Tech Giant Facebook Could See Big Impact from Coronavirus

The deadly coronavirus that began in China has now infected over 71,000 people around the globe and the death toll has climbed over 1,700.

The virus, which has caused massive alarm throughout the world, is also hurting the global economy and has proved just how reliant many companies are on China. With access to the country closed off, the impact of the virus has affected many supply chains and companies are scrambling to figure out what to do.

Many companies from the tech arena have been affected by the virus as they have been forced to close offices, stores, and factories in China. They have also had to restrict their employees’ travels to the country where the virus originated.

One tech giant feeling the impact of the coronavirus is Facebook. The social media giant’s supply chain for hardware has been disrupted, and the company had to cancel a conference it was hosting in San Francisco. Employees have also been asked to not travel to China.

Facebook’s virtual reality hardware is dependent on suppliers from Asia who have been disrupted due to the virus’ outbreak. The company’s VR headset Oculus Quest has been facing shortages as a consequence.

“Oculus Quest has been selling out in some regions due to high demand. That said, like other companies we’re expecting some additional impact to our hardware production due to the Coronavirus,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

“We’re taking precautions to ensure the safety of our employees, manufacturing partners and customers, and are monitoring the situation closely. We are working to restore availability as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.

“[Like] other companies we’re expecting some additional impact to our hardware production due to the Coronavirus. We’re taking precautions to ensure the safety of our employees, manufacturing partners and customers, and are monitoring the situation closely. We are working to restore availability as soon as possible,” the company hd said in a statement to Android Central.

Source:

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-facebook-affected-novel-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-2