Tech giants Sony & Amazon pull out of MWC amid coronavirus panic

With Mobile World Congress (MWC) a matter of days away, two more tech giants have pulled out of the running, citing increasing fears over the recent outbreak of coronavirus.

Amazon and Sony join a long list of companies who have withdrawn for the same reason, leaving organisers The GSMA with an uphill battle to retain delegates and exhibitors as the event draws near. 

The event, which usually brings in over 10,000 attendees will go ahead as planned, albeit without some of the biggest names in tech.

LG, ZTE, Ericsson and NVIDIA have also withdrawn from the conference, which will run between 24 and 27 February in Barcelona. 

Sony’s statement:

“Sony has been closely monitoring the evolving situation following the novel coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization on 30 January, 2020. As we place the utmost importance on the safety and well-being of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. The Sony press conference will now instead take place at the scheduled time of 8:30am (CET) on 24 February, 2020 as a video via our official Xperia YouTube channel to share our exciting product news. Sony would like to thank everyone for their understanding and ongoing support during these challenging times.”

“Our sympathy goes to all those affected” – The GSMA

The GSMA sent a message to reassure all attendees and exhibitors that it is putting measures in place to ensure their health and safety.

All travellers from the Hubei province in China, the epicentre of the outbreak which has so far claimed over 800 lives, will not be permitted access. 

In addition, any travellers who have been in any part of China will need to demonstrate that they have been outside of China 14 days prior to the event. 

The conference organisers also plan to implement temperature screening alongside an increased cleaning and disinfection programme, increased onsite medical support, an awareness campaign, availability of sanitising materials and a “no-handshake policy”.


Despite the concerns, Top Business Tech will be reporting from MWC, keeping you up-to-date with the latest trends and insights.

Luke Conrad

Technology & Marketing Enthusiast

Why microgrids are big news

Craig Tropea • 31st October 2024

As the world continues its march towards a greener future, businesses, communities, and individuals alike are all increasingly turning towards renewable energy sources to power their operations. What is most interesting, though, is how many of them are taking the pro-active position of researching, selecting, and implementing their preferred solutions without the assistance of traditional...

Is automation the silver bullet for customer retention?

Carter Busse • 22nd October 2024

CX innovation has accelerated rapidly since 2020, as business and consumer expectations evolved dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, finding the best way to engage and respond to customers has become a top business priority and a key business challenge. Not only do customers expect the highest standard, but companies are prioritising superb CX to...

Automated Testing Tools and Their Impact on Software Quality

Natalia Yanchii • 09th October 2024

Test automation refers to using specialized software tools and frameworks to automate the execution of test cases, thereby reducing the time and effort required for manual testing. This approach ensures that automation tests run quickly and consistently, allowing development teams to identify and resolve defects more effectively. Test automation provides greater accuracy by eliminating human...

Custom Software Development

Natalia Yanchii • 04th October 2024

There is a wide performance gap between industry-leading companies and other market players. What helps these top businesses outperform their competitors? McKinsey & Company researchers are confident that these are digital technologies and custom software solutions. Nearly 70% of the top performers develop their proprietary products to differentiate themselves from competitors and drive growth. As...

The Impact of Test Automation on Software Quality

Natalia Yanchii • 04th October 2024

Software systems have become highly complex now, with multiple interconnected components, diverse user interfaces, and business logic. To ensure quality, QA engineers thoroughly test these systems through either automated or manual testing. At Testlum, we met many software development teams who were pressured to deliver new features and updates at a faster pace. The manual...

Custom Software Development

Natalia Yanchii • 03rd October 2024

There is a wide performance gap between industry-leading companies and other market players. What helps these top businesses outperform their competitors? McKinsey & Company researchers are confident that these are digital technologies and custom software solutions. Nearly 70% of the top performers develop their proprietary products to differentiate themselves from competitors and drive growth. As...

The Impact of Test Automation on Software Quality

Natalia Yanchii • 03rd October 2024

Software systems have become highly complex now, with multiple interconnected components, diverse user interfaces, and business logic. To ensure quality, QA engineers thoroughly test these systems through either automated or manual testing.