Google has postponed its digital-only Cloud event, which would have started April 6.
James Martin/CNET
Google on Tuesday said it’s postponing its annual Cloud Next conference due to coronavirus concerns, even after the company announced earlier this month that it would move to an all-digital format.
The search giant said it’s still committed to putting on the event, but said it will be held “when the timing is right.” The conference was scheduled to take place April 6 to 8 and would have consisted of mostly satellite and live-streamed events.
“Google Cloud has decided to postpone Google Cloud Next ’20: Digital Connect out of concern for the health and safety of our customers, partners, employees and local communities, and based on recent decisions made by the federal and local governments regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19),” Alison Wagonfeld, chief marketing officer of Google Cloud, said in a blog post.
The postponement comes as government, business and community leaders have made an increased effort to stop the spread of the virus. Schools have closed down, sports events have been canceled, and most public gatherings have been banned.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, where Google is headquartered, a shelter-in-place policy was announced Monday, and will be in effect at least until April 7 — which would have been right in the middle of the conference.
Google has also canceled the in-person portion of its annual developer conference I/O, the company’s biggest event of the year.