The Story within the Story…How prepared are we for the digital revolution?

Aug 14, 2016 News

By Leonard Gildarie

Imagine a scenario where you want a taxi and with the punch of a button on your cell phone one arrives in five minutes.
No, it is not a phone call. Rather, it is an app where you punch in your GPS location and within minutes, a vehicle comes in New York.
The ride-hailing app for the Uber taxis, as it is being described, is one on the long list of programmes which is changing the way the world operates. Already, reportedly, it has one million subscribers and counting.
More worrying is the fact that it is doing away with the need for an actual office or workers. In the case of the Uber app, smartphones owners are asked to download it and in signing up allows for their credit cards to be charged.
The tech company behind the app processes the payments for the ride, taking a percentage and placing the rest in the account of the drivers.
Ubers and a few other similar GPS-apps are taking over the traditional taxis of New York and shaking the boat when it comes to how the world works. It already has it in 500 cities and is teaming up with other companies and even entering countries like India, Australia and Colombia.
New York’s Uber drivers have regular jobs. In essence, all over New York, Uber taxis are located, and immediately after entering your location, the nearest one is summoned.
I was at a recent function and my friends were all drinking. I could not help but marvel at the efficiency of Uber when a friend of mine called one. He punched in the location and said one is on the way and would arrive in four minutes.
I barely had time to say goodbye to the hosts.
I speak of Uber, as quite rapidly the digital revolution is changing the way we work.
Companies are always on the lookout to cut costs to ensure the bottomline. Change is inevitable and Guyana must be ready. Our people have to change the way we do things or face a disconnect, as the world is moving on.
In Guyana, GTT has been gaining some traction with its Mobile Money programme, with subscribers slowly coming on board.
You no longer need to visit some of the many offices which have been established across the country to pay your bills like power, telephone, Courts and even cable television. But I am not sure that GTT and the powers that be are really happy with the pace of which Mobile Money are catching on and being embraced.
We have evolved as a nation to become lovers of cash. Somehow, we have developed a deep suspicion of cheques and technology. That is why many businesses are being targeted by robbers whose job it is to look for opportunities. We have been slow off the mark when it comes to reducing our dependency on cash.
The sad reality is that many businesses prefer the risks of handling large quantities, as it is easily to hide your income from the tax authorities, not a very flattering thing to say. We will have to dig deep to correct the situation, but sadly I don’t see this happening anytime soon.
The banks and other companies will have their work cut out to educate the populace and steel the people against the changes which are but inevitable.
The reality is that Uber and other technology advances will cost our jobs, and as I have said before, we need to seriously review how we do business and how ready we are.
I could not also but notice that even the banks are changing the way they do business.
A number of banks around the world are allowing customers to scan cheques send these as deposits to their accounts, thus reducing the need to even visit the bank.
Banks are reducing the number of tellers and placing more automated machines.
Yes, as a country that is ambitious, Guyana has its work cut out.

Latest News

The Story within the Story…How prepared are we for the digital revolution?

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

D-Up Basketball Academy Training camp brings Hoop Dreams to Life...

Campbell Eyes Eighth Men’s Physique Title in...

Alphonso, Fung-a-Fat, Munroe among top performers...

Guyana’s finest Physiques to battle for Glory...

CWI names West Indies Test Squad for home series...

Georgetown romp to 292-run win over Select XI

Features/Columnists

Bureaucracy gone bananas!

Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all

Exxon contract can be changed

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

The Story within the Story…How prepared are we for the digital revolution?

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]