Even though the coronavirus outbreak put us in a precarious position, it also taught us how to adapt to a change. Before the outbreak, we were reliant on flip room classrooms for learning. But, now we have understood the prudence of online learning. As a matter of fact, this is just one instance of the emergence of new technology. We have many such instances. This article will give you an idea as to how we have progressed in terms of technology, following the coronavirus outbreak. See if you could identify any of them. Chances are that you would have already used these in one way or another!
1. Voice User Interface or VUI
Voice User Interface is a classic example of how technology can minimize your exposure to coronavirus. To put it into perspective, we know that coronavirus can survive hours, if not days on a surface. The duration, however, will depend on the type of material. Hence, it is not safe to touch a surface without any gloves. But, this is not practical in the case of mobile phones. Roughly speaking, we touch our phone’s surface at least 2600 times a day. Therefore to minimize the exposure, touch should be controlled. This is possible through the Voice User Interface. Typically, VUI will allow you to verbally communicate with your smartphones. Just like Siri. But following the coronavirus outbreak, we can expect this technology to be included in other appliances such as TV or even your refrigerator!
2. ShopStreaming
Now that we are restricted to our houses, it is obvious for us to spend more time on the Internet. Although many of us do this for killing time, there are marketers who are taking advantage of this. In short, our reliance on the internet and video-streaming applications has given them a perspective on marketing and sales. ShopStreaming is one of their strategies. The word itself is an amalgamation of “Live Streaming” and “Shop”. Hence, it is essentially a way where products are being sold in realtime. Currently, you go on YouTube to see influencers promoting a product through their pre-recorded videos. They will leave links for you to purchase.
However, in the case of ShopStreaming, it is done realtime. Sounds interesting? In a way, you might have come across this concept. ShopStreaming is widely practiced in China. For instance, Maybelline sold 10,000 lipsticks in two hours through the Chinese video-sharing app Meipai.
3. 5G Networks
If there’s one thing that is piquing interest among many of us, it is the 5G Network. Boasting a fast download and upload speed, 5 times faster than 4G, we can expect 5G to roll out soon. Needless to say, the coronavirus outbreak has caused an urgency in its deployment. Now that we are confined to our houses, there is a significant upsurge in internet usage. In addition to that, the demand for higher bandwidth has gone up. Hence, many telecommunication companies are working on this tech rigorously so that they could roll out sooner than their competitors. By doing so, they will gain the advantage of meeting the demands first. In the end, we will enjoy faster data sharing with increased connectivity speeds.
4. Ambient Wellness
Ambient Wellness is a utopian concept that promises to bring a change in the way we perceive health and wellness. Believe it or not, our environment will have a huge impact on our recovery than the medication. Hence, there are chances for major tech companies to bank on ambient wellness. Essentially, ambient wellness deals with the change of our environment to boost our recovery. Post-coronavirus we can see a huge demand for wearable wellbeing technology and ambient wellness products.
5. Blockchain
Our demand for a transparent, inter-operable, and connective network has gone up since the outbreak. But, the outbreak has revealed that our current tech lacks it. Even though blockchain is prevalent, it is only expected to grow even further after the outbreak. As a matter of fact, we have been using blockchain for many purposes such as tracking infectious disease outbreaks and donations tracking. In addition to that, the prudence of blockchain also helped us in securing medical supply chains and crisis management. Hence, it is safe to assume that blockchain will be one of the biggest tech trends to emerge out of COVID-19.
6. Cybersecurity
Following the coronavirus outbreak, many companies allowed their employees to work from the comfort of their own house. The problem with this is the volume of private data being vulnerable or at least not protected in a proper way. Hence the need for cybersecurity to secure the company’s private and sanctimonious data. In fact, you would have already seen many hoaxes running around. Recently, cybercriminals have used fake domains of COVID19 and phishing emails promising virus protection kits to harvest data. For you to not fall into their trap, cybersecurity is essential.
7. A-Commerce
Not to be confused with E-commerce, A-commerce is a thing and it has a huge potential to go mainstream soon. Let’s face it, the change in consumer behavior, and access to data has made it hard for e-commerce to survive. Hence the need for an alternative. A-commerce or Automated-Commerce is the next in line. It might seem sci-fi, but A-commerce can monitor your behavior in real-time and suggest changes. For instance, you will be able to buy a “smart assistant”that will monitor your weight, mood and even the weather outside to suggest the best clothing for you. Or, this technology will also remind you to buy a particular product that is running out.
8. Virtual Experience Economy
You can have a cup of coffee without stepping out of your house. All you have to do is to pick up your phone and order from an app. Voila! But, this is only expected to undergo further iterations. Virtual Experience Economy is an enhanced version of the Experience Economy. As a result of this outbreak, companies have only become more competitive. Hence to sustain this competition, many may tap into the virtual experience economy. For instance, coffee shops will offer free WiFi or make yourself feel comfortable at home. This is a value exchange hallmark of the virtual experience economy.
9. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a hassle-free method of storing information. The coronavirus outbreak has forced many organizations and people to use this technology. Recently, Microsoft revealed that they witnessed a significant rise of 775% in cloud services demand from the coronavirus outbreak. This is due to the virtual workplace, online classes, and cloud-based video conferencing. Now that many people have gained access to this technology, they will most likely retain it post-COVID.
10. Open Source Solutions
The coronavirus outbreak has made the world more collaborative. In this sense, we witnessed a huge increase in transnational and cross-demographic collaborations. With virologists sharing their findings with many of their colleagues around the world, and top companies making their patents accessible for all, open-source solutions have become prevalent. Furthermore, even researchers are sharing their work with others. Back in the days, they used to hold on to it to get a Ph.D.!
