Google also cancels virtual I/O Developer conference over Coronavirus

In light of the growing US response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and recent shelter in place order by the Governor of California, Google has announced overnight that even the virtual portion of their I/(O Developer conference has been cancelled.

The Google I/O Developer conference was supposed to have taken place at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California on May 12-14th this year. Google cancelled the in-person portion of the event earlier this month in light of the growing concerns over Coronavirus.

In a post on the I/O website, Google has advised of the cancellation of the entire event, saying we will not be holding I/O in any capacity this year’.

Winners of this years annual lottery to be able to buy tickets to Google I/O will be guaranteed tickets to the 2021 event, with Google confirming that ‘all guests who registered for I/O 2020 will be automatically extended an invitation for I/O 2021’.

Google uses I/O to announce new features across all their properties including Android, Chrome, Maps, GSuite and more, including plans to announce the Pixel 4a series, with this likely to be a more local launch globally.

Due to ‘adjusted work scales’, with most of their workforce working from home, Google has also announced they’ve scaled back releases for other products like Chrome, with more products sure to be announced with reduced work interaction.

Globally this year we’ve seen tech events cancelled like Mobile World Congress, and more recently we’ve seen Microsoft, Facebook and Apple cancel the in-person portion of their developer conferences in light of the concerns over the spread of Coronavirus. There’s no word yet on whether these companies will continue with their plans for streaming their keynote and developer sessions, but there likely will be soon.