Microsoft turns its Build conference into an online-only event

Microsoft’s Build developer conference won’t be taking place this year — at least not as a physical event. The company decided to turn it into a digital event due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. 

“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,” a company spokesperson told The Verge. 

Microsoft still didn’t update its official Build website, which states that the company is “monitoring public health guidance,” but does not say the physical event has been cancelled. 

Microsoft Build is a major developer event, with a typical attendance of over 7,000, and is usually where Microsoft announces major product-related news. The news will likely still come, but the priceless face-to-face developer interactions that typically happen at such events won’t happen. 

The news comes in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, which caused the cancellation of numerous, major tech events, including MWC, Facebook’s F8, Google I/O, SXSW and E3, while Apple’s rumored March event and WWDC are in jeopardy. 

The coronavirus, officially named COVID-19, has so far killed nearly 5,000 and infected more than 132,500 people. The outbreak has been worsening in the U.S. in recent weeks, with 1,666 total confirmed cases and 41 deaths.