Innovation is spurred on by adversity — and few can argue this past year hasn’t been challenging. But thankfully, in a turbulent year, technological advancement has risen to the occasion once again.
The pandemic has changed the way we conduct business for good: but is this necessarily a bad thing? Well, in some cases, namely the hospitality sector, the answer is likely to be yes. In other areas, however, the answer isn’t so clear. After all, this past year there have been lots of lessons learned, particularly in the world of technology.
In this article, we explore the following ways technology has and will continue to influence business in a post-COVID world:
Telehealth: for remote healthcare
Connectivity tools: for hybrid working
Improved cybersecurity: for conducting business online
From the way we conduct patient care to keeping a lock on cybersecurity as more and more businesses adopt a hybrid work model, read on as we explore how technology is molding this post-COVID world.
Telehealth for remote healthcare
As healthcare remains on the pandemics frontline, telehealth continues to support virtual visits to deliver remote treatment to the most vulnerable: but what exactly is telehealth and how is it improving the healthcare industry right now?
Telehealth, alongside telecare and telemedicine, are subsections of communication assistive technology that facilitate doctor-patient contact. This is often, but not limited to, video chats, AI diagnostics, and contactless prescriptions/medication delivery.
And while remote patient care certainly isn’t a new phenomenon — after all, it has been offered for decades — only 11% of Americans made use of it pre-pandemic; post-pandemic, however, this percentage has surged to 46% (find the study here).
With that said, telehealth has applications far beyond the pandemic. For instance, it presents opportunities to support people with chronic diseases who might otherwise be wanting the freedom to live in their own homes. Such support can include the following:
Post hospitalization care
Preliminary evaluations
Follow-up visits
Preventative care
Telehealth is continuing to play an important role in limiting the risk of COVID transmission during the vaccination race. But that’s not all. It’s likely remote healthcare lays the foundation for future treatments, keeping people out of the hospital and in their own homes.
Connectivity tools for adopting a hybrid work model
As the post-COVID world begins to take shape, offices are reopening and workers are gradually returning to the hive: but will the way we work ever look the same again? Not likely.
The flexibility of remote work has proven to be an effective environment, improving work culture with minimum detriment to delivery. With that said, some people like the freedom of remote work; others are more productive and engaged in the office — this lends the future of work into the hands of a hybrid model…
Rather than plunging back into the office full time, hybrid working allows employees to split their time between the office and home. Many companies are achieving this happy blend by hotdesking, which is an organizational system that allows companies to cut down on costs when the workforce shares time between home and the office.
The problem: connectivity. With the team split between remote work and hot-desking, effective communication is more important than ever, plus you need to ensure desk setups remain equal on both ends of the equation. To bridge this gap there are a number of tools businesses are using to create a connected and equal work environment:
Hard drive docking station: connectivity devices ideal for transitioning home offices for hot desks or smaller setups. These compact tools allow for flexible travel between workstations, so team members can pick up where they left off.
Conferencing setups: media areas are important for including remote workers in meetings — so think large monitors, communal tables, mics, and webcams.
Task management software: communication tools that outline tasks and streamline tasks when team members are away from the office (examples: Asana and Slack).
When adopting a hybrid work model, technology is going to be vital for creating an equal environment that promotes seamless transition and productivity. Corporate speak aside, this means remote workers and busy office bees can do their best work together.
Improved cybersecurity for conducting business online
Remote work is a staple of lockdown living, but with 22% of the US workforce predicted to continue working from home through 2025, many businesses share one key challenge: improving cybersecurity for the long haul.
Working remotely doesn’t come without risk, namely a lack of digital hygiene, vulnerability to scams and cybercrime, as well as network and computer sharing. With this in mind, cloud software (or cloud computing) is a key starting point, which is an on-demand data storage system most commonly associated with products such as Google Drive, iCloud, and DropBox.
While improving internal connectivity and accessibility, cloud storage also provides built-in data encryption that limits visibility to relevant and trusted individuals. That said, there are extra steps businesses are taking to improve cybersecurity in a post-COVID world...
For example, virtual private networks (VPNs) route sensitive data through encrypted tunnels — this disguises your IP address, hides your location, and secures against more sophisticated cybercrime. But to what end? Well, despite all the benefits of remote working, it’s important businesses learn to secure their operation in a digital space.
Technology is rapidly evolving your business and its route into a post-COVID world. From Telehealth and connectivity tools to improved cybersecurity — this is how technology is influencing the way we conduct business here and now.
Rodney Laws is an ecommerce platform specialist and online business consultant. He’s worked in the ecommerce industry for nearly two decades, helping brands big and small achieve their business goals. You can get his advice for free by visiting EcommercePlatforms.io and reading his detailed reviews.
