This year we have faced numerous private and business challenges and changes, acquired new habits, considered old mechanisms and learned something new about ourselves and others. We packed our laptops, set up home offices, held online meetings, uploaded homework via Google Classroom, and attended Viber parent meetings. This 2020 brought risks that were prevented by responsible behavior – wearing masks indoors, social distancing and increased space hygiene. However, beside of risks, opportunities also arose. Some of the measures have influenced changes in life habits and a kind of “relocation” to the network, so it can be said with certainty that the health crisis has encouraged digitalization.
Its progress has never been faster. In the series of talks “Does This Change Everything?” The European Investment Bank sees the current situation as a big step into the digital economy, assessing that the changes caused by the corona virus have made companies and private users better technically equipped, use Internet more, but also use various software’s including security solutions and VPN. More importantly, their significance was noticed during the crisis, and people acquired habits that will be followed even after the pandemic ends.
Different segments of life are becoming digitalized, and the degree of digitalization, of course, varies from country to country. Thus, for example, in Germany, the digitalization of health services has become increasingly important. According to the market research agency Bitkom research, 62 percent of this country’s population believes that digital examination and consultation services should be further developed in the future, and that it is desirable to enable the opening of sick leaves by phone, email, Messenger or other occasional applications.
The health crisis has therefore shown us that new technologies have great potential and benefits. This was “discovered” by those sectors that have not been focused on digitalization so far, but also by individuals. Many have “tried” eBanking services for the first time, seen how eCommerce platforms work or scheduled medical examinations via the application.
Therefore, we can say that this wave of digitalization will be undoubtedly followed by the next wave, keeping a constant impact, even when the circumstances that accelerated digitalization become a memory we would like to forget, but from which we will surely learn a lesson. The wheel of digitalization is accelerating – changes are here to stay!
