Companies around the world are still reeling from the coronavirus and with a spike in online orders, Amazon is just one of the firms that continue to find ways to improve health checks among workers in the industry.
Amazon Reportedly Purchases Cameras from Blacklisted Chinese Firm
Three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Amazon purchased cameras with temperature-reading functions from a Chinese firm Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. The said company was among the firms blacklisted by the United States.
One of the sources revealed that the Chinese company sipped 1,500 cameras to Amazon under a deal that's close to $10 million. The outlet noted that the transaction is legal since the U.S. government noted that sales to the private sector are allowed.
Amazon's purchase of temperature-reading cameras to be used for workers in its parcel facilities came following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) warning that there is an apparent shortage in temperature-reading devices.
Furthermore, the FDA said it will not prohibit the use of thermal cameras even if the use of such devices has not been regulated or approved by the agency due to the backlog in medical products amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Facebook Reports 'Signs of Stability'
While Amazon is expected to beat analyst estimates for its first quarter earnings report, Facebook already did it. The social media platform beat analysts' estimates on Wednesday.
The company also reported "signs of stability" despite the coronavirus crisis and a drop in sales last month. Industry experts noted that Facebook's example could be a testament of how tech companies can be capable of overcoming the economic distress brought about by the COVID-19 situation.
Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg revealed that the social media giant was able to offset massive declines in ad orders from auto and travel firms due to the increase in spending among e-commerce providers and gaming sectors.
Microsoft Sees Sales Hike
Microsoft on Wednesday reported a 15 percent jump in sales even with the coronavirus situation in the United States and around the world.
According to CNBC, Microsoft said in a statement that the COVID-19 crisis "had minimal net impact on the total company revenue." Furthermore, the company said the full extent of the coronavirus' impact on revenue is expected to be felt in later earnings periods.
The company's More Personal Computing segment hauled in $11 billion in revenue despite the global health crisis. Earnings on the said segment, which includes Xbox and Windows, also beat revenue estimates from FactSet's analyst survey.
COVID-19 Expected to Continue Affecting Business
Despite some hope among tech companies, the general expectation for businesses in through 2021 is the coronavirus will continue to hamper growth in business operations and widely affect employment.
Some experts believe the U.S. will experience a massive "cultural shift" that will see workers having limited time spent within offices and a division in time spent in corporate settings and at home will be felt even as quarantine restrictions gradually lift.
Meetings are also expected to be done digitally for many companies not just in the U.S. Video or email meetings may become the "new normal," some experts noted.
Furthermore, corporate analysts believe business travel will also be limited as a means of preventing COVID-19 spreading in the corporate world.
