Google LLC’s annual cloud event is going digital with a new name, a new date and an expanded format that will span no less than nine weeks.  

Google Cloud Next OnAir will run from July 14 to Sept. 8 with more than 200 sessions covering various topics, the search giant announced today. Google in previous years used the event to introduce new products for its cloud platform. The search and cloud giant planned to hold the event in San Francisco in April but had to cancel because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Google Cloud Chief Executive Officer Thomas Kurian and G Suite Vice President Javier Soltero are among the speakers scheduled to make an appearance. Each of the nine weeks the event is set to span will focus on a different theme. 

There are a number of cloud offerings that could potentially debut at the event. Google last Thursday announced plans to bring the A100 graphics cards Nvidia Corp. unveiled that day to its cloud platform and week three of Next OnAir, which will be dedicated to infrastructure, could be a good opportunity to announce the chips’ formal availability.

Week two will be dedicated to “productivity and collaboration.” The Information reported in January that Google was internally testing a new unified business communications app that combines features from Meet, Chat, Gmail and Drive. A beta version of the app could very well debut at Next OnAir, assuming the company’s priorities haven’t shifted from the reported project since then. 

Google Cloud Chief Marketing Officer Alison Wagonfeld said virtual attendees will have access to a Digital Showcase for viewing cloud offerings. “Immerse yourself in our newest products and solutions in the Digital Showcase. Play games, watch real-world demos and experience the latest Google Cloud technology,” Wagonfield wrote in a blog post. That users will be able to “play games” hints Google may also provide updates about its Stadia cloud video game service.

The search giant will also offer attendees Q&A sessions, gamified labs and free one-month access to cloud training courses on Qwiklabs and Pluralsight.

Users can register for free on the Next OnAir website. 

Google announced the event today against the backdrop of rival Microsoft Corp.’s digital Build event, where the company introduced several new offerings, including a cloud supercomputer for training complex machine learning models. 

Images: Google