New Delhi: Several tech giants have pulled out of the on-site presence at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 in Las Vegas and now Google, its self-driving auto firm Waymo and General Motors (GM) have become the latest companies to join the bandwagon of firms that have extracted themselves from physical presence at the event in the wake of the rising cases of Omicron variant of Coronavirus globally, the media has reported.
This is despite the organisers of the world's biggest tech event deciding to go ahead with the show. Companies like Amazon, Lenovo and Intel have already announced they will extract themselves from the in-person presence at the CES 2022.
A Google spokesperson was quoted as saying in a report by TechCrunch: "After careful consideration, we have decided to withhold from having a presence on the show floor of CES 2022. We’ve been closely monitoring the development of the Omicron variant, and have decided that this is the best choice for the health and safety of our teams. We will continue to collaborate closely with both CTA and our partners to identify and support virtual opportunities, and we look forward to sharing the latest Google innovations with you all."
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the governing body on CES, plans to go ahead with the show, but companies such as Meta, Twitter, Amazon, T-Mobile, AT&T, TikTok, Pinterest, along with several media outlets, have announced withdrawal from the consumer electronics show.
For the last several years, Google's outdoor exhibits have been a mainstay in the Las Vegas Convention Centre. The CTA had earlier told TechCrunch that over 2,200 firms are confirmed to participate in-person at CES 2022 in Las Vegas.