2020 has been...not what we expected.
But the giant pandemic elephant in the room has presented an opportunity for the industry.
Here’s our take on the five biggest PERS stories of the year.
COVID-19
No 2020 review would be complete without it. You can’t go anywhere without a daily reminder that our lives, and our livelihoods, were severely impacted by the pandemic. Consistent reports from PERS providers told us that sales are up as caregivers grapple with caring for seniors. We specifically reported on PPP loans for small businesses, how at-home installations were affected, and how to handle employees who tested positive.
M&A ACTIVITY
Back in July we reported on BV Investment Partners acquiring a controlling interest in Becklar, the parent company of Freeus and AvantGuard Monitoring.
Then in September, PERS Insider was the first to break the news that Philips was auctioning off the iconic Lifeline PERS division. We’ve continued to follow developments to see who ends up with the industry giant.
BIG TECH
Big tech added senior-focused features in 2020, and it remains to be seen how their ambitions play out.
PERS Insider did an in-depth look into Apple’s sky-high healthcare plans, Verizon’s re-entry into PERS with a smart watch for seniors, and we also covered Amazon’s foray into the market with an introduction of PERS features offered with Alexa Guard Plus.
LTE TRANSITION
While the dates may be in flux, the 3G sunset is coming. Back in August 75% of you said you were aiming to complete your 3G to 4G transition in the first half of 2021, while the rest of you are looking towards the second half of next year to get it done.
It was one of the biggest, and closely followed, stories of the year and we covered every angle of the transition from LTE compatible devices, to seven things you need to know to execute the transition, to MAMA joining the AICC to help lobby the government for sunset date extensions.
We also put together a toolkit to help you reach out to your representatives to push for revised dates.
LAUNCH OF PERS INSIDER
While we might be a bit biased, we’re proud to have launched the first PERS industry-specific news source in 2020 that’s being read by thousands in our industry each week.
If you want to catch up on everything we’ve covered in 2020, or to subscribe, click here.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers for the incredible support this year – we couldn’t have done it without you! Everyone at PERS Insider wishes you and your family a safe and healthy holiday season. See you in 2021!
