There was a major dust-up at the world’s most valuable company, Apple, at the end of October. Two top company executives, mobile software head Scott Forstall and retail chief John Browett, were forced to step down from their position. They were both removed for different reasons, but ultimately they are part of a perceived problem at Apple – the company’s growth isn’t matching expectations.
The release of iOS 6 was marred by software glitches whose development was overseen by Forstall. In the aftermath, he refused to sign a public apology at the request of CEO, Tom Cook, who ended up signing it himself. What has come to be known as the “iOS 6 Maps Debacle” overshadowed the iPhone 5 release in the media. Apple’s attempt to improve their Maps app with updated features and better directions ended in Tom Cook recommending customers rely on Google, a direct competitor of Apple, until their internal problems could be resolved. (Note – we never experienced any problems with the new maps application).
This is the largest shake-up of the company in over a decade and the drastic changes caused a dip in the company’s value as they attempt to right the ship.