Year in Review: Technology – Cayman Compass


Cayman Compass

People in lockdown turned to video-conferencing technology Zoom in droves.

In an era where technology is already king, it never became more necessary to be connected than in 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused communities around the world to go into lockdown, forcing many companies, students and families to communicate with others outside their household bubbles solely through the internet.

If we take a close look at the apps and systems that were put in the spotlight this year, they mainly revolve around solutions to counter the issues created by an unprecedented situation.

Communications

If you had the foresight to buy stock in Zoom Video Communications, Inc. in January, you’d be laughing all the way to the bank by now. On 2 Jan., the stock closed at US$68.72 a share. By 19 Oct., it reached its peak of US$568.34.

On 30 Dec., it was still US$356.22 a share – not a bad return on investment, and not surprising, considering how a fairly unknown company suddenly became a lifeline for billions.

Yes, there were other options on the market, such as Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime and Facebook Messenger, but Zoom definitely became the global video communications tool of choice in 2020.

The company was actually founded nine years ago, and it wasn’t obscure by any means – it just didn’t have the audience it now boasts.

By the end of March, the news media had already picked up on its success, stating that the app’s user-friendliness, coupled with its ability to connect multiple users (up to 100 for 40 minutes with the free version), made it accessible and popular. It was also a reliable connection – important when companies used it for meetings that couldn’t be held in person.

Teachers used it to reach out to students and families hosted reunions with it.

Online charity websites, such as charitybuzz.com, unable to offer travel experiences or celebrity in-person meet-and-greets, started offering virtual meetings up for bids, where fans could meet their favourite celebrities via Zoom.

As Al Jazeera Media said about Zoom, “All video conferencing software – from Microsoft Teams to WebEx – thrived during the abrupt shift of tens of millions of people to remote working and schooling during a pandemic. But only one became a verb.”

Food delivery

In Cayman, just like the rest of the world, entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to be successful, even in an incredibly challenging year.

Food-delivery services, such as Island Grub and Fine Dine-In, were already in existence, along with the usual pizza staples, but when local COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, the demand for restaurant meals to be delivered to homes accelerated exponentially.

Limited access to supermarkets, along with families looking for food variety (or parents exhausted from having the children home 24/7), and restaurants trying to stay afloat with the sudden loss of tourists, created an open door for smartphone-based food-delivery companies Let’s Eat and Bento to thrive.

In August, managing director of Let’s Eat, Shyam Ebanks, told the Cayman Compass that the idea for the company had been in the pipeline for some time. He and his partners were finalising development of the app earlier in the year and looking towards a summer launch when the virus hit.

Sensing an immediate opportunity, they moved the plan forward, bringing restaurants and their customers together through the Let’s Eat app. The move also provided much-needed jobs as drivers for newly unemployed workers.

Home fitness

Don’t be surprised if the phrase ‘COVID pounds’ becomes an official thing. Ultra-fitness buffs no doubt found some way to exercise at home, but for those used to the routine of a gym, CrossFit and other workouts in order to keep the weight off, they struggled in lockdown.

As a result, companies that focussed on fitness options at home – particularly those that ‘transported’ people from their living rooms to elsewhere with scenes including forests and mountain trails – did particularly well.

Also in demand were digital weights (by Tonal, for example); spin cycles, like those produced by Peloton; and Mirror products – a company that produces mirrors with built-in displays to take people through different exercises.

Apple Watches and Fitbits helped force homebodies to track their steps, while VR headsets which could be used with fitness apps, got couch potatoes up and moving while keeping things interesting.

Anyone who was watching their pennies could also turn to YouTube for free workouts and yoga classes. Yoga With Adriene had 8.87 million subscribers at last count, for example.

Quarantine security

On 17 Sept., the first group of test subjects to trial geo-fencing technology in Cayman, landed on a British Airways flight.

Wristbands, which connected with a phone app, were distributed that day to members of 20-25 households. How well the system worked would determine whether those visiting or returning to the islands could quarantine in private residences.

Since then, approval has been given for numerous people to quarantine at home.

There have definitely been hiccups with the programme, most notably when Skylar Mack managed to remove her tracking bracelet to join her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet, at a jet-ski event, just two days into her mandatory two-week quarantine. However, the technology continues to be used to monitor visitors for the time being.

Haves vs. have-nots

If there’s one thing about technology that 2020 threw into sharp relief, it is how those without the necessary hardware, such as laptops and other tech items, struggled to keep up with others.

This was never more apparent than when students were forced to study from home, with teachers presenting lessons via the internet.

Donations of computers from private companies and charitable organisations helped plug some of the holes, but there is no question that any person – adult or child – was suddenly at a huge disadvantage if they did not have the means to easily communicate with the outside world over the past year.

Technology has been an important part of our lives for decades, but 2020 proved just how crucial it has become.

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