Apple Says WWDC 2020 Will Take Place Online Amid Coronavirus Scare

Apple is the latest technology giant to alter the platform for its developer conference owing the viral outbreak.

As expected, Apple won’t be hosting its annual event this year. 

(Photo Courtesy: Apple)

Apple on Friday has confirmed that its much anticipated WWDC developer conference will be an online-only affair this year.

This means Tim Cook and Co. won’t hosting a large gathering in the US at its keynote in few months time, instead using the online platform to reach out to its developer community across the globe.

Apple through its statement on this newsroom website has said, “Apple WWDC 2020 will take on an entirely new online format packed with content for consumers, press and developers alike.”

The WWDC 2020 programme will provide Apple's entire global developer community -- which now includes more than 23 million registered developers in more than 155 countries and regions -- and the next generation of app developers with the insights and tools needed to turn their ideas into a reality.

"I look forward to our developers getting their hands on the new code and interacting in entirely new ways with the Apple engineers building the technologies and frameworks that will shape the future across all Apple platforms," Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President - Software Engineering, Apple said.

Apple joins its competitors like Google, Microsoft and Facebook in making this big call, which is usually the platform where their developers get to interact with those working on new products.

We already know that Google I/O 2020, Microsoft Build 2020 as well as Facebook F8 conference have been cancelled in their regular avatar and will be hosted via online sessions which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Coronavirus is making a big impact globally, with even the global markets feeling the pinch as business opt for work from home for employees, and suspending any major event that caters to assembling of a large audience in one place.

It remains to be seen if the online streaming model for these conferences deliver the same results for these technology giants in the months to come.