The impact of COVID-19 on the industry
A large amount of today's workforce has been relocated to teleworking. This amongst other factors has increased the technological awareness of the IoT industry so much so that multiple IoT companies have associated some of their external resources to develop any technology that may help in the prevention of COVID-19 in the offices, at home, or even on an individual level.
The IoT market is a fast-emerging industry that is expected to be worth around $243 billion by 2021 with approximately 50-70 billion internet-connected 'things' by 2021. Problems arise during the deployment of devices due to major delays and workload on shipping companies causing a standstill for the clients.
The most common IoT device that is attempting to make customers and workers feel safe is an IoT air monitoring device. These devices suck in large quantities of air and trap the aerosolized virus particles in the air and anything else that is present, which is then tested and outputted. This test however requires hours and thus is not such a great indicator for such an application.
Other companies have opted for minimal human interactions and thus switching to robotics to perform many simple tasks. Smart robots can be used to deliver materials and food or dispense medicines and stock or even used for cleaning or sanitization.
The impact of COVID-19 on IoT can extend far beyond these tasks especially if the virus continues to spread around the world. This has thus separated the industry in two ways, those that are prepared to adapt to the new situations by using such new technologies and those that resist adapting to new ways of working.
We know that the world is fastly moving towards a digitalized world and the impact of COVID-19 has fast-forwarded this timeline. It is not time for companies and industries to adapt to the new technologies and not risk falling behind in the coming years. So what you need to ask yourself now is which side are you on?