As much as everyone wants to go back to the norm, that will never be the case due to COVID 19. The disease affected and continues to impact all lives and industries in the world. Perhaps the most affected sector is IT, which continues to change every day.
The Coronavirus is far from over, even as vaccines enter markets across the world. Even as some countries report zero new infection cases, some changes still linger. Currently, more restrictions on business exist. Employees must adapt to new work formulas to meet policy standards.
Some companies have had to change how they conduct business entirely. The movement of employees remains restricted given the travel restrictions across the world. Some countries have opted to close borders meaning people are now relying more on IT to do business.
IT’s popularity keeps rising. It is because more people rely on it every day. With work from home schedules, more people need internet connectivity. The need for technology solutions also contributes to this growth. What’s more, most of these services are affordable and available.
Increased online classes are proof of these changes. But what are the different ways that COVID 19 altered the IT industry?
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Impact of the Coronavirus on the IT Industry
Compare scenarios when the pandemic hit, and the current situation is a good start. It paints a clear picture of changes. Note any differences that exist today. Some notable ones include:
Online Business (Ecommerce)
Before the pandemic, many businesses had online stores as one branch of their establishments. That all changed when stay at home orders and lockdowns caught many companies with surprise.
Honestly, no one was prepared for the world to come to a halt as many people remained indoors. Suddenly, businesses had to rely on their online platforms to make sales and reach potential customers heavily.
The IT industry saw a massive increase in traffic to online stores since no one could head to physical stores for a few months. Now internet service providers were under pressure to improve network strength and capacity as many more people were online.
Still, not much has changed now, even as more people can move about. Stores are still experiencing more online sales than in their physical premises.
Increased E-learning
Did you know that there are institutions that are now only offering online classes? They’ve opted to downsize the huge campuses and now only provide courses online. Before, e-learning was optional. Even though schools offered online lessons, these were optional and sparsely spaced in a school timetable. But, once the Covid pandemic hit, everyone was suddenly online, seeking to continue their education without leaving the house.
Schools rolled out online learning as a full-time endeavor and not optional for students. Also, organizations had to find ways to train their staff online for the months they worked from home.
To date, many companies still have staff members working from home. The norm is now to have training and seminars held through video conferencing using Zoom. Post COVID times are now focusing on e-learning for many students. It’s also beneficial for international students who can’t fly back to their schools due to travel restrictions.
Increased Innovation
Times of crisis are known to inspire more innovation in people than when life is smooth sailing. Once the Covid pandemic hit, there was an increase in innovative solutions that helped many people cope with the pandemic. For example, many people are now worried about touching public surfaces due to high contact infection chances. Well, now there’s research from the UAE that’s brought about touchless elevator keypads.
Using infrared, the keypad detects your fingers without touching the keys when you want to use the elevator. The project currently runs in the Abu Dhabi airport, and many other busy public places are working to embrace the same.
Another great invention is a social distancing alarm. The alarm makes it easy for people to maintain the recommended distance from each other in public places. It goes off if you get too close to one another. These and many more are ways to offer broken link building service that help people go on with life.
Digital Products and Services
Though physical products and services are still wildly popular across the world, digital ones are catching up. For some sectors, these have already taken over. For example, in hospitality, restaurants are now adopting self-service digital services instead of having more staff.
Also, financial services are opting to offer services online rather than have people queue in banking halls. If you need any help, you log into the company website and get efficient help. Now, online support is no longer optional for service providers.
Additionally, customer-facing operations aren’t the only affected areas, as products also feel the impact. With online streaming services on the rise, not many people want to head to the movies anymore. These establishments took a hit during the lockdown and now are facing tough competition from streaming product providers.
The truth is many people are refraining from crowding in places to get products and services. If an online service is available, it’s seen as the better option since infection rates are still on the rise in many parts of the world.
The surge in AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Soon AI-powered companies will take over the world, leaving behind all those who opt not to grow with the times. Before the pandemic, some companies started experimenting with AI for better product and service delivery. But once it hit, it was abundantly clear that it was no longer optional.
The world is now experiencing a surge in AI in many business environments. How many companies are scampering to find ways to introduce AI that helps them grow and improve. The once foreign concept is no longer optional for numerous industries that are now wholly reliant on IT.
Due to the massive disruption in terms of operations for all businesses globally, change is inevitable. For example, more companies are now embracing software that helps them maximize operations. Many supply chains remain altered, and it’s imperative to find ways to locate and deliver raw materials, machinery, and finished products.
Final Thoughts
IT ranks among the top industries in the world, experiencing massive daily change due to the Covid pandemic. Every day there’s news of new inventions and disruptions as infection rates go up and down. Now more people and companies are heavily reliant on IT to go on with life.