COMMENT COVID-19
Winners and losers
AS WITH ANY CRISIS THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE WINNERS AND LOSERS
The impact COVID-19 is having on the way in which we work, interact and connect with
the wider community continues to grow day by day. 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 – Net ix 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- ghting 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 bene ts 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 locationtracking
technology.
Early days but there are signs that a changed world will bring with it some remarkable
opportunities for companies in the technology space.
Neil Tyler, Editor (neil.tyler@markallengroup.com)
“China has
experimented
with using
drones for
shipping
medicine and
delivering
food, while
there has been
an increased
demand for
virus-fi ghting
robots that can
disinfect hospital
rooms with
ultraviolet light.”
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 April 2020 5
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