Mobile technology is proving useful in keeping business momentum amidst challenging times – the pandemic causing an upheaval in the world’s economy forces businesses to innovate to adapt.
For example, mobile apps have taken center stage to improve modern businesses in the new normal and provide new avenues for businesses to keep their revenues despite the circumstances.
A new wave of mobile apps helps businesses facilitate distributed teams of both in-office and remote workers. Some mobile apps help consumers access necessities despite stringent lockdowns, enable homeschooling with educational mobile apps, and keep people connected while maintaining social distancing.
In addition, focus is now on touchless solutions and other technologies so businesses can keep up in this new normal economy. Also, mobile apps can even boost small businesses in 2021.
But even before the pandemic started, there was already a boom in digital technology affecting business and the economy. As necessary infrastructure was already in place, businesses quickly adjusted and switched most of their operations remotely.The scope of mobile technology development will continue to increase and integrate with Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning, and similar technologies to minimize human-to-human interaction, simplify processes, and improve efficiency the need for social distancing.
5 Mobile Technologies for Businesses in the New Normal
Let’s look at five mobile technologies that are rescuing businesses today:
5G Connectivity
5G (5th generation) technology is a brand new set of mobile network infrastructure that can revolutionize mobile networks’ operation. It leads other technologies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Although 5G devices are already available, the complete infrastructure for 5G mainstream still needs to be established globally – there are some countries at the forefront of 5G technology, but others need to follow suit for 5G to be mainstream.
As a result of the pandemic, the global rollout of mobile 5G will be earlier than projected. Businesses and schools have raised their need for bandwidth due to connectivity amid social distancing and lockdowns.
We will see more 5G networks set up in 2021. Deployment of 5G technology is also crucial to IoT (Internet of Things) users. According to 51 percent of businesses using IoT today, the technology has strengthened their understanding of customer expectations and behaviors.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
User experience is also improving due to Artificial Intelligence (AI) – an engineering technology that allows robots to behave and respond to commands as humans will.
Mobile technology now integrates AI systems and solutions to automate computing and make analysis tasks smart. AI makes way for accurate, data-centric business decisions and powers Machine Learning in mobile technology, so that emerging solutions and apps can respond to new stimuli, store big data, identify data patterns and carry out human-like tasks.
As competition is stiff in the mobile technology industry today, Artificial Intelligence can boost UX (User experience) for apps, websites, and the like. It can help businesses improve user engagement through consumer behavior analysis and tracking purchase history.
Through AI-collected and processed data, mobile app developers can get better customer insight to improve their app or branch out into other mobile app solutions. Through Artificial Intelligence merging with the mobile technology industry, mobile apps can be created that genuinely cater to consumers’ current and most pressing needs in different target markets.
Applying AI to mobile utilities like transportation, accounting, shopping, healthcare or administration, also improves customer experience. Personal Assistant AI (PA), or chatbots, are also becoming a staple across different mobile platforms.
Chatbots reduce operational costs for businesses, thus increasing revenues further. It also ensures that you can provide 24/7 support through AI-powered chatbot technology without hiring additional customer service employees.
Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT and mobile applications are taking on new roles in the new normal as part of technological solutions to track and manage the mobility of people, vehicles, and equipment to ensure public safety. In addition, technologies for personal and health monitoring will be in high demand as the pandemic is projected to be part of our lives in the coming years.
It is possible social distancing will remain part of our everyday lives in the years to come. To help preserve the human touch, several companies have developed solutions to make it easier to regulate and implement basic health protocols.
The countries that managed the epidemic successfully did so using a mix of community monitoring, stringent observance of social distancing, technology-based testing and contact tracing, swift health intervention and efficient public awareness.
Technology will play a pivotal role in the post-pandemic world to ensure public safety prevention of future outbreaks. For instance, we will see more and more smart buildings moving towards a unified smart-buildings platform.
