In lockdown, online searches for games, movies soar
There has been a rise in searches for games by 300%. Users are also looking for movies and groceries online. Data also shows that people are playing games from 10 pm to midnight these days. Other most searched services include video streaming services, including Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video, and their subscription rates.
E-comm up with lockdown
With the lockdown restricting the movements for most people, the use of e-commerce websites has risen. People are placing orders for their daily essentials online and the Govt has allowed the movement for the delivery workers. E-commerce is now limping back to life in India as the border closures, warehouse shutdowns and general confusion that initially accompanied the three-week shutdown order have eased.
Google gifts two months of free access to Stadia Pro
In order to help people beat the quarantine blues, Alphabet Inc’s Google said they would give two months of free access to the paid version of its cloud-based game streaming platform Stadia. The company said its offer was open to users in 14 countries, starting Wednesday, and would be rolled out over the next 48 hours.
Digital payments is the way to buy essentials
With social distancing being the new normal, digital payments have risen. E-commerce sites that deliver essentials in fact are insisting on digital payments. Cash on delivery has been suspended temporarily by a few. Companies processing payments for leading merchants said that bills paid digitally recorded a sharp increase. Payment gateways such as CC Avenues, Billdesk and PayU have witnessed monthly mobile recharge volumes surge upwards of 20%-25% in the lockdown period.
Facebook‘s Tuned messaging app for couples only
Facebook has launched an app which allows couples to communicate, build scrapbpooks, exchange music etc. The team behind the app are in charge of coming up with innovative ways in which users can interact. According to its app store description, Tuned is billed as “a private space for couples” though it doesn’t mention end-to-end encryption like WhatsApp. Tuned is only available in the App Store.
Airtel sees traffic jump in rural areas
Airtel has seen a mass migration of users in rural India. The mobile brand has been providing uninterrupted services to their users even during these challenging times. Airtel has been optimising its network at the backend and adding capacity remotely to handle the traffic increase. It has done improvements at radio, core and transports levels for its nation-wide network.
Skype introduces ‘Meet Now’ for quick video conferences
A conference call feature has been introduced by the video calling app which allows users to initiate or join group calls without having a Skype account or the app. This feature has come at a time when the pandemic has forced the world to work from home. The Meet Now link, once created, has no expiration date, and can be accessed anytime. However, initiating a Meet Now call on the web, at the moment, is only possible on Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome browsers.
Govt finalising guidelines to hold social media platforms liable
According to reports the intermediary guidelines of Information Technology Act (IT) 2000 has been amended. It holds social media firms responsible for the content on their platforms. New guidelines will be announced soon. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, many harmful videos responsible for spreading misinformation and communal hatred have been originating on content-creating platforms. This type of content is then shared on messaging apps, which cannot control its spread due to end-to-end encryption.
Retail industry ups digital marketing spend by 30%
Retail industry has been experiencing a loss due to the lockdown. They have been criticised for holding lockdown sales. Industry players have had to up their digital marketing spends by 20-30% just to stay relevant. In these hard times, the brands have stuck to their customers through digital space by keeping them engaged with content related to quarantine and raising awareness of the seriousness of the problem.