Since the beginning of the pandemic, many countries have accelerated their move to digital. Many countries were still carrying out tasks the old-fashioned way because they worked and worked well.
However, the virus’s nature has made it almost impossible to continue to do things the antiquated way. Using technology that is available to use today has helped to make dealing with the pandemic safer without having to meet face-to-face for bank and doctor appointments.
The graph below shows clearly, the impact of the pandemic and how it has accelerated digitisation in connection to customer interactions in different regions of the world. The evidence suggests the pandemic has accelerated North America’s acceleration to digitisation by 65%, but, Asian-Pacific countries, thanks to the pandemic, are now four years ahead of where they started.
(Image source: McKinsey)
The covid crisis has brought upon a new way of working in the world. Businesses that had no online presence have now been forced to create e-commerce online shops or sites where their products and services can be accessed. Considering brands like Rolex, who never really had an online presence due to their niche and specific marketing, the pandemic has birthed an array of challenges and changes for them.
With this in mind, it has also created a new collaborative way of working, making technology a vital tool going forward. Following government guidelines and lockdowns, many have been forced to work from home remotely. Schools and universities have also closed while children have been distance learning. With this in mind, here’s a look at how digital technologies are paving the way for an increased collective future.
Education
Many children, college and university students, have been remote learning from home thanks to the use of digital technologies. Not only has this helped to prevent the spread of the virus, but it has also ensured that children and students are receiving an adequate level of education from professional teachers. Technologies such as video calling software like Zoom, which has become increasingly over the pandemic, have helped make home-schooling a reality. Video calling technologies like Zoom make it easier for teachers and professors to collaborate and their students.
Telemedicine
Before covid, telemedicine was already on the rise, creating solutions, new scope, and opportunities. However, the covid crisis has accelerated its adoption with new technologies coming into the industry. Not only has video technology been used to help see patients during the pandemic where medical professionals have been unable to attend face-to-face meetings, but advanced smartphone technologies have also helped give better care.
Old and even new model smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 are being manufactured with intelligent sensors, according to Smartphone Checker. In most cases, the phone uses sensors to take high-quality images. However, these sensors can also be used to help measure vital metrics such as oxygen levels and heart rates when used with mobile applications. The prospect of using smartphones to measure vitals can even be taken further. New Diabetes monitors have been created to work with smartphone applications to measure blood sugar levels. The monitors help reduce the number of times patients need to carry out finger pricks tests to draw blood and measure blood glucose levels.
Automotive industry
The automotive industry is one of the biggest and most lucrative markets in the economy. Digital technologies have helped make not only the experience of driving more enriched but also for collaboration for a better future. Many smart dashboards present in modern cars work off the backs of already existing technologies. Using existing technologies not only means car manufacturers don’t need to go through the hassle of making their own, but it’s also faster, enabling them to get their products out sooner. Robotics and digitisation in collaboration is also becoming a huge part of the automotive industry as shown in the chart.
(Image Source: Robotics Tomorrow)
Governments and Countries
Digital technologies allow governments and countries to collect data and metrics on the people who live there, socioeconomic factors, and demographic characteristics. These analytics provide insight into how well their governments are doing and where improvements can be made. It also allows them to compare themselves with other countries. This can spark collaboration and will enable countries to work in unison with one another.
For many years now, we have seen how digital technologies have allowed collaborations to happen. Still, the fact that we have only just scraped the tip of the iceberg concerning future technologies makes the future of digital collaborations exciting.