Early access
Available to a broader but still limited set of external users ahead of general release, typically to gather feedback before wider rollout.
Beta
Openly available with the understanding that the tool is not yet stable and may change. Users accept some rough edges.
Partner
Available to a small set of named external collaborators under a working relationship.
Internal
Available only to the team that built the tool. No external access.
Validation level
How confident we are that a tool works as intended, based on the level of testing and evaluation it has received.
Real-world evaluated
Validated through use in real-world settings. Performance is understood under the conditions it is intended to operate in.
Benchmark-tested
Evaluated against defined benchmarks or test datasets. Performance is characterised in controlled conditions but not yet in production use.
Developer-tested
Tested by the development team during construction. Includes unit tests, manual checks and developer-led validation. No external benchmarking or real-world use.
Untested
No meaningful testing has been conducted. Behaviour is unverified.
Maturity
The lifecycle stage of a tool or component, from initial idea through to deprecation.
Production
A complete implementation in active use for its intended purpose.
Maintained
A production tool that is being actively kept current – bugs are fixed, dependencies updated and routine improvements made.
Pilot
A working implementation being trialled in a real or near-real setting to learn whether it should be developed further.
Prototype
An early implementation built to test feasibility or demonstrate an approach. Not intended for use beyond exploration.
Idea
A concept under exploration. No implementation exists yet beyond sketches, notes or design discussion.
Deprecated
A tool that is no longer recommended for new use. May still function but is not being maintained and is expected to be retired.
Portability
How readily a tool can be applied beyond its original context, from tightly domain-specific to broadly general-purpose.
General-purpose
Designed to work across contexts without domain-specific assumptions. Usable as-is across sectors and use cases.
Adaptable
Can be applied to other contexts with configuration or moderate adaptation. Not plug-and-play, but the core is reusable.
Domain-specific
Built for a particular domain or context and not intended for reuse elsewhere without substantial rework.
Interaction mode
How users interact with a tool. A tool may be available in more than one mode.
Web application
Used through a browser. Users interact with the tool through a graphical interface delivered as a web application.
API service
Used by making requests over a network to a hosted service. Consumers integrate the tool into their own systems via its API.
Code library
Used by importing into other code. Consumers are developers writing software that calls the tool.
Command-line tool
Used by invoking a command in a terminal. Consumers run the tool directly, typically with arguments and flags.
Embedded component
Used through another platform that hosts or integrates it. Users do not interact with the tool directly; they encounter it as a feature of something else.
Desktop application
A native application for Windows, macOS or Linux.
Mobile application
An application that runs on mobile phones or tablets.
Support commitment
The level of support users can expect for a tool, from no commitment through to fully resourced support.
Fully supported
Resourced support with defined response commitments. Users can rely on issues being addressed in a predictable timeframe.
Supported
Actively maintained with a commitment to address issues, though within agreed bounds rather than guaranteed turnaround.
Best effort
Issues will be looked at when possible, but no guaranteed response time or resolution commitment.
Experimental
No commitment to maintain, fix or respond to issues. Provided as-is for exploration.
Roadmap horizon
When a tool is expected to land, expressed as a horizon from current state. These horizons are updated as plans evolve.
Delivered
Already delivered and available.
Next 3 months
Expected to land within roughly the next three months.
Next 6 months
Expected to land within roughly the next six months.
Next 12 months
Expected to land within roughly the next twelve months.
Beyond 12 months
Expected to land more than twelve months from now, or with timing not yet pinned down.
