Among many tech events to hit the cancel button in recent days, Microsoft’s Build developer conference is the latest to be affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Microsoft has decided to make it a “digital event” – virtual-only – instead of holding its annual developer conference in Seattle from May 19th to May 21st as planned.
A Microsoft spokesperson sent along this statement:
The safety of our community is a top priority. In light of the health safety recommendations for Washington State, we will deliver our annual Microsoft Build event for developers as a digital event, in lieu of an in-person event. We look forward to bringing together our ecosystem of developers in this new virtual format to learn, connect and code together. Stay tuned for more details to come.
Microsoft’s cancelation follows Google’s similar move to scrap its own I/O developer event and the many other events, sports seasons, and gatherings that have been canceled.
MacDailyNews Take: Now that Microsoft having decided to cancel the physical side of Build, the writing is on the wall for Apple’s WWDC 2020 to do the same.
MacDailyNews Note: More info on the Prevention & Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) via the U.S. CDC is here. Track the Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) here.
