10 tech things that Corona will change

Let’s hope the Covid-19 Coronavirus epidemic quickly blows over and the final death toll is at a minimum. However the impact it will have on the global psyche of the world will be unprecedented and things will change for good, especially in the tech world.

1. Work from home: While the concept of WFH has been around for ages, and it really took off in the age of the Personal Computer, laptop and the Worldwide Web, the growth has been steady at best. Not anymore. In March-April, the WFH numbers have simply shot up and we are looking at billions who would have worked from home sometime in the current AMJ quarter. While the world record will be temporary, it will lead to many realizing that they can make it permanent. Companies will realize what roles can be permanently outsourced to the home. Again, it has been the tech companies that have adopted WFH with gusto.

2. Collaboration tools: There are a number of collaboration tools in the market and you can be sure that all of them will get a fillip this year. The collaboration industry could well enter a period of high growth. By the end of the Corona Age: Never before would so many have tried out so many such tools all at the same time. 3D collaboration could also take off. Microsoft Teams is going free. Expect many more moves to take place.

3. Acceptance of actual robots: While robotics has made great strides, a lot of people still look at humanoid robots with suspicion. This social stigma type situation has led them not to be deployed in large numbers. But now with the no touch policy gaining acceptance, there will be a push for such robots and people will actually welcome them being deployed in large numbers.

4. Proliferation of drones: Drone technology has already arrived. We have Amazon Prime Air and Uber Helicopter. But delivery drones are already transporting medicines and food all over the world and once even delivered a live kidney for a successful transplant. Boeing has tested a cargo drone with a payload of more than 200kgs. The only thing that has held it back has been legislation and regulation. But now with the Corona scare, the people and politicians will be more favourable to

5. Push for driverless cars: Just like drones, only regulation is holding it back driverless cars. Again, we’ve had Bird Flu, Swine Flu, SARS, MERS etc and Covid-19 is just the latest scare, though this one will be lasting. Governments will now become more open to clear the legislation to allow driverless connected cars. Tech companies are ready and just need the green light.

6. Medical technology overdrive: The medical industry seemed to have been caught napping and for the first time even the West seems ill equipped for handling such sudden global pandemics. Mobile CT scanners, Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to check the outbreak and patterns, quick cheap testing kits… the ideas are coming from all over. Theranos was a disaster, but after Corona, the number of medical-related startups will mushroom.

7. Aviation technology: Airbus A380 went in for the concept of bigger and better and at that time it indeed seemed to be the future. However 9/11 ended that dream and it proved to be a colossal disaster. Boeing 787 went in for a lighter form factor and was more fuel efficient and won the race. Expect technology to come out with more and more light planes made of composite materials and other innovations after the Corona scare.

8. AI tools: As humans get more and more out of the picture, expect AI to power more and more tasks and bring all of the above points a reality. While AI taking over the world seemed inevitable in the long run, in these “no-touch” “remote work” times, such projects will be pushed even further.

9. Robotic Process Automation: While actual robots replace the physical labour of humans, RPA removes automated repetitive tasks which are conducted by humans. We already have millions of bots across all industries and this will be one of the strategies of industry to reduce dependence on workers.

10. Tech China: This will receive a severe blow. So dependent had the world become on Chinese tech goods (and all goods in general) that now you can expect a slow disengagement of tech projects from China and they will be replaced by a multitude of countries including India. The US will lead this disengagement program.