Chennai: “This Covid-19 pandemic has created situations which are many times beyond description or definition. Netizens have already been facing a lot of dangers on the internet in terms of phishing, spam, viruses and identity thefts”, says management expert Vijaykumar Jayaram.
Speaking to News Today, he says, “Stories of credit card fraudsters who have digitally swindled unsuspecting public are not new. The point is now with the lockdown and a whole set of work to be done digitally even by the common man who is not digitally savvy, the potential risks and dangers have only multiplied into an unexpected surge of unknown consequences.”
“Family members are now forced to invest more into smartphone or PC in order to stay in touch with the latest online happenings. So, besides a company’s IT spend, we now have to account for a family’s IT spend too’, he says and adds, ‘ These happenings can be due to online class rooms, team meetings, banking or bill payment work”.
He adds, “Teachers are finding new challenges in conducting online classes and students who are tech savvy are having fun seeing the plight of their teachers. In a real time classroom the kids cannot gossip or chat. But in an online class the facilities to chat without the teacher’s knowledge are simply daring. Evaluation goof ups, sharing of text material and academic assignments and above all else accountability of class participation has become a big question mark. If Bill Gates thinks that the world was prepared for such online sessions to add full value, he has been proved more than wrong more than once”.
“Netizens and their followers have taken to OTT platforms to watch new or old movie flicks and above all else international cricket and soccer has commenced with empty stadiums and with a double increase in commercial advertisements. We are also told that the players have been counseled to maintain motivation during play as there will be no crowd cheering. How that will be managed is left to one’s own imagination”, the professor observes.
Groceries, vegetables, durables and practically everything can be ordered online. At many points netizens are left fuming due to non-availability, due to shipping charges slapped on free deliveries, more delivery goof ups due to shortage of staff and inadequate state instructions.
According to professor, “Topping the list is the volume of data transmission that has multi-surged beyond comprehension. Data Analysts are stupefied at what a change digital India is bringing up into the future”.
“The banning of 59 Chinese apps even kicked up a controversy among social media influencers and opposition members. Heated debates were held on the key question – ‘Will banning Chinese apps do any good at all?’ Now, such a question only exposes the ignorance of those who vociferously felt that the banning was not going to affect China in any way. Little do they know or are in a position to understand that the future belongs to those organisations who control data.”
Prof VKJ says, “See today, it is not difficult for India or for most of the countries to produce any app or any system or procure any hardware. But what is vital or most important is the data that gets generated or processed. Data is the life line.”
“The volume of data that gets transmitted as uploads or downloads decides the optimal usage of telecommunication lines. And this too is a lot of money in the making”, he winds up.