Millions across the globe are feeling the heat of the COVID-19 outbreak. We have seen the plummeting stock market, large events getting canceled, implementation of lockdown, and many more. This has led to the importance of technology which has never been more apparent. The way we live has changed immeasurably since the lockdown. Well, from then onwards people are at home, doing their work from home, buying the groceries, medicines, and all the other essential goods online and having it shipped to their door. In fact, we have shifted to remote working, transacting everything digitally.
The virus which will have a colossal long-term impact on our society has also shown a remarkable impact on the future of technology too. This has led to innovation and experimentation, creating an opportunity for the organizations to accelerate their digital transformation. Considering human behavior, this has created an urgent need for technology, especially in the health care sector for improvement in diagnostic and operational efficiency. This has generated a wave where all of us have understood the significance of technology in our life.
Even governments worldwide have launched apps for tracking the users regarding risks, best practices and relevant advisories pertaining to the containment of the virus. The two great companies, Apple and Google have partnered for building and launching a comprehensive solution, a contact tracing technology for this pandemic. They have the objective of harnessing the power of technology to help the countries of the world to slow down the effect of this virus and return to normalcy.
Considering the scientific predictions we may be dealing with this pandemic for a year or two, also there is a threat that we may face similar kinds of situations in the future also. And because of the reliance of human labor on the economy which has affected dreadfully, this has led to focus more on Artificial Intelligence to do the jobs which are life-threatening for humans.
As per Forbes, the adoption of cloud data will unlock remote oversight, remote work, and optimization as cloud databases are uniquely suited to help manufacturers aggregate the data across multiple on-premises systems, something that enables reduced travel and distance during COVID-19. Today, there is a great need as the manufacturers are looking for solutions that can directly solve their pain points, having a potential long-term impact.
Since there is a high risk of contracting COVID-19 through direct contact, this has resulted in the creation of contact less interfaces which have been seen in becoming a norm. It has also contributed to Telehealth which refers to a broader scope of remote healthcare services, emerging as a solution to slow the spread of the virus and ensuring healthcare systems can continue serving all patients. Telehealth uses electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health, and health administration. Technologies include videoconferencing, the web, store-and-forward imaging, streaming media, and terrestrial and wireless communications.
At this point, it probably seems insensitive and inappropriate to discuss Industry 4.0 in the way it was discussed pre-crisis. The business drivers of Industry 4.0 pre-crisis were focused on competitive advantage, cost reduction, productivity, sustainability, and innovation. The goal was to make smooth businesses to run better. Now, we can believe Industry 4.0 is not only as applicable far more relevant moving forward. The priorities for most manufacturers today fall into three distinct stages: Stage 1 – Survival; Stage 2 – Recovery and Stage 3 – Business as usual in the new post crisis paradigm. Today the goal of all the manufacturers is to get to Stage 3 as soon as possible at the lowest cost.
The crisis has caused many traditional businesses to take up digital services and discover new tools for adaptation. Longer-term this might put economies during a better position to accelerate productivity growth and adapt to the web era, but within the short term companies that have put off digital transformation will struggle. Although businesses have had reason to embrace digital workflows in the past, COVID-19 has provided another strong incentive to move towards a smart factory, complete with smart manufacturing or smart printing processes. While conventional wisdom says that a dedicated office space is required to maximize productivity but this theory is being put to test during COVID-19.
The lockdown has brought a transition in education systems too. Since many of the examinations got canceled and delayed, this led to acceptance of the online mode of examination from the traditional offline mode. In no time, many national level and international level exams will be conducted through the online method, ensuring all the safe practices for the same. Apart from exams, this has facilitated the continuity of education through remote learning. Many edutech firms came up with the offering of free learning courses or giving attractive discounts. This has brought a chance to all or those who want to upgrade their skills.
It is rightly said that humans shape technology and technology shapes their lives. Technology has one of the most important roles to play in enabling us to meet the challenges presented by the pandemic and to be better prepared for whatever comes next. COVID-19 will reshape tech priorities for corporations and governments, including greater investment in Telehealth, cloud infrastructure, and contactless digital alternatives to touch interfaces.