Credit: Dreamstime
Oracle has postponed OpenWorld Asia due to ongoing coronavirus concerns in Singapore and the wider ASEAN region, joining a host of cancelled technology conferences.
Originally set for April 2020, the two-day event was due to feature CEO Safra Catz as headline speaker, alongside keynotes from Constellation Research and Deloitte Digital among others.
“In light of the 'COVID-19' outbreak and the recent pronouncement of a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation, we are postponing Oracle OpenWorld Asia, currently scheduled for April 2020 in Singapore,” an Oracle statement read.
At this stage, the technology giant didn’t specify when the event would be rescheduled, advising customers and channel partners to check the official website for updates.
The move comes less than 24 hours after this year’s edition of Google Cloud’s annual partner and customer event, Google Next ‘20, was switched to an entirely digital affair.
“The health and wellbeing of Google Cloud customers, partners, employees and the overall community is our top priority,” said Google Cloud chief marketing officer Alison Wagonfeld in a blog post, dated 3 March.
In place of the initial physical event, Wagonfeld said the company is transforming the event into Google Cloud Next ’20: Digital Connect, a free, global, digital-first, multi-day event connecting attendees to content and each other through streamed keynotes, breakout sessions, interactive learning and digital “ask an expert” sessions with Google teams.
Meanwhile, HP Reinvent has also been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the technology giant postponing its annual partner event until the second half of 2020.
Originally set for 24 March in Anaheim, California, Reinvent traditionally combines the delivery of HP, customer and partner strategies during a three-day event, in addition to the running of World Partner Forum.
The news also follows the cancellation of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year, which annually pulls in crowds of more than 100,000.
“With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event,” a statement read.
However, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Summit is still expected to go ahead as planned in Singapore.
Set for Wednesday 15 April, the two-day conference will be held at the Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre, hosting more than 14,000 attendees from across ASEAN, including AWS experts, partners and customers.
“The safety and health of our AWS Summit participants, partners, and employees is our highest priority,” a spokesperson for AWS told Channel Asia. “We are closely monitoring developments related to the COVID-19 coronavirus and are aligning with guidance from local authorities regarding precautionary measures during the AWS Singapore Summit event.”
