COVID-19 Accelerates Digital Transformation of Enterprises

On April 6, local time, UNCTAD released a research report saying that the new coronavirus(COVID-19) pneumonia pandemic accelerated the development of the digital economy, and also further exposed the digital divide between the country and society.

The report pointed out that the global crisis brought about by the new pandemic pneumonia has further promoted the development of the digital economy and will have a lasting impact after the global economic recovery. The epidemic crisis has increased the use of digital solutions, tools and services, and has accelerated the transition of the global economy to digital. However, the epidemic also exposed a huge gap between Internet connected and non-connected people. Digital technology helps people stay at home to deal with the epidemic, but inequality in digital preparation hinders the ability to use digital technology in most parts of the world. This has a major impact on global development that cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid the emergence of digital technology. The backward people are even more outdated in the post-new crown pneumonia era.

The report said that in order to curb the spread of  the new coronavirus(COVID-19) pneumonia pandemic, more and more companies and government agencies are transferring their businesses and services online to avoid interpersonal contact. As consumers seek new ways to entertain and shop during the epidemic, digital platforms are booming. At present, there have been some surprising positive signals that show the potential of digital transformation of the world. For example, digitalization has made telemedicine, remote work and online education popular, and e-commerce has also undergone major changes, and many companies have benefited from it. In addition, the use of artificial intelligence technology also helps to discover treatment methods.

It should be pointed out that as the economic digital transformation accelerates, those countries that cannot access the Internet, especially the least developed countries, may be further left behind. Many students in developing countries are unable to access the Internet at home or have inadequate Internet connections, their distance education is limited, and the educational gap is further widening in developing countries. Their low broadband quality and high data costs hinder the ability to use video conferencing tools.

The report shows that the world's response to the new coronavirus(COVID-19) pneumonia pandemic is expected to provide opportunities for the development of digital technology. At the same time, the world needs a multilateral response coordination mechanism to respond to digital challenges, including the formulation of new policies and regulations to bridge the existing and expanding digital divide and enable more countries to enjoy the digital dividend.