Apple fires Maps boss Richard Williamson

Apple have removed failed maps boss Richard Williamson from the team as CEO Tim Cook looks to reshuffle the ranks in the company, moving forward.

Apple are a strong company, they don't often have to deal with a high profile ‘disaster', however their IOS6 maps has been one of their most embarrassing moments in history. Williamson came under fire after it was found out that the latest Apple Mapping software just didn't work.

The sheer volume of complaints from the public have forced Apple to take radical action and ensure that it never happens again. They are unlikely to move back to the superior Google Maps, but short term they have no answer.

It fell on Cook's sidekick Eddy Cue to fire the senior director of their iOS mobile software division, according to Bloomberg News. Tim Cook has always been seen as a ‘firm but fair' leader, and clearly he has no problems removing people who fail to deliver.

According to insiders, Tim Cook is already planning a shake up, bringing in people he knows and trusts into key positions in the company.

Williamson follows the iOS boss Scott Forstall, who was once considered for the top position in Apple after it was know that Jobs was very ill. Forstall however didn't get on with Jonathan Ive, the senior vice president of industrial design.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said that Cook is “doing the right thing. He's less concerned about the public perception than getting the product right. Jobs tried to manage the media and perception more aggressively.”

Cook has also kicked out retail boss John Browett, the former leader of Dixons retail. He didn't even last a year in the job, although it is known that Cook never though he worked in the position.

The Maps issue has hurt Apple and some of the blame has been passed to Tom Tom, the company involved in supplying the data that Apple uses. TomTom are keen to pass the blame however, saying that Apple are at fault for their implementation.

Kitguru says: Fixing the Maps will clearly take some time, but in the interim, a lot of people in the company are paying a heavy price.

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