Apple fires two key executives

EE Times reports Apple just fired its retail business head as well as the senior vice president of the iOS unit. The move is part of a structural shakeup at Apple, the company's fiscal fourth quarter results were unable to meet the high expectations of financial analysts, so the company responds by promoting four executives in an attempt to increase the cooperation between the company's hardware, software and services groups. Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iOS, as probably the company's scapegoat for the iOS Maps disaster, and rumor has it that John Browett has to go because he put too much emphasis on revenue rather than customer experience.

Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iOS, will leave the company next year, Apple (Cupertino, Calif.) said. Between now and then, Forstall will serve as an advisor to CEO Tim Cook, the company said.

John Browett, who joined Apple as senior vice president of retail, was also shown the door. Apple said it had begun a search for a new head of its retail organization.

The moves come just days after Apple turned in a fiscal fourth quarter financial report that came up short of consensus analysts' expectations and a few weeks after Apple was forced to apologize for the quality of a new Maps application.

As part of the structural shakeup, Apple promoted four other executives in an attempt to increase collaboration between the company's hardware, software and services groups, Apple said.