The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding, but it's already clear that the outbreak will spark major changes in the technology industry, which has already been called on in a big way to preserve social community and workplace collaboration as billions of people are forced to stay home under some variety of lockdown.

Here is a collection of some significant tech shifts that bear watching.

Digitization for Even the Last Holdouts

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Even more of daily life will take place online as businesses and consumers increasingly adopt online banking, video conferencing, remote education, video calls, ecommerce and more. Folks who have avoided online services will shed their skepticism as the virus underscores how crucial the web is during disruptions of in-person interactions. Households without the internet (believe it or not, there are millions of these) will cave and get service. And those who are already digitally savvy will double down on their online habits.

Consumers will upgrade internet speeds and even consider backup plans, such as a Wi-Fi hotspot from a cellular carrier. Many people now trying to work from home (with their children home, too) are experiencing bogged-down speeds. The answer will be a faster plan and