After the Google- Motorola deal, Apple feels the heat

Adding fuel to fire, three days after Google announced its purchase of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, Apple’s mobile advertising head, Andy Miller has stepped down.

Miller headed up Apple’s iAd network which placed ads inside the iPhone, iPod and iPad applications.

Miller is now leaving the company to join venture capital firm Highland Capital Partners, where his role will be to develop partnerships with mobile and technology companies in Silicon Valley. He will work as a general partner out of the firm’s Menlo Park, Calif. office.

Ironically, Highland Capital was an investor in mobile advertising firm, Quattro Wireless, which was taken over by Apple in 2010.

I am excited to join the team and for the opportunity to work with exceptional entrepreneurs building the next generation of innovative, market leading companies,” Miller told a prominent media.

Miller joined Apple in 2010, after it took over Quattro Wireless, where he was the former CEO. Apple later shut down the Quattro Wireless advertising network to support its new advertising service iAd network. Miller served as the VP of mobile advertising, leading the iAd team, and reporting directly to CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs.

 

While Apple faced some initial teething challenges with its iAd network which was expensive and inflexible, today the mobile advertising network has a large number of major advertisers across the world, who have launched campaigns in association with iAd. iAd also announced recently that it would be expanding its reach and setting up shop in Europe in December this year.

Apple has confirmed the development, but has not announced Miller’s successor as yet.

Meanwhile, there is one more casualty following the Google-Motorola deal. William R. Hambrecht, who was on the board of directors for Motorola Mobility has stepped down, for unspecified reasons. William R Hambrecht is also the chairman and CEO of WR Hambrecht + Co which he founded in January 1998. He was co-founder of Hambrecht & Quist in 1968 where he held various executive management positions until he resigned in December 1997. He has not announced where he will be joining.

The mobile industry is waiting to watch how many more people will be leaving Motorola after Google buying out the company.

 

By Beryl M

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