It allows various sensors and devices from different building networks to communicate with each other. There will also be increased adoption of wireless solutions to keep us all connected despite growing environmental risks.
On-Demand Mobile Apps and Instant Apps
Any business (hotels, aviation, transport or any other), they all face unparalleled losses due to the global pandemic crisis.
But aside the sad reality, we see breakthroughs coming out of the mobile app industry, particularly on-demand apps and instant apps. The growth of brand positioning campaigns across mobile applications reveals that it is now part of our new normal, long before the pandemic started.
On-demand, instant, and touchless solutions helping us with our daily tasks will just continue to multiply in the years to come.
If people’s physical and geographical mobility is limited, how can they get the products and services they need where they may be? How can we stay connected with the target market and continually serve them and engage with them?
Mobile technology trends like on-demand apps and instant apps are proving to be simple solutions to these dilemmas. In fact, around $57.6 billion spent per year goes to on-demand apps and services. These include the following:
- On-Demand Grocery Delivery
- On-Demand Food Delivery
- On-Demand Medicine Delivery
- On-Demand Laundry Apps Solutions
- On-Demand Doctors Service/doctors on-demand
- On-Demand Virtual Tutors, Teachers, and Coaches
- On-Demand Cleaning Services
- On-Demand Fitness
- On-Demand Pet Care
- On-Demand Grooming Services
On the other hand, download-free apps deliver content instantly. They’re only available for Android and are designed to help users save space on their phones while also connecting them to the unique apps.
Besides a dramatic increase in the app and game purchases during the pandemic, instant apps allow users to try apps or games download-free – it improves brand visibility and engagement because it makes apps more shareable and discoverable. When an app gets users’ attention, the user can choose to download the full app, increasing the adoption rate.
Instant apps also work well with one-time apps that need quick access, like parking meters, travel pass, tickets, and the like.
Contactless Payment and Mobile Wallets
Contactless payments will increase significantly in 2021 as businesses must offer a safe, reliable, and seamless payment experience for customers, preparing the ground for the Internet of Payments (IoP).
IoP would remove the need for a physical card and enable smart devices to become eCommerce platforms. This process is dubbed “tokenization,” which is converting the user’s account number into a digital credential on their smart device, which handles the payment.
The technology and network to support this touchless solution are developing at accelerated speeds induced by the global crisis.
For instance, temperature-scanning solutions will become staples together with metal detectors and necessary security checks. The additional health protocol will be required in transportation hubs and workplaces, schools, residential areas, and places where people publicly gather.
However, although public safety must be prioritized, there still needs to be a strict observance of data privacy and security. Prevention of data loss should be a priority and immediate data recovery in cases of a data breach.
On the other hand, the volume of users utilizing mobile wallets is multiplying. Online payment methods are becoming the norm, and mobile wallet applications gain people’s trust even more.
Mobile wallets integrate multiple payment solutions like debit or credit cards, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and other unique digital payment options. Some of the popular mobile wallets today include Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, and AliPay. Any app that conducts transactions should have wallet integration as a standard feature.
However, there are growing risks involved as well, especially when users are unsecured or using unsecured mobile payment apps. But on the other hand, users are becoming more aware that the benefits of online payments outweigh the risks.
Moreover, risks can be mitigated and prevented with strong security to safeguard against cyber threats. Users must be proactive in protecting their connections, networks, and devices, especially when using online payment through their devices.
We need to keep finding ways to avoid unnecessary human contact when it is still unsafe to do so without losing our ability to function normally and continue to perform day-to-day functions such as banking and retailing.
Conclusion
The ongoing fight against a global pandemic demonstrates the value of ongoing technological advancements and our resilience amid crisis. Since most businesses use the most up-to-date technology, they quickly adapt to unexpected changes and it is also pushing smaller businesses and startups to level up to thrive.
It’s also a good time for professionals and upcoming talents to retrain and upgrade their skills.
Adopting emerging developments in 2021 and beyond is part of adapting to the new normal.