What now for Eric Schmidt?
09/07/09 11:47 Filed in: Apple | Financial Results
Google to introduce Chrome OS
This week Google announced that it would go head-to-head with Microsoft by launching its own operating system, Chrome OS. This follows on from Google's new web browser, Chrome, which launched this year. However, this also raises the question of the future role of Eric Schmidt, Google CEO.
Schmidt has been a board member at Apple since August 2006. However Apple have said that Schmidt leaves the room during Apple's board meetings when the iPhone is being discussed. Google's own mobile OS, Android, means that Schmidt has excused himself from these discussions to prevent being accused of a conflict of interest. The question now is, will he also have to be outside the room during discussions about the Mac OS, a rival to Chrome OS?
It would appear that if this is the case, it means his role at Apple is extremely limited. The three major hardware platforms are the iPod, iPhone and Mac, and Schmidt would only be involved in one (iPod), and maybe only partly involved in another (Mac- hardware side?) In terms of the OS, his role at Google conflicts with both OS X for the iPhone and OS X for the Mac.
It would be quite a loss to the board if Schmidt was forced to step down. Apple and Google have co-operated well over the last few years in areas such as Maps for the iPhone, GoogleTalk integration into iChat, and Google's intergration to Safari searches. His departure would certainly be a loss.
Simon Spence/2009
This week Google announced that it would go head-to-head with Microsoft by launching its own operating system, Chrome OS. This follows on from Google's new web browser, Chrome, which launched this year. However, this also raises the question of the future role of Eric Schmidt, Google CEO.
Schmidt has been a board member at Apple since August 2006. However Apple have said that Schmidt leaves the room during Apple's board meetings when the iPhone is being discussed. Google's own mobile OS, Android, means that Schmidt has excused himself from these discussions to prevent being accused of a conflict of interest. The question now is, will he also have to be outside the room during discussions about the Mac OS, a rival to Chrome OS?
It would appear that if this is the case, it means his role at Apple is extremely limited. The three major hardware platforms are the iPod, iPhone and Mac, and Schmidt would only be involved in one (iPod), and maybe only partly involved in another (Mac- hardware side?) In terms of the OS, his role at Google conflicts with both OS X for the iPhone and OS X for the Mac.
It would be quite a loss to the board if Schmidt was forced to step down. Apple and Google have co-operated well over the last few years in areas such as Maps for the iPhone, GoogleTalk integration into iChat, and Google's intergration to Safari searches. His departure would certainly be a loss.
Simon Spence/2009
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