Technology has changed the way we work amid the COVID-19 crisis: A look at in-demand technologies

During the current COVID-19 crisis where several companies are struggling to survive with lockdowns and social distancing norms impacting their respective businesses, technology companies have evolved as a winner during this period. Because of the lockdown in multiple geographies, more and more people are working from home as per the government guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The technology which is widely used by individuals working from remote locations is cloud computing. Because of the travel restrictions imposed by the governments, there has been a drop in business travel and an increase in the number of calls and video conferencing. People have started using tools like Zoom for official meetings or video conferencing. Zoom, despite all the security concerns, has witnessed a surge in demand.

It is not just the people who were going to the office that are using technology and have moved to meetings and conferences to the virtual model, even students, with schools and colleges shut at the moment, are continuing their studies via online classes or video conferencing.

During the period of lockdown, people have switched to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and many such online entertainment providers to entertain themselves. People have started adopting the online mode to purchase their daily needs. There is also an increase in the number of the online transaction and cashless transaction.

Some Positive Impacts on People and Organisations working from Remote Locations:

• People have become more productive than before. Also, people can utilise the time and money they otherwise spend on the daily commute.
• Compared to business travels, videoconferencing is saving a lot of money for corporations.
• Companies can reduce their office expenses as more and more people work from home.
• The way of providing education and delivering work has improved. The present situation will help people to become more tech-savvy, and they would now be able to look for new ways to grow further in the future for a better tomorrow.

Given the benefits of working from home, companies might continue with the policy even in the post-COVID-19 era. Thus, it is likely that there would be an increase in the demand for software that facilitates operating from remote locations.

Technologies Popular During COVID-19:

Bluetooth:

Bluetooth Technology in the present scenario is playing an essential role during COVID-19. Many countries have introduced COVID-19 tracking app, which is based on Bluetooth technology. This app can provide an alert if someone is in the vicinity of a coronavirus positive person.

The app further provides you with the latest statistics of coronavirus cases in the country.

Cloud Computing Technology:

In the current scenario, where work from home option has become essential for organisations, cloud computing technology has an important role to play. It is because of the cloud computing that people can efficiently work from home.

Not only on the work front, but cloud computing has also played an important role for people taking care of their home and children. They can get their daily household items via Amazon and other online stores.

Cloud computing services such as Amazon web services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, have helped the organisations immensely and have witnessed a significant increase in demand in the last couple of months. Organisations, irrespective of its size and industry, are using this technology for data backup, disaster recovery, email, virtual desktops, software development & testing, big data analytics, as well as client-facing web applications.

Healthcare companies are using cloud computing technology to create customised treatments for patients. Also, many financial services companies are implementing technology to boost real-time fraud detection & prevention.

Drone Technology:

Drone Technology has had a significant role during the present COVID-19 crisis. Many countries presently use drone Technology for:

• The government is using this technology to stop the spread of this virus. Through drones, the people involved in surveillance prevent people to people contact. The drones are effective in those regions where people are not obeying the rules implemented by the government to prevent the virus spread.
• Drone Technology during the period was also used for broadcasting message to the people related to the COVID-19 measures and instructions to prevent virus spread.
• Drone Technology is also being used to spray disinfectant on places in the affected region.
• Many countries have started using drone technology to deliver medicines and essential items to the concerned person at their doorstep.

Telehealth:

Telehealth is another technology that uses telecommunications & virtual technology to provide health care outside of traditional healthcare facilities, and it requires only thing, telecommunication access.

This technology is being used in cases patients are diagnosed with chronic illness. Also, people who are old get assistance in specific procedures while staying at home. It has also helped the health care providers in a remote field environment to get support from professionals in a different place in diagnosis, care & referral of patients. They are also able to provide training occasionally using telehealth schemes or with related technologies via small personal computer & internet.

Cyber Security:

COVID-19 crisis has increased the demand for Cyber Security technology as most people are working from home, and there are possibilities of data theft.

Financial Technology:

During the COVID-19 crisis, people are seen switching more to financial technology for making payment. They are now opting for the cashless transaction to prevent any spread of the virus through cash payments.

E-sports:

The demand for online gaming during the period has increased as people (working professionals and students) are spending the entire day at home and have more time to engage in different activities.

Possible Situations Post COVID-19 Crisis:

In the present scenario, one cannot assure the duration of COVID-19 crisis. There is no doubt that coronavirus has impacted the world economy. However, no one is sure about the time when things would come back on track. In the present situation where the number of cases is rising around the world, there is a possibility that most of the work in the future would be done from home. The number of people going to workplaces would lessen, and technology would be playing an essential role in this.

There are even possibilities that there would be online classes in the futures. People will work to develop more advanced technology to provide services to the common people.

Technologies Likely to be in Demand post-COVID-19:

When the situation improves, and hopefully soon, it is likely that the technologies in-demand now will continue to remain in demand. This is because more and more people have utilised these technologies and seen the benefits they provide. Following are some of the technologies that are likely to gain further traction in the post-COVID-19 era:

• Virtual Reality: Use of computer technology used for creating a simulated environment.
• Augmented Reality: Technology that fuses live videos with computer-generated data & visualisations.
• Cloud Computing
• Artificial Intelligence
• Financial Technology

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