As 2020 began, I sat down to review our vision and goals for the upcoming months. Just like years past, the new year’s sentiment gave reason to shift focus onto a fresh start.
Every year is an opportunity to reach new heights. As the tech industry grows, capabilities expand, giving us new resources to innovate. This year felt no different.
To our surprise, an economic disruption was beginning to stir that would humble most forward-thinking economists. As news of COVID-19 spread, the severity of the outbreak began to take hold. Overnight, major players in every industry were forced to react quickly as officials began shutting down commerce.
For the first time in our lifetime, public spaces turned into ghost towns; concerts and sporting events were canceled. Many hunkered down while health experts began the long process of understanding the virus’s severity.
As spring turned into summer, there were still unanswered questions. The unknown pushed many industries to innovate. The NBA finished their season with virtual fans while musicians streamed live concerts from the screens at drive-in theatres.
Unlike the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, technology helped many industries continue functioning throughout 2020 while connected devices kept billions of people in touch.
Although many industries benefited from working remotely, brick and mortar businesses struggled. Millions of workers lost their jobs as employers worked tirelessly to meet the ever-changing mandates. As restrictions lifted, consumers struggled to regain the confidence they needed to resume commerce in person.
Understanding this concern, technology companies worldwide joined forces to develop solutions to help these businesses limit disruption and operate safer.
EngagePHD, the digital signage CMS by PingHD, includes added features that are helping companies monitor temperatures, track occupancy, and build touchless interactive applications. As a bonus, their software is cloud-based; allowing admins to push content updates safely from anywhere.
These are just a few of many examples of how technology is helping bridge the gap and solve problems that the required mandates have created. There is no question that those with a solid digital communication strategy were able to adapt quickly during the onset of the pandemic.
I’m currently sitting in an empty coffee shop as the world braces for yet another shutdown. But is it different this time?
Unlike a few months ago, a vaccine is now on the horizon. If history is any indication of what’s to come, we can be confident that stadiums will reopen, concerts will resume and shopping malls will once again be full of people.
This is the perfect time to review your onsite technology and communication strategy. If you see gaps, use the little downtime you have left to plan your strategy, invest in new hardware, and implement a digital strategy that will give you the flexibility and features you’ll need to adapt to change quickly.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. What digital technology do you rely on?