This year has impacted many of us in different ways. With the current pandemic due to COVID-19, our way of life has changed drastically. As a result, many businesses have closed down either temporarily or permanently. In contrast, others have taken up a work-from-home approach to keep things moving as best as possible. It’s no surprise that with a remote approach to working, businesses need technology in order to connect with teams in different locations. Additionally, many businesses that provide especially software technology solutions for remote teams have seen an increase in sales and usage of their platforms. On the other hand, many companies that deal with hardware technology solutions have taken a hit due to delays in the supply chain.
Consequently, this pandemic has altered the technology industry in some significant ways. Hence, we know it will affect us in the future both negatively and positively. Here, we’ll discuss some of the ways that have interested us the most.
Remote working and the technology needed to sustain it
Before the pandemic, certain businesses offered work-from-home days to their employees or were fully remote. While not all businesses can do this due to their model and industry they are in, many that hold brick and mortar offices got introduced to a new way of conducting business.
Due to the need for social distancing, it only made sense that employers who were able to transition their business to remote working did so. As a result, this most likely posed a few challenges. Furthermore, the virtual teams need technology to stay connected and collaborate. This means that if the employer never had a work-from-home program before, he or she would now have to think about things like ordering the essentials for their employees. This could be anything from hardware such as computers and mobile phones to software such as web conferencing apps, instant messaging apps, project tracking apps and more.
As a result, businesses that offer these types of technology solutions have seen a spike in sales and usage on their platforms. Companies such as Zoom that offer team web conferencing capabilities is a popular option. Also, learning management systems that offer online schooling and education have been heavily used in homeschooling.
Even companies that sell computers and mobile devices have benefited. However, it’s important to note that restocking their supplies may be challenging due to delays in manufacturing and the supply chain.
Technology, the Internet and Communications
Online shopping has been around for years. However, the influx of people taking to the internet to buy the things that they would have normally bought at a physical store has increased exponentially. Companies like Amazon saw an increase in orders that were so vast, the company made a decision to prioritize the essential orders first.
In addition, many customers have taken to online grocery shopping to avoid large groups of people. This has overwhelmed some companies such as Walmart, where online grocery shopping was secondary to going to a physical Walmart store. In order to handle the demand, we would not be surprised if the company needed to do emergency maintenance for their software.
Social media has taken off with people using platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook to remain connected to the world now more than ever. These users are also doing more live video feeds and discussions than before. Hence, it’s safe to say that the social media companies are doing well during this pandemic.
However, with the influx of so many users on the internet it puts a strain on the network. It is likely that the communications network itself will need more upkeep than normal. Also, that part is where difficulties may arise because maintenance will still require hardware and software that may be delayed in production and upgrading. ISPs will need to provide faster wireless plans and equipment. The plan for rolling out 5G will probably be delayed and will become more urgent than it was before.
Technology and Healthcare
The effects COVID-19 has had on technology has already overwhelmed the healthcare industry. Healthcare providers had to shift the way they cared for their patients in order to remain safe while doing so.
As a result, there has been an increase in the demand for Telehealth services. This is one of the solutions put in place, that can prevent the spread of the virus. Now, more doctors are offering virtual patient appointments. Also, they are implementing other virtual resources to help their patients. This is because they need to get the care that they need from the safety of their homes. Additionally, Telecare devices and software that aid in these services will most likely see a spike in sales, as well as new programs that foster Telehealth will be developed.
In conclusion, there are many ways that the effects of COVID-19 will be felt on technology and the industry. That is in both positive and negative ways. We’ve only touched the surface and focused on a few of the topics that interested us the most. However, it’s safe to say that once this pandemic is over, and our lives start getting back to normal, the effects of this virus and how it disrupted our economy will remain with us for a long time to come.
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