We are seeing greater use of video-conferencing technology, online banking and ecommerce.
All of which means that the technology industry is going to see marked changes in what consumers and businesses may need going forward.
In the last issue of New Electronics we took a look at the impact technology was having on education and how COVID-19 could accelerate the demand for remote education.
With more people using services provided online – Netflix is booming, for example – more of them will want and expect to see internet speeds upgraded. And, as more people work from home, it’s likely we’ll see a spike in demand for things like computers, printers and other IT equipment. Market watchers are now suggesting that people will also want to be better prepared for future disruptions but many also expect remote working to become more common.
One sector that is expected to see rapid growth, in light of the pandemic, could be that of remote health services. Demand if likely to grow for virtual doctor visits and for remote monitoring and tracking of patients taking the pressure off hospitals and clinics.
It’s likely we will also see growing demand from nursing homes and households for connected health devices, and in this issue we take a detailed look at wearable health monitoring technology.
Other sectors that are seeing growing demand caused by the current crisis are drones and robots.
China has experimented with using drones for shipping medicine and delivering food, while there has been an increased demand for virus-fighting robots that can disinfect hospital rooms with ultraviolet light as well as for robots that are able to transfer products around warehouses and hospitals.
However, 5G could take a hit in the short-term. Many network operators are likely to have to curb costs and retrench. There’s been so much disruption in terms of the supply chain, that for companies like Ericsson, Huawei, and Nokia lower sales are being forecast.
Despite this, the benefits of 5G-connected hardware and software to a broad range of industries are unlikely to dampen demand for too long.
Whatever the current economic challenges companies will be looking to be more productive and gain ground by updating their IT systems, collecting more data and becoming more automated.
Depending on your perspective one of the biggest winners from the current crisis will be security. We can expect to see rapid growth in the tracking of people who have tested positive and health service providers around the world are looking at smartphones and location-tracking technology.
Early days but there are signs that a changed world will bring with it some remarkable opportunities for companies in the technology space.
