Due to the global shutdowns and stay-at-home orders from the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses were forced to transition to remote work. COVID-19 has massively disrupted businesses in a short period of time. The lost economic output worldwide could be as high as 8.5 Trillion USD. Despite the overall economic downturn, we will see significant increases within the next few years in the Internet of Things (IoT), the convergence of information technology (IT) and operation technology (OT), and the migration to the cloud at a faster pace. The COVID-19 pandemic has, and will continue to, accelerate trends in remote/distributed work, virtual meetings, and electronic collaboration.
Telecommunications and Permanent Remote Work
As the coronavirus pandemic surges on, businesses are beginning to see the value in permanent remote work. Travel and in-person meetings have come to a halt, and as a result, electronic collaboration and communication will substitute for some of the spending in travel and hospitality. The shift of enterprise workloads to the cloud and SaaS and the importance of broadband wireless (5G) will gain traction and extra importance. Sharp increases in telecommunications mean an increase in demand for consumer electronics and IT services.
Surge of Consumer Electronics
The consumer electronics market initially experienced a surge due to the purchase of electronic products that support work from home at the start of the stay-at-home orders. The global consumer electronics e-commerce market is expected to grow by nearly $100 billion from 2019 to 2020. This surge will likely go down in the next few years, but there will always be a continuous demand for consumer electronics as telecommunications and remote work become the norm. These devices include: smartphones, PCs, laptops, and televisions all bought for personal use.
IT Services Increases
Increases in telecommunications and the need for consumer electronics on the rise means IT providers have been kept busy. Big enterprise IT providers are on a spree of acquisitions as they acquire startups developing collaboration, access management, and other capabilities aimed at supporting a remote workforce. The overall trend we’re seeing: large businesses and electronic sectors taking over, as smaller companies get swallowed up. That’s why proper training, in any field, is incredibly important.
Staying ahead of big box companies means proper training is essential. Remote work also means remote training, and companies that are able to keep their staff up-to-date will benefit immensely through this challenging time. To help businesses stay one step ahead and keep their staff’s skills sharp, EPTAC has expanded its IPC certification classes to include eTraining, our online training offerings with remote proctoring.
About EPTAC
For over 30 years, EPTAC has been a leading provider of solder training and IPC certification. We provide professionals with the tools and training they need to advance their careers and improve their businesses. With 19 locations across North America, our solutions and instructional staff provide easy access to knowledge that will enhance your business model and help you meet and exceed industry demands. For more information call 800.643.7822 or contact us.