Dr. Eric Schmidt Resigns from Apple’s Board of Directors

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/08/03bod.html

by sdfx • 17 years ago

199 47 17 years ago

apple.com

cesare2• 17 years ago

Now tell me that this has nothing to do with the recent events (the Google Voice removal from the App Store).

daleharvey2• 17 years ago

since thats what the press release actually says, I doubt all that many people are going to argue.

cesare2• 17 years ago

Not really.

The press release says that it's about the potential conflict of interest. It would have been a concern as soon as Google announced Android, and probably even before.

knightinblue• 17 years ago

It doesn't. There, I told you.

In all probability, it's a case of the google voice debacle being the final straw rather than it being the deciding factor.

ubernostrum• 17 years ago

I think it does have to do with recent events, just not the events you're mentioning.

Having on your board an executive from a company that competes with you in multiple ways is awkward, both for your company and for the executive.

TetOn• 17 years ago

Indeed, iPhone v. Android was trouble enough. Add in ChromeOS vs. Mac OS X, and Google Apps v. their Apple counterparts and you begin to wonder just which parts of the board meeting after coffee and bagels that he could actually take part in. I'd imagine that GV was, at best, a side-show to this decision.

tybris• 17 years ago

His position has been unmaintainable for a while, but it may have made him realise its time to leave.

jws• 17 years ago

Google Voice is irrelevant to this decision. Schmidt has been recusing himself from all things iPhone related since Anroid. Now he has to recuse himself from all things MacOS related. (I doubt the board discusses Safari and iWork, but they overlap as well) I imagine his presence also constrains the board during general topics. Many relevant asides are foreclosed.

I guess he could stay for laptop and desktop hardware strategy and non-product business issues, but he is increasingly unable to apply the special insight that made him valuable as a board member.

medianama• 17 years ago

What took them so long?

antipax• 17 years ago

Guess the GV thing was the tip of the iceberg for him.

wglb• 17 years ago

Perhaps you mean the straw that broke the camel's back?

wheels• 17 years ago

I think there's probably more to the whole Google Voice thing than is, uhh, on the surface. ;-)

I suspect even if Google knew that the application would be rejected that they still would have developed it to start a PR coup to knock the iPhone off of its pedestal. I don't think Google really cares all that much about Google Voice in isolation -- it's of limited strategic value by itself. But if you see it as part of their overall mobile strategy of commoditizing the smart phone market (which Google Voice also helps), and if you look at how important it is for Apple that that not happen, I think the conflict of interest has more teeth.

hellweaver666• 17 years ago

To be honest, A lot of people are blaming Apple for the whole Google Voice thing - I'm pretty sure that Apple were pressured to remove it by AT&T. Skype only got away with being published because it only works for calls over wifi.

As for all the other GV apps, I'm pretty sure they were only removed because AT&T became aware of them as a side effect of the official app being published.

mattmaroon2• 17 years ago

Well, it's a relationship that is certainly mutually beneficial in 1,000 ways. Public outcry is undoubtedly the only reason they're doing it.

jacquesm5• 17 years ago

Could be. Possibly there is some real problem with being on the board of directors of a company that is now directly in competition with the company that you are CEO of.

I can't imagine Schmidt was very happy when Apple turned down the google voice application, but at the same time I don't think he was surprised.

Also, this could be the prelude to Google suing Apple over this.

dejb• 17 years ago

I wonder if the GV thing was a result of internal politics with the aim being to force Schmidt to resign. I mean it seemed a bit too heavy handed even for Apple. Either way he had to go.

Hopefully this will mean it's 'game on' for full competition in the mobile space.

antaeos• 17 years ago

Fake Steve Jobs must be ready to explode right around now.

boredguy8• 17 years ago

Yeah, since he's been saying Eric is 'dead to me' for quite a while. Still one of the best tech 'gossip' blogs out there.

markm• 17 years ago

Daniel Lyons, (aka. Fake Steve) also wrote this article for Newsweek called "Lyons: Why Good Web Sites Should Not Be Free".

Lyons pandered to the Newsweek demographic which for the most part wouldn't be heavy Internet users.

Newsweek Article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/208163 Reddit discussion: http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/942qd/why_old_people_sh... HN discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=722991

Not intending to cut Lyons at the knees, more hoping to add perspective to his body of work.

huherto2• 17 years ago

A little OT.But I think it is really, really cool that a very technical person is acknowledged to be a capable CEO. Many companies still consider technical people incapable to be leaders (just by definition). Agree some techies may not have the desire or the social skills to lead but not all techies are like that.

roschdal• 17 years ago

I agree fully.

astrec• 17 years ago

My boss is an ex programmer, gear freak, award winning CEO, and a very successful entrepreneur. They do exist and can be awesome to work for.

huherto2• 17 years ago

My current boss is cool, but still I envy you. (good envy)

Dr. Eric Schmidt Resigns from Apple’s Board of Directors

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