Futurum analyst Todd R. Weiss looks at Google’s plan to spend $9.5B in 2022 to improve Google offices and data centers even as many employees still work from home, and to deploy critical facilities upgrades aimed at helping Google reach its corporate carbon-free energy use goals by 2030.
Salesforce Safety Cloud Launches, Designed to Streamline COVID Testing and Status Reporting
Futurum’s principal analyst Shelly Kramer examines Salesforce’s latest release: Safety Cloud, a new product designed to streamline COVID testing, health status reporting, and safety protocols. She offers insight into how this cloud-based reporting software will impact the workplace and why this could be part of our new normal.
FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Addresses Digital Divide with $50 Monthly Internet Subsidy — Sort Of
The FCC’s just announced Emergency Broadband Benefit program addresses the digital divide with a $50 monthly internet subsidy aimed at assisting low-income individuals gaining temporary internet access. Futurum’s Shelly Kramer explores the program, the benefits, and the challenges ahead in this initiative to breach the digital divide in the US.
Big Tech Provides A Shot In The Arm To Vaccine Rollout
Exploring the various ways that big tech is participating in the distribution and management of vaccine efforts, while also leveraging tech, resources, and community involvement to aid in support. A positive for society, and the companies involved.
AT&T Business CEO Anne Chow Keynotes the Economist Event Series —A Whole New (contactless) World: The Rise of Digital Identity
Last week AT&T Business CEO Anne Chow keynoted The Economist Event Series — a Whole New (contactless) World: The Rise of Digital Identity. In her conversation with The Economist’s Vijay Vaitheeswaran, they discussed the convergence of the physical and digital worlds and the need for connectivity to support a distributed infrastructure. Their conversation also touched on the impact of a rapid pivot on corporate culture, what business leaders need to consider, as well as what some key industries are focusing on right now.
Will We See a Technology Repatriation Post-COVID?
Almost overnight, even the least tech literate companies were forced to move business to the cloud, buy collaboration platforms, and start using SaaS applications to keep their business running and their employees safe. But when we finally beat COVID-19, will things go back to how they were?
Cisco and ServiceNow Integrate for Workplace Contact Tracing — An Opportunity and a Challenge
Cisco and ServiceNow collaborate by integrating Cisco’s indoor location services platform, DNA Spaces, with ServiceNow’s contact tracing and workplace safety application. The vendors’ goal is to improve contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no doubt some challenges ahead, but this integration also presents some customer acquisition opportunities for both companies that make this partnership interesting.
Telehealth Visits Decline: Providers Recalibrate
Telehealth visits only comprise 21% of doctor visits compared to 69% in April. After ramping up for virtual appointments, providers are now readjusting to more in-person care again. The good news in all of this is that the result of the COVID-19 pandemic caused heightened awareness of telehealth, and it required providers to lay a foundation to provide this service. This will benefit patients in the long run.
Siemens Implements Mobile Working Permanently As Part of Its New Normal
Siemens implements mobile working permanently as a core component of its new normal. We see this as a continuing trend from many large corporations and predicts that both employers and employees will adapt with new technologies and procedures.
Oracle Cloud Volunteer Screening Registry is a Key Part of the NIH’s COVID-19 Prevention Network
Oracle Cloud has partnered with the NIH to build a COVID-19 Volunteer Screening Registry in order to screen millions of volunteers eager to participate in hundreds of clinical trials by year’s end. This will no doubt put Oracle’s cloud capabilities to the test — we’re betting the company is up for the challenge.