Work from home is a permanent shift
Given the uncertainty of the future of the pandemic growth curve, employers will be very slow to invite workers back to offices. The staggered reopening of offices, combined with the effectiveness of tools provided to workers to work at home, will make working at home a permanent option for many employees. Global Workplace Analytics pegs the per employee savings at $11,000 per year. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: Many companies, for a number of years, have been coordinating geographically dispersed workforces using Internet-based tools. Now that the rest of the economy has been forced to test virtual work forces, the results are positive, and the demand for face to face or shoulder to shoulder teams is greatly reduced. The industries impacted, to name a few, are public transit, real estate developers, office furniture makers, and certainly airlines.
Minecraft hosts virtual graduation ceremony
A number of college seniors and Minecraft players, frustrated by cancellation of their graduation ceremonies, developed the concept of Quarantine University. The virtual university will host a ceremony featuring the avatars of graduates of multiple universities — 1,338 from 439 universities. Wired
dis-rup-shun: While it is unlikely that post-Covid graduation ceremonies will be virtual, expect to see more events taking place on multiple digital platforms. In-game experiences already include live concerts, and will increasingly become a platform for live events other than gaming. In-game wedding anyone?
5G critical to telehealth, says Qualcomm
Qualcomm’s CEO explained that the data speeds afforded by 5G are critical to telehealth, particular regarding the use or portable ultrasound machines and stroke detection devices. Today over 200 million telemedicine networks exist in the U.S. alone. CNET
dis-rup-shun: Network providers and their vendors, such as Qualcomm, are working hard to justify the expense, and migration to, 5G networks. Carriers have no choice but upgrade networks, and finding high bandwidth applications that justify premium pricing is a priority. Telehealth is a niche application that has become far more important during this pandemic, and will increasingly be an important component to future healthcare plans.
Withings sleep pad helps diagnose sleep problems
For those that find sleep difficult, and don’t wish to wear a watch to bed, Withings Sleep actually tucks under your mattress and provides a plethora of sleep data to your smartphone. The data is then used to analyze your sleep difficulties, and suggest ways to enhance your rest. CNET
dis-rup-shun: Quantified self — the movement to quantify personal performance for a number of tasks, is the companion to telehealth. Healthcare professionals in the future will increasingly rely on data in order to both diagnose maladies as well as ensure adherence to treatment regimens. Expect healthcare professionals to increasingly recommend or even prescribe the use of data collection devices.