Microsoft to virtually deliver Build 2020 conference

Prior to this, the tech giant turned its annual Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Summit to an online-only event, citing the same concerns.

In view of the global health concerns due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Microsoft has turned its annual Build developer conference into an online-only/virtual event, The Verge reported on Friday. The conference was scheduled to take place from May 19–21 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft said," 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."

Prior to this, the tech giant turned its annual Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Summit to an online-only event, citing the same concerns. Similarly, a number of international conferences including Google Cloud Next '20, Facebook's F8, Game Developers Conference 2020 were either canceled or turned into a virtual event, in light of the global health emergency.

"We are looking carefully at our event calendar as well as our presence at industry events in the coming months. We are not taking decisions lightly, but the health and well-being of our customers, partners, guests, suppliers, and employees remain our ultimate priority. We will continue to monitor and make any necessary changes as the situation evolves," says Microsoft's Build 2020 webpage.