In this paper the potential of hafnium oxide as a CMOS-compatible ferroelectric for future memory applications is assessed. The high coercive field strength of ferroelectric hafnium oxide is identified as a key parameter being crucial to device performance. It provides the unique thickness and lateral scaling potential of this novel ferroelectric, while at the same time compromises its endurance properties due to large switching fields. Considering the ambivalent nature of this parameter as well as the emerging trade-off between retention and endurance, voltage controlled operation modes and different device concepts for ferroelectric hafnium oxide are discussed.