Will the coronavirus or COVID-19 create a huge shift in the internet and technological landscape through how intensive and different users are utilizing the internet as a result of the nationwide lockdowns?
Besides information dissemination and communicating with their friends and family, a lot of internet users nowadays go online for social media, work and online shopping. There’s a slightly different thing that is happening now though, people who aren’t online much before are becoming more active in terms of using web and mobile apps such as Netflix, Youtube, Facebook and countless other apps that are available today.
This isn’t because people choose to do so, but because they’re forced to use apps as a result of the current situation. Being the convenient choice for grocery shopping, banking or communication, people are being pushed to use mobile and web apps more than ever before, and as a result, everyone sees how easy, useful and intuitive these apps are to use. This could alter their habits even after the lockdown is lifted in their areas.
The wonders of online collaboration
Working from home is another way businesses adapt to the current situation. If before, meetings were done physically, a lot of people are now learning and are being introduced to the concept of online video meetings which replace the physical meetings that they are used to.
Businesses might just consider doing the same thing in the future for certain type of scenarios since they have tried and tested this method during the days when everyone was on lockdown.
The method simply works as seen on the repeated times this is done by almost everyone working and studying from home and the influx of users the Zoom videoconferencing app had because of its increase in popularity during the pandemic. People may just be seeing the early stages of videoconferencing as a more acceptable norm than before in the world of business.
Going Cashless
According to an article from CNBC, the coronavirus outbreak is also affecting the way people do payments. As the number of cases rise, some people are going cashless and opt to use electronic payment methods since handling cash is another way of contracting and passing around the virus.
This could change the way how businesses do transactions in the future. Businesses who weren’t very open to these types of payment methods now see the huge advantage electronic payments have, thus triggering a shift in payment behavior from businesses down to its consumers.
The strain on the internet
One of the most popular video streaming platforms, Netflix, has lowered the streaming quality of their videos in the Philippines and other countries resulting to a 25% reduction on internet traffic to the heavy demand of data consumption from the telecommunication companies during the lockdown period. Google has also reduced the quality of their videos globally to help alleviate the pressure on these internet service providers.
A globally united society
These situations just prove that people nowadays are using web and mobile apps more than ever before and are becoming more knowledgeable in doing so because of being pushed to use these types of technologies. Businesses are also seeing which specific parts of their businesses are more resilient and which ones should change or be removed entirely. One thing’s for sure, when people carry over these changes in habits even after the pandemic, we will see a more involved and more globally united society.
Rocketship Designs develops useful and practical web apps for businesses such as booking or appointment systems, eCommerce website functionalities, and other custom-made solutions businesses require. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help your business grow with technology solutions.