This week, Google joined the ranks of software companies transitioning their annual conferences from in-person gatherings to online events for 2020. Google Cloud Next kicked off its first of nine weeks of programming by focusing on industry insights the company gleaned from its executives, partners, and customers. The keynote address—featuring Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, and Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud—not only laid out some of the most exciting updates coming to Google Cloud but also featured the two executives discussing how the software company is coping with the COVID-19 outbreak and how its solutions are helping customers in these difficult times.

“Like many of you, we’ve been trying to figure out how to be helpful at this moment,” Pichai said. “This experience allowed us to put our own tools to the test and make good use of infrastructure investments.”

The Future of Technology-Driven Work

Kicking off the keynote address, Pichai discussed how the COVID-19 outbreak and the recent racial justice movements that have gripped the world will have lasting impacts on the way business is conducted, and how Google Cloud will serve its customers. We will see our jobs become more digital, something companies around the world have known for months as they have transitioned large percentages of their employees to remote work. According to Pichai, 75% of companies plan to accelerate their digital investments.