In Times of Trouble, Turn to Tried and Tested Technology
Understandably, COVID-19 has brought our human vulnerability firmly to the front of the mind. We are hyper-conscious about avoiding coming into close contact with people who are not from our immediate household, and rightly so. But as the UK government advice progresses towards an easing of lockdown measures, the question remains: are people ready to contemplate returning to some semblance of their normal daily lives?
For people to even consider returning to some kind of normality, they need to know that their fears are being addressed and solutions found. These fears give rise to questions such as: ‘will I have to get too close to the person who interacts with a huge number of others?’ or ‘Will I have to touch something that is also touched by thousands of other fingers?’
People have a right to feel safe and secure in the world around them and this means they need to regain their confidence in the physical items they use in everyday life outside of their house. This sense of security is strongest when using items that are familiar and when they can follow an established way of doing things. What they don’t really want right now is unproven start-ups claiming they may have a solution. In the current climate, anxiety levels are likely to be reduced only by proven technology providers because when it comes to helping with social distancing and keeping safe, which of us would not prefer to use the tried and tested technology that provides the solution to the problem we are facing?
Businesses and industry leaders know that they must show that they are making the right decisions about how to make their environments safe so that their customers will consider returning sometime in the future. At Corethree, we are seeing this reflected in the growing interest in how items can be delivered remotely over the mobile phone network to reduce, or even eliminate, the number of touchpoints and to enable social distancing. And the interest is not just passenger-focused, it’s also about moving freight, access to event venues, and permits for travel. For example, we are seeing a growing interest in mobile ticketing for all types of transport, all types of events, and also for transit documentation to eliminate the need for paper dockets (or a cash alternative) for air freight, shipping, and road haulage.
These organisations understand that using mobile ticketing apps helps facilitate social distancing (e.g. truck drivers simply show their documentation that’s been created securely in the mobile ticketing app) and enables the use of fewer touchpoints (bus passengers can stand well back from the driver instead of coming up close to tap their travel pass). Account-based mobile documentation also has the benefit of being more secure and of improving the customer experience through the possibility of tailored and personalised marketing and partnership promotions.
These organisations also recognise that Corethree has the proven knowledge and expertise, based on over ten years of experience, to be a trusted technology partner in challenging times. We’re highly motivated by the prospect of helping society get back on its feet and are here to do our part.