Thailand
Thailand: E-commerce, tech tipped for 5-10 years
Large business investment trends, particularly e-commerce and digital healthcare, are poised to accelerate over the next 5-10 years following the pandemic, says Tisco Securities.
The crisis has prompted a significant change in consumers’ lifestyle and business operations, said Paiboon Nalinthrangkurn, chief executive at Tisco Securities.
For instance, virtual meetings and webinars conducted via Zoom and Microsoft Teams have been rising at a faster pace, although these applications were used by some businesses before the outbreak.
Hospitals have also adopted greater use of digital technology to provide healthcare services for patients.
Virtual care and telehealth, or the use of information technology in medicine through telecommunications, especially the use of digital technology and high-speed internet networks for public healthcare, have become more popular because of social distancing measures, said Mr Paiboon.
Teladoc, a US telehealth service provider, said the volume of patients using the service per day has increased by more than 20,000 cases, more than double the average, resulting in a 41% year-on-year increase in first-quarter revenue.
Alibaba Health Information Technology is an investment holding company that provides product tracking, recalls and enforces information services in China.
Manufacturers can also use the logistics information services for Alibaba Health, while consumers can access product information and authentication services, as well as product identification, authentication and tracking systems, which are principally used by the drug industry.
“Investment in mega-trend businesses has great growth potential in the future. When the virus started spreading, businesses that could adapt to the new circumstances became rising stars for investors,” he said.
Online shopping behaviour accelerated worldwide during the pandemic and share prices of listed e-commerce firms have surged as a result. The exchange-traded fund Amplify Online Retail ETF created a buzz by reaping a higher return than the S&P500 index during both volatile cycles, said Mr Paiboon.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1939316/e-commerce-tech-tipped-for-5-10-years