In possibly the biggest economic and daily-life disruption since the Great Depression, where businesses and individuals are experiencing a seismic shift in their daily life, it can be daunting to find even a shred of positive news. What we’ve seen over the past two months has shaken the foundation of our global infrastructure. In times of chaos, normalcy is a sacred commodity and in the digital age, nothing could be more normal than technology. What’s abnormal is that tech, and the companies that support it, have emerged as leaders of early action and pioneers of critical operational adjustments. Most importantly, they are having concrete effects on the trajectory of our future.
The tech industry stepped in quickly with a cascade of increasingly aggressive decisions, with companies like Apple, Google, and Tesla shutting down corporate offices, factories, and retail stores across China in early February. When Washington State began reporting cases of COVID-19 the tech giants continued their response, with Microsoft, Amazon, and others enacting sweeping measures, shuttering offices, and immediately transitioning their workforces to a work-from-home set up.
Yes, sending people home was the right thing to do, but more than that, early intervention kept essential services that millions of people rely on for communication, news, and basic necessities like grocery delivery and financial management up and running. As the crisis continues, more and more tech companies are stepping up to the plate:
Tech companies are quickly becoming integral solution masters for how to sustain the systems and services Americans rely on for every day needs. From collaboration tools, to e-learning solutions, to virtual meetings, the way we conduct business and live our lives has been forever shifted, and technology companies – both well-established brands and early-stage disruptors – will be significant contributors to what our “new normal” evolves into. As COVID-19 continues to rapidly change the way we interact with each other and the world around us, disruptions from mental health to supply chain management are being mitigated by public and private tech. The road out of this crisis is uncertain and fraught with questions, luckily, we’ll still be able to search for answers on Google.