The ongoing COVID-19 crisis now gathers attention of tech giants Apple and Google to develop a program to contain the spread of the virus. Apple and Google – the two global tech giants – developed iconic devices and applications known for their user-friendly designs and ability to handle large volumes of data. These companies that have mostly been head-to-head in the past, and are now roping in their technical expertise to combat the pandemic. These companies are doing so by developing a huge program to help track, and ultimately contain the spread of the pandemic.
Apple and Google are known to have developed some of the most sophisticated smartphone technology in the world, but have never faced a task like this before. Owing to the scale and complexity of the pandemic, it poses tremendous challenges to normal questions pertaining to technology design, such as usability concerns and privacy. Most importantly, if enough people would be up to use the solution to examine if it works.
Program Tracing Scheme to Require Participation of Nearly Half American Population to Gauge Efficacy
Meanwhile, the two tech giants have ambitious plans to track the spread of the virus using Bluetooth technology. This, however, will require nearly half American population to participate, or even more, so that the tracing scheme works most effectively, say company officials and outside experts. This would not only require user opt-in, but sufficient testing as well, which the country is currently badly grappling with. Nonetheless, the tech companies’ solution could play an important role to fight the pandemic, opine experts.
In this endeavor, for the past two and a half weeks, the tech giants worked with public health officials to chart the broad points of the plan. If the companies succeed in the fight to contain the spared of coronavirus, they could be applauded as heroes, perhaps even to solidify their foothold in health care services they’ve both been seeking to establish for years.