Businesses such as tienditas that are suffering due to the coronavirus crisis could get some technological help from BBVA Next Technologies.
The company, which specializes in advanced software, has launched “Tech4Change,” an initiative designed to help stores transition to online sales, inviting the public to submit proposals for an online platform and app.
Tech4Change’s parent company is the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), a Spanish bank and financial services companywith a large presence in Latin America, including Mexico.
“We want to thank the quick response and collaboration received from the more than 700 people who have signed up to help in the development of ideas with their knowledge and experience in technology. Participation in projects is currently closed,” says a notice posted on the company’s website.
The project consists of creating a platform that supports logistics and acts as a portal for online orders for businesses such as small stores, markets and pharmacies that currently do not have the necessary infrastructure to market their products virtually.
Crowd-sourcing a short-term solution to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic is both a practical and altruistic approach to challenging financial times.
One feature of the project will seek to let shoppers know how busy their favorite stores are, thus avoiding an in-person visit, and risk of infection, when there are crowds.
The platform will be based on the information available on Google and would work off of a user’s zip code to show in real-time how many people are shopping at establishments closest to their home.
Miguel Castillo, head of the BBVA Next Technologies program in Mexico, explains the project this way: “Through this initiative we want to put our knowledge and experience in technology at the service of society, taking advantage of the digital tools we have at our disposal and the internal structure that we have generated within the company to facilitate a culture of continuous innovation, which now allows us to do our bit to combat this global crisis. ”
Source: El Financiero (sp)
