The outbreak of the coronavirus, which continues to spread worldwide, is affecting all technology companies. One of these impacts is the transition of employees to remote work from home. Today, Google announced that due to the shift to remote work, the release of new versions of the Chrome browser and the Chrome OS platform is temporarily suspended. The relevant notification was published by the developers on their official Twitter account.
"Due to adjusted work schedules, we are pausing the release of new versions of Chrome and Chrome OS. Our goal is to ensure their stability, security, and reliability. Our priority will be the release of security updates that will be available to users of Chrome 80. Stay with us," the developers' message states.
As for updates to Chrome OS, the operating system used by Google on tablets and laptops, the lack of them is directly related to the pause in releasing new versions of Chrome. The main reason for such actions is that Google has shifted all employees working in North America to remote work to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection. According to available data, Google employees will be working from home at least until April 10 of this year.
Due to adjusted work schedules, we’re pausing upcoming Chrome & Chrome OS releases. Our goal is to ensure they continue to be stable, secure, & reliable for anyone who depends on them. We’ll prioritize updates related to security, which will be included in Chrome 80. Stay tuned.
— Chrome Developers (@ChromiumDev)
Although this may disappoint those eagerly awaiting new features, this approach may be justified. The development of Chrome involves a large number of people who need to adapt to new working conditions. Furthermore, developers will have more time to address emerging issues. It is currently unknown how long Google will suspend updates to Chrome and Chrome OS.
Source: 3dnews.ru
