The coronavirus pandemic has sent shockwaves through the energy sector. But, at the same time, it has also created a never-before-seen opportunity to steer the industry down a more resilient, secure and — critically — sustainable path using technologies, the Internet of things for example. So, here’s our expert insight on how IoT energy management can accelerate the long-overdue transformation of the energy sector.

Global lockdowns have triggered the partial, if not entire, shutdown of the vast majority of industrial activities. As a result, electricity demand worldwide has decreased. …

With the increasingly digital and competitive nature of modern business, the need to scale resources and skills to maintain relevant products and services can be tricky to balance with a tight budget. Here’s our run-through of nearshore outsourcing and its advantages, as well as the value that offshore development can bring to a business.

Traditionally, companies may have taken on more exclusive staff to meet their development needs but, nowadays, there are options that can allow for flexible up-scaling while maintaining your core team’s focus on business as usual. Offshore and nearshore outsourcing are two options which provide a lot of flexibility, vs onshore/in-house development. …

Social distancing and the various other COVID-19 measures we’ve seen introduced in 2020 have coined the term “low-touch economy”. These changes have impacted daily life in myriad ways, leading to an unprecedented behavioural shift and massive economic disruption. Businesses have had to find innovative ways of operating in these unchartered waters and it’s unlikely that we’ll see a return to business as usual, even once the pandemic passes.

The low-touch economy describes the ways in which global businesses have had to evolve their processes and behaviours to overcome the challenges posed by the coronavirus. …

Optimising the transport system in terms of traffic flow, commutability and safety in these tightly-packed spaces have become a key concern for the public and private sectors — with climate change also prompting an urgent rethink of urban transportation. So, what will the future of urban mobility look like?

Bosch notes that, by the end of 2020, around 70% of the global population will dwell in cities. These urban environments, which are already bursting at the seams, will struggle to operate as the number of people entering them increases. …

Accelerated by the pandemic, digital transformation has begun to reshape many industries far quicker than they expected. Connectivity enabled by blockchain technology is among the most profound shifts taking place in the automotive industry — redefining the experience of driving, forever. Here’s our rundown of the potential of blockchain for connected cars.

The era of the connected car

In 2019, an estimated 28.5 million connected vehicles were sold globally. With the rising number of automobiles on the road, containing millions of lines of software code and embedded with hundreds of information-collecting sensors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers must now prioritise in-car data management and security. …

How do you design a retail app that helps your customers get the most from their shopping experience and boosts your revenue in the process? Here’s our rundown of what makes the best retail apps.

According to Radial’s Future Shopping 2025 report, a miniscule 3% of shoppers always use a retailer’s mobile app while in its bricks-and-mortar stores, with only 15% doing so on a regular basis. The reason being that most retailers haven’t designed their retail apps with omnichannel shopping in mind. …

The pandemic has shifted consumers’ behaviour towards contactless payments and accelerated businesses’ adoption of the technology. This article describes how the intersection of IoT and payments technologies shape the future of financial services; IoT use cases throughout industries and its benefits.

The number of connected devices, like vehicles, home appliances and wearables, is constantly growing. This multitude of Internet of Things (IoT) devices together become a new platform for purchasing goods and services. According to research by Mercator Advisory Group in 2019, the IoT payments segment has already amounted to $5.76 billion in payments and is estimated to grow to $7.56 …

From redesigning office environments to restructuring business models, adopting innovative software solutions and technologies in the workplace can help businesses remain safe, productive and competitive, through coronavirus and beyond.

When the coronavirus outbreak hit, many companies were able to pivot to home working models, while others faced a significant challenge in shifting their work off-site. Those who were completely unable to conduct their work off-premises had to adapt to strict new social distancing measures — and it was here that technologies in the workplace came to the rescue.

According to a recent poll, 69% of US offices have now reopened or, indeed, were never able to shut down in the first place. In June, the “stay at home” message shifted to one of “let’s get people back to the office”, with the majority of respondents to a CNBC Technology Executive Council survey indicating that they expect less than 50% of their employees to work remotely from September. …