2020 has been one of the toughest years. However, one thing that we have learned from the past year is, it is hard to imagine a world without technology. The COVID-19 pandemic has entirely changed the customer experience. It is believed that these changes won’t go as the pandemic ends. They are expected to prevail in the post-COVID world.
Today more consumers are acclimating to the new digital landscape. They are adapting to the remote business models. This adaptation is going to permanently reform consumer’s expectations.
The world was shifting towards a technological reform even before the Coronavirus pandemic hit the world. The immediate crisis has accelerated the process of drastic business and technological innovation. Today, sustainable development goals (SDG), philanthropy, and digital nomadism are some of the most important concepts introduced in the global market. In 2021, the change in the business and tech industry will be driven by people’s experiences during the crisis.
In this article, we are going to discuss how tech-industry is going to be in 2021. So without further ado, let’s get to the details.
The technology sector in 2021:
With vaccines still in the process of making, it is believed that at least the first half of the New Year is not going to be any different. However, there are a few technological trends that are expected to prevail throughout 2021. Some of them include:
- Drug development technological revolution:
COVID-19 pandemic has had the biggest impact on the drug industry. It has accelerated the process of incorporating technology in healthcare and drug development. Today, drug trials have been made quicker and easier with the help of technology.
Traditional clinical trials are no longer effective. Digitalization has made it possible for researchers to follow a virtual plan. They are not only performing online consultations but are also relying on remote channels to collect data. It is believed, with the advent of remote clinical trials, pharmaceutical development will be permanently altered.
The integration of technology in drug development has led to the formation of mRNA vaccines, the first in human history.
- Expansion of remote working:
Remote working platforms have immensely grown during the Coronavirus pandemic. It is believed they will continue to grow even bigger in 2021. Some of the most downloaded apps in 2020 were related to remote working.
Zoom started as a startup in 2011. In 2020, it has turned into a household name keeping people connected during the pandemic. Various large corporate tools were also widely used by businesses to manage remote business operations. Some of them include Microsoft’s Teams, Verizon’s BlueJeans, Cisco’s Webex, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, and more. These platforms are mainly used as videoconferencing systems. These systems are being globally used to facilitate remote work.
The pandemic has paved the way for new ventures emerging every day in the remote working sector. Some of these startups include Slab, Eloops, Bluescape, Figma, and Tandem. These platforms are used by corporations to create and share content. They also make tracking projects, training teams, and holding virtual team-building activities possible.
- Contactless shipping and food delivery services:
During the Coronavirus pandemic, a 20% increase has been observed in the preference for contactless business operations. The majority of the industries today are resorting to alternative contactless processes when it comes to shipping and food delivery services. They are using technology to adapt to the no-contact delivery new normal.
Some of the best drop-off delivery options that are making their way in the market include Instacart, DoorDash, and Postmates. The reason behind the introduction of these services in the market is to minimize physical contact as per the customer’s desires. Food delivery giants including UberEats and Grubhub are also growing their contactless delivery options to meet growing consumer demand. Such services are expected to continue to grow and thrive in 2021 as well. Contactless shipping will grow as online shopping continues to overtake traditional in-store buying. Beyond 2021, customers will prefer to shop online and redeem coupons from sites such as EMUCoupon to receive discounts.
- Online education and e-learning educational system:
The outbreak of Coronavirus boosted the electronic and online education sector. Over 190 nations imposed closure of schools during the pandemic. The measure affected over 1.6 billion people worldwide.
Most of the educational intuitions resorted to video-conferencing tools to conduct online classes. These institutes include everything from schools to colleges, universities, and coaching centers. Most of these institutions are planning to pursue a part of their curriculum online even post-pandemic.
- Accelerated development of 5G infrastructure:
The era of digitalization has begun. Today autonomous mobility, well-connected homes, and smart cities are the need of time. This calls for a shift towards higher-speed internet. The events that took place in 2020 pushed the development of 5G and 6G technology. it is believed that 2021 is going to be the year of the development of new infrastructure and utility or applications. From larger corporations to startups, the use of high-speed internet will be adapted by all corporate entities.
Various telecom companies are working on delivering 5G. Even Australia has launched this technology before the Coronavirus hit the world. In October 2020, Verizon announced its 5G network expansion. It promised to make this technology accessible to over 200 million people.
China is also all set to deploy its 5G network. However, Ericsson is leading the process worldwide. Over 380 operators have made investments in 5G technology. Over 35 countries have already introduced their commercial 5G services in the market.
- AI, Robotics, and Internet of things:
With the beginning of 2021, rapid growth in the demand and development of Artificial Intelligence and industrial automation technology has been observed. The manufacturing and supply chains will return to full operation from time to time. However, the shortage of manpower will persist until the vaccine is developed. Manufacturing operations are expected to significantly rely on automation. More companies will integrate AI, the internet of things, and robotics to operate manufacturing operations amid the shortage of manpower.
Wrapping up!
By 2021, various new technological trends will be introduced in the market. From remote working to remote learning and contactless business operation, the development in every business sector has been accelerated due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It is believed the technological and business development that began with the Coronavirus pandemic will continue to grow and expand in 2021 as well.
