Out of touch: Will Covid-19 impact tech interaction?

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In a world where Covid-19 is pushing people apart, it is causing them to consider how they carry out routine daily tasks and move around the world while minimising contact.

Technologies that allow interactions to remain hands-free could provide solutions.

Research from Capgemini found that 77% of people across 12 countries expect their use of touchless technologies to increase during the pandemic. The study also found that 62% of people thought this trend would continue after the current crisis ends.

Cashless catalyst? 

One example is contactless payment. UK Finance, a trade body for the UK banking sector, found that 32% of credit card transactions and 45% of debit card transactions in the UK were made using contactless cards in February 2020. In that same month, the total value of contactless transactions was £6.7bn, a 13.6% increase from £5.9bn in February 2019.

Other countries are even further ahead. China has long been considered the global leader in contactless and phone payment ...