Covid-19 Response - We’re in this Together

This global pandemic is affecting us all but we can all help make things better

I am still thinking of those days in November 2019 when there was mention of an outbreak of Coronavirus in Wuhan. Subsequently late January 2020 came and I was wondering how life would be under the lockdown as we witnessed a complete city cut-off

… well we all know how that feels now!

I guess this is a period of soul-searching for us all as we re-evaluate what it is we do in life and how we can make a difference in the future for the good of us all

… don’t worry I am not going doolally, but 4 weeks of confinement does have an effect on people, me included.

For one, I am absolutely determined to make even better use of technology in IoT. We can help our customers create solutions to better predict these outbreaks and more importantly, thereafter, manage and control pandemics by helping to remove the need for people to do manual on-site work with risks of contamination when it can be done remotely.

My guess is, sadly, this will not be a singular event. We should expect more mayhem in the years ahead! Having said that, I am very confident that we will learn from this COVID-19 pandemic and that the global tech and medical industries will come together to minimize future outbreaks and find faster cures when they next occur.

Amazing selflessness of key workers

What has amazed me more than anything is the bravery and selflessness of our front-line workers. It is humbling to see all these essential professionals (medical workers, food and transportation companies and more) step up to the mark every day. They are risking their own (and their families’) lives to save other peoples’ or to keep our countries ticking over with vital supplies. Yet, the jobs these people do are typically the lesser paid ones in our society. I hope governments will take this opportunity to redress these inequalities in the coming months and years.

So, what are we going to do at Pycom to help?

Firstly, we will be launching some new products / sensors later part of 2020 to help our developer community speed up when building applications that help and detect / reduce the spread of some of these viruses. We will be adding Machine Learning capability to all of these sensors to enable a Plug-and-Play development environment thus accelerating time to market. In total, there will be 14 new sensors launched (7 types wired and 7 types BLE connected). a few of the sensor examples are below and many more details will follow in the coming weeks so stay tuned.

Secondly, we have decided to use our contacts in Asia to start sourcing Personal Protective Equipment to resell to our community and in the process reduce the risk of contamination from person-to-person.

Pycom is doing this on a not-for -profit basis!

We have decided to donate the entire profits generated from the sale of PPE equipment to Charities supporting the front-line workers who can only be described as HEROES. These charities will range from those supplying free meals to key workers to those giving key workers a break with money to support their families during the Covid-19 crisis.

I know that we are all passionate at Pycom about this cause and have no doubt you are too.

Yesterday, we started receiving the PPE equipment ordered and so these items are posted on the Webshop. If you have any suggestions of worthwhile charities feel free to reach out to me directly!

I’m on fred-at-pycom.io