The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact has completely changed the way we behave in our daily lives. Our day consists of meetings and classes on zoom, binge watching on OTT platforms such as Netflix, scrolling through social media on our mobile phones etc. Technology has become an important part of our lives more than ever. Some of these temporary technologies such as telemedicine, online education tools, contactless interfaces and plenty other tools are going to stick around even if the pandemic is over.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on technology has brought along many ways in which life can be improved and things can be made easy using technology. The realization that some amount of work can be done from home, therefore decreasing work pressure and saving resources has made companies to re-think their working style. The use of telemedicine to reach remote corners of the world like the way it is happening now, has made the healthcare sector realize that medical problems such as unavailability of clinics and doctors can be tackled easily with the help of modern technology.
The continuous use of technology has fueled the electronics market to experience a 40-45% increase in the demands for laptop, tablet, smartphones, etc. Also TVs, Wi-Fi routers, laptop tables, surge guards and spike guards are on the market in high demand and will start after the pandemic is over. Over the long run the associated businesses are expected to prosper. Technologies that classify different diseases and bacteria are in demand for such an application with improved accuracy and speed. Biochips are being established that will be able to do a full microbial scan in a few hours. There’s also the need to recognize mutations that create antibiotic-resistant microbes. This demand will not end in pandemic but will continue to be there later. Automation is a new technology concept where the control systems are used with minimum human assistants to operate various processes. This reduces human errors and greatly improves efficiency. The pandemic has just exacerbated the need.
Throughout the pandemic, social distancing, lockout etc. led customers to incline towards online shopping, leading to increases in e-commerce. The government also took a lot of measures to promote digital transactions, mobile money transfers and e-commerce. This underscored the need for effective and accessible information and communication technology services in conjunction with digital tools for easy money transfer to keep e-commerce on the right track.
COVID-19 is ready to reshape tech priorities for corporations and governments, including greater investments in telehealth, cloud infrastructure, contactless digital alternatives etc.
