The dangerous coronavirus has caused another event to move to an online-only format. After Google and Facebook canceling their in-person developer events, Microsoft said last night that it’s moving the Build conference to a virtual platform.
The conference was scheduled to take place in Seattle between May 19 and May 21.
[Read: Hackers are using coronavirus maps to infect your computer]
In a statement to The Verge, the Settle-based tech giant said it has taken this step considering safety recommendations issued by the government:
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 has already asked its Seattle and California based employees to work from home till March 25. With the rising number of cases in the US and events being canceled every day, this doesn’t come exactly as a surprise.
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Earlier this week, one of the major gaming events, the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), was canceled due to coronavirus spread.
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