Google Cancels Annual Conference Due to COVID-19 Spread

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Following Google's decision to hold the Cloud Next 2020 event exclusively in a virtual space next month due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the annual developer conference scheduled for May has also been canceled.

According to US economic broadcaster CNBC on the 3rd (local time), Google confirmed its policy to cancel the developer conference 'Google I/O,' which is attended by thousands every year. A Google spokesperson explained, "We have decided to refund those who purchased tickets," adding, "This decision was made due to concerns about COVID-19 and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

Instead of holding an on-site event, Google added that it will explore ways to enhance I/O over the coming weeks and continue to build and communicate with the developer community.

Google's largest annual event, I/O, is a representative occasion to directly check and interact with Google's latest technologies. Over the years, Google has announced new features such as Android and Google Photos at this event. Last year, approximately 7,000 people attended.

CNBC reported, "At last year's event, a photo was taken of Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, Google's parent company, walking and conversing with developers," adding, "It is an opportunity for developers to interact with Google executives and experts."

Earlier, Google canceled the 'Google Cloud Next 2020' event, originally scheduled to be held from April 6 to 8 in San Francisco, USA, and decided to proceed only in a virtual space. Approximately 30,000 people attended this event last year.

Additionally, Google confirmed that it has banned overseas travel for employees and is recommending that employees currently traveling return home. CNBC reported, "The number of IT technology companies postponing or canceling large events due to COVID-19 is increasing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.