CES will now end a day earlier on January 7 to mitigate the risks of COVID-19.
“As the world’s most influential technology event, CES is steadfast in its pledge to be the gathering place to showcase products and discuss ideas that will ultimately make our lives better,” said Gary Shapiro (President and CEO, CTA). “We are shortening the show to three days and have put in place comprehensive health measures for the safety of all attendees and participants.”
The Omicron variant continues to rapidly spread. Many have switched from in-person to virtual events. One of the latest is KIOXIA, which is expected to showcase PCIe 5.0 SSDs and flash memory. The company had teased speeds up to 15 GB/s for a prototype drive at the 2021 Flash Memory Summit (CFMS).
KIOXIA America has been reviewing the latest information on the rapidly evolving public health environment, and after careful consideration has decided to cancel our on-site presence at CES 2022 in Las Vegas. Instead, we will focus on support of our virtual digital activities at CES where we will highlight our latest flash memory and SSD innovations through the CES digital exhibitor venue, and our own virtual booth platform. The health and well-being of our employees, customers, and collaborators are the ultimate priority and though we are unable to get together in-person at the show we are exploring future opportunities, and hope that we will be able to connect digitally during the event.
In tandem with this decision, KIOXIA has decided to select a future date in 2022 to kick off the celebration of its commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the invention of NAND flash.
“As we look to CES 2022, we confront a tough choice,” Shapiro added. “If we cancel the show, we will hurt thousands of smaller companies, entrepreneurs, and innovators who have made investments in building their exhibits and are counting on CES for their business, inspiration, and future.”
Sources: CES (via The Verge), OC3D, Las Vegas Review-Journal