Technology enables communities to solve issues during Covid

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a paradigm shift in the lives of communities and residents across the country. It was possible due to the technology that enabled the communities to face the pandemic and live a healthy life.

Nearly 90% of all generations living in a housing society believe that technology has made it easier for them to address community issues seamlessly, cutting downtime and efforts, according to a survey by community management solutions provider MyGate.

“During pre-pandemic times, life was busy, and working couples went to work, and there was hardly any time for them to interact with their neighbours in any community. Post-pandemic, they have been working from home and spending a lot of time at home, and social life is missing. However, families have come closer in gated communities,” MyGate Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Vijay Arisetty told DH.

The technology-enabled apps like MyGate, WhatsApp, Zoom and Google Meet have helped the communities fulfil their immediate requirements. MyGate has been providing many services and helping them stay safe in gated communities, he said.

According to a MyGate “Trust Circle” report, about 62% of men often rely on technology and their neighbourhood for any help or information they need compared to 40% of women.

About 2,867 respondents who were part of the study conducted came from Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

The report claims that 44% of the respondents would turn to technology to verify or validate the credibility of service providers such as an electrician, plumber, etc. About 22% of the respondents mostly rely on technology for any help or information they need.

For millions, who were away from their families, communication technologies have provided a vital lifeline to the outside world. Such technologies have offered people the benefit of maintaining relationships and social support as well as entertainment.

Before the pandemic, these services and devices were used based on the need. However, being homebound for an extended period, technology has become an essential and indisputable part of our lives. Friends and family used everything from WhatsApp video calls and FaceTime to Skype, Zoom and Google Meet to keep in touch.

The second quarter (Q2) of 2020 saw around 175 million WhatsApp downloads, followed by an equally strong 140 million in Q3 2020. The video conferencing app Zoom has seen its stocks rise by 600% ever since the start of the pandemic.

The research shows the dependence on technology to keep up strong relations is here to stay. In Bengaluru, 94.76% of respondents agreed technology has made it easier for them to address community issues seamlessly, cutting downtime and efforts compared to 90.36% in Chennai and 85.08% in Hyderabad.

About 61.69% of respondents in Bengaluru mentioned that they would connect with friends, relatives via technology post-Covid compared to 28.11% respondents in Chennai and 15.32% respondents in Hyderabad.

Since the pandemic started, MyGate connected top brands to over 3.5 million homes and launched Covid care solutions. They include temperate and mask check at the gates, quarantine at home, containment zone identification and home healthcare.

It also launched MyGate Stores, a curated platform that offers customers the best products and services.

It also conducted a vaccination drive within gated societies where residents could pre-book their slots digitally and get vaccinated at the safety of their homes.

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