Google CEO Schmidt leaves Apple board
Previous to the Google Voice rejection, Apple and Google were close friends. Now it seems that this is not the case.
Apple Inc. said Monday the chief executive of Google Inc. would step down from its board due to intensifying competition between the Silicon Valley titans, but many analysts believe government scrutiny of the companies’ otherwise cozy relationship had as much to do with the decision.
The Federal Trade Commission has spent months investigating whether the seats held by Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Genentech Inc. Chairman Arthur Levinson on the boards of both Apple and Google violate antitrust law. Schmidt’s resignation, and the emphasis on a growing rivalry, may be designed to pre-empt a drawn-out examination, observers say.
That’s particularly important for the Mountain View search leader, as multipronged regulatory probes increasingly threaten to tarnish its “Don’t Be Evil” aura.
“Google is interested in making sure that any scrutiny it may be getting from the regulator’s perspective is as diminished as possible,” said Charles Golvin, principal analyst with Forrester Research.
I’m sure there are additional reasons for the resignation as well. With Google competing more and more with Apple and it’s services (Computers, Cell Phones) it was inevitable this would happen soon. How do you feel about Google’s CEO being on the Apple board prior to this resignation? Let me know by leaving me a comment below.
