Rajesh Gotan

In early nineties, people started hearing about internet. It was popularly called “Information Super Highway”. Very few subscribed to it, that too in the advanced countries at a very high price. Mostly the connections were “dial up”. The speed was limited and the sound of the modem while trying to connect to server could be heard clearly. At that time, despite the limited information available on internet servers, people were amazed and knew that internet will evolve and change the world we live in. In countries like India, Internet was officially allowed by government in late nineties through a government owned operator (VSNL) and later it was opened for the private internet service providers. During that period, mobile technology was catching up. Initially it provided Calling and Short Messaging Services facilities only. Today in 2020’s, we see that smart phones are the real game changers. However, the hidden truth is there would be no smart phone without the internet revolution. The networks have increased, the speed has increased and the information density is huge.

Internet and smart phones are NO LONGER about information only. As a matter of fact, there is a New World that we experience today.

Life Can’t Be Imagined Without Internet    

 It is very difficult to imagine the life without internet. Just close your eyes and try thinking about the life without internet. Try imagining the life before the Internet. If you were not born before the internet, this task is simply impossible.

Millennials are also known as digital customers will not be able to experience the world with no connectivity and mobile phones.

Internet is 32 years old today. And all the survey’s today say that people and businesses can’t imagine the world without internet.

In 2022, there are around 5 billion people in the world connected with the internet. Which is more than 60% of the population. They are very few places left which are to be cabled.   
The Magnitude of Internet

• There are more than one billion websites.
• More than 500 Million tweets are generated every day
• Amazon Sold more than 15 billion items in 2021
• 1.5 Billion content pieces are shared on Facebook every day

What is true for Individuals is equally true for businesses. The business processes and practices have undergone a tremendous change in last one decade – they need to evolve in order to remain in the race to serve the demanding customers.

While it’s a challenge for businesses to keep up with the pace of internet, there are huge opportunities for those who are able to respond timely and unlock the potential.

The Clear Areas Where Internet Has Changed Our Lives-

1. Information

Whenever we have a question in mind, Internet has an answer. The Search Engines are main doors to access the information. Google is one of the most popular search engines – It has become a de-facto term for search – “Google it”.

Having smart phone means having entire knowledge bank in our pocket. Be it research on Products. Education, Wellness tips, technical skills, do it yourself, Internet has all in abundance. 

2. Channels of Communication

We have witnessed drastic change in the way we communicate. From trunk calls, snail mails to Chat Rooms, Video Meeting Platforms, Social Networks, Email, and Online Communities. Face to meetings have not lost importance but have reduced drastically. The communication has no boundaries and has become accessible to all having smart phone. A multi country on-line meeting can be set up and conducted in a jiffy- the only cost the one bears is just the cost of data.

3. Shopping

 Visiting a physical location is no longer mandatory and is a thing of the past. There are huge number of on-line market places where one can compare the prices, products and make the purchase of items for door step delivery. The world-wide success of Amazon and eBay says it all. There are category wise niche on-line market places as well giving wider options and clear comparison for buyer to make an informed decision on purchase.

4. Tours and Travels

Travel is no more a matter of discovery anymore, which was the essence earlier. Through the Internet, you know about the place before you visit it. Planning a trip has become so easy and cheap. There are websites for information. Mobile apps to book your tickets on discounts, select places to stay and plan your tours. You do not feel like a stranger in new place-you have google maps to guide you every-where. The role of travel agencies have significantly reduced – there is no middle layer. With the smart phone in hand, Uber is available everywhere to take you to places you wish to visit.

5. Entertainment and Fun

Internet has given you choices of huge content to entertain yourself anytime anywhere. Unlike the previous days where you used to go out to pick up a DVD or a VHS. You do not need anything physical like that anymore. With the emergence of Smart TV’s, new generation gaming consoles, you just need Internet Connectivity and you are ready to entertain yourself. Be it Netflix, Spotify or on demand personalised content.   

6. Building Relationships

Finding a love life or making new friends has become far easy. You simply need to down load an application to fill your profile. Through your profile, you can reach out to people that match your filters. It can be about building a professional relationship or dating – there are many platforms available. All is possible through apps. In businesses, people now rely on the enlarged circle of trust. The time to build a relationship has reduced and quality has increased- it was not so easy before internet era.

7. Financial Services

 In the past, even for basic things and operations, people needed to visit the financial institute. Be it getting the back statement, fund transfers. Collection of cheque book, getting your insurance done or applying for a loan. After the dawn of the internet era, financial institutions have been forced to focus on customer experience. You can now avail most of the services through your laptop or mobile phone. Funds can be transferred instantly, policies can be renewed on-line, and loans can be applied digitally. All processes are digitised and automated. Things like Video KYC has eliminated the need for you to visit the institution. Availing financial services has become very easy for individuals and businesses.

8. Medical Services

Undeniably the technology of Internet has uplifted the medical services experience. The relationship between doctors and patients is better and much attuned. Wearable technology has worked wonders in raising the health alerts thereby ensuing timely treatment to the patients. On the other hand, experts from world over are performing remote surgical procedures with use of Internet enabled robotics. The access of the history and medical data of the patient is available on the click of a button thereby facilitating appropriate treatment. However, in the age of internet, everyone has become a doctor, which in many cases leads to incorrect self-diagnosis and treatment.

9. Marketing

You need to market where you are customers are present. In the era of Internet, people are part of social networks. They go to on-line market places to make purchases. The traditional ways of marketing channels like New Paper, Billboards, Direct marketing, canopies and Hoardings are expensive and are thing of the past. Therefore social channels and digital channels have become predominant channels of marketing.  Even the purchase behaviours of customers have changed. They go on-line, compare products and prices and then make a purchase. It has become buyers’ market and there are no more blind purchases. The businesses need to understand the customer behaviour and address the customers with highly personalised experience to delight them.  Today, it is all about digital marketing.

10. Jobs and Assignments

In the past, the employees needed to mark their attendance in office at a time set by the organisation. They were required to stay in office till office hours. The approach was time duration led and not productivity. Today things are different in Internet Era. A developer can sit home and deliver the work through Internet. The person can work at his own convenience. There is no need to travel which saves the time and money for the employee and also helps the organisations to reduce the infrastructure cost. The sales meeting are conducted on-line without compromising on the customer experience. Internet has provided a medium of constant connectivity between employers, employees and the customers. There is a paradigm shift in the thinking of the employers. COVID accelerated this learning and provided new perspectives to businesses, employees and customers.

11. Education

Even the IVY League universities are increasing adopting to on-line education. The Learning Management System with the Internet Connectivitysimulates the entire eco system of universities or schools. The classes can be delivered on-line with two way interaction capabilities, the tests and assignments are available on-line and the results are published on line. There are Video Tutorials available by best in class faculty. This is leading to the increase in education of people irrespective of their physical location and reduction in expenses of the Education institutes.  The Education has seen transformation in last 5 years.

Above are not all the areas but commonly visible areas where Internet has changed the world. There are many areas which may come to your mind. But one thing is sure, Internet will continue to advance and will play a pivotal role in making the world better.