Apple Recruiting Senior-Level Executives to Expand Cloud Services

[MacRumors]

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is actively looking to recruiting new senior-level executives to assist with the company's cloud-based services. The moves come as Apple undoubtedly seeks to build upon its iCloud services officially launched last month.

In recent weeks, Apple has been looking to recruit senior-level executives with backgrounds in Web-based software, according to people familiar with the matter. It has approached at least one prominent Internet entrepreneur since at least earlier this year about a possible position, according to these people, who say the details of the possible job were unclear. The company has also discussed its needs with recruiters, one of the people said.

According to the report, Apple is thinking about building new cloud-based web applications with an eye toward toward reducing the number of devices people need to carry with them on the go.

Apple has already been working to build up its cloud-focused team at the engineering level, and is now looking at filling out the more senior ranks. Toward that end, sources have indicated to The Wall Street Journal that Apple is looking broadly for talented Web-focused managers who might be good fits for the company at the director level or above rather than recruiting for specific positions.

Apple's iCloud effort is currently overseen by Eddy Cue, who was promoted to the senior vice president level back in September as his role has grown in both visibility and responsibility as he has taken on iCloud, the iBookstore, and iAd in addition to his long-standing position leading the iTunes Store and App Store effort.

Article Link: Apple Recruiting Senior-Level Executives to Expand Cloud Services

 

[tjcampbell]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone : Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Needs to be easy and quick like Dropbox.

 

[nuckinfutz]

I've already reduced my devices.

Tom Tom ....gone

Canon Point and Shoot ....gone


Doesn't take an Exec to see that some MobileMe members are a bit miffed about losing iDisk, Web Gallery and Websites.

----------

Wirelessly posted (iPhone : Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Needs to be easy and quick like Dropbox.

I wouldn't say dropbox is easy. You have to download a client application but it is fast.

 

[scottishwildcat]

Hopefully by "expand", they mean "fix".

 

[DisMyMac]

Enough trying to turn my Mac into an entertainment terminal.... I already have a cable box with bloated features meant to slam subscribers with fees and premium services. It's obvious that's what "clouds" are all about.

 

[Thetonyk123]

cover some bugs and maybe I'll use it, I've been using itunes.

 

[Demosthenes X]

I've already reduced my devices.
I wouldn't say dropbox is easy. You have to download a client application but it is fast.

Seriously? DropBox is the easiest mode of backup I've seen. Install it and use it like a regular folder, and you're done.

The next-best thing is TimeMachine, but that's not very easy if you're a notebook user (I never use TimeMachine as I can't be bothered to fuss with an external drive). Time Capsule is good, but expensive.

DropBox ftw.

 

[nuckinfutz]

Seriously? DropBox is the easiest mode of backup I've seen. Install it and use it like a regular folder, and you're done.

The next-best thing is TimeMachine, but that's not very easy if you're a notebook user (I never use TimeMachine as I can't be bothered to fuss with an external drive). Time Capsule is good, but expensive.

DropBox ftw.

Not quite as easy as hitting a button on your iPhone that says "Use iCloud" and have it done.

Dropbox is a really good sync technology but Apple's approach with iCloud is superior. Once you've set up iCloud you simply just opt-in when you have an app that needs sync. It really could not get any easier.

 

[davepilgrimus]

Um. I will take that job. I bet it pays really well.

 

[PittHockey]

So they're going to take away Web Photo Galleries and then give them back?

 

[fobfob]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

"reducing the number of devices people need to carry with them on the go."

huh? Thanks to Apple marketing strategy I need to carry several Apple products to cover all my needs anyway.

 

[MacFlorida]

Bring back iDisk

Hopefully, they're hire someone who will fix one of the biggest errors on Apple's part... The dropping of iDisk! Please bring back iDisk support.
And while you are at it, add something similar to DropBox.
And since you've got a nice data center, perhaps you can keep iWeb and Photo Gallery around as well. :>) Bad Apple !!!

 

[longofest]

I'm really glad that they are recruiting from outside for their web and cloud stuff. They need to infuse new blood into their web/cloud solutions ecosystem. .Mac -> MobileMe just stunk, and I'm honestly not impressed with iCloud so far, especially with the capacity issues it had at launch.

----------

And since you've got a nice data center, perhaps you can keep iWeb and Photo Gallery around as well. :>) Bad Apple !!!

The dropping of web gallery honestly has me peeved as well. I had my parents all set up for one-click publishing of their photo albums. Do you know how long it takes to teach an old dog a new trick? I don't know if I will ever get them to use flickr...

...for various reasons, Facebook and other social media is not an option for them.

 

[kas23]

Not quite as easy as hitting a button on your iPhone that says "Use iCloud" and have it done.

Dropbox is a really good sync technology but Apple's approach with iCloud is superior. Once you've set up iCloud you simply just opt-in when you have an app that needs sync. It really could not get any easier.

You hit opt-in to do what exactly? I really don't know what iCloud does. I can upload files to have them accessible on another remote computer, can I?

And, it's not a simple as it seems. People having to sign-up for all these multiple accounts has been a unnecessarily complex. Why exactly did I have to sign-up for an email account to have my notes synced? Was my other account info not good enough? Truth is, if you ask the average person (not people on MRs) what exactly does iCloud do, they wouldn't be able to tell you.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

"reducing the number of devices people need to carry with them on the go."

huh? Thanks to Apple marketing strategy I need to carry several Apple products to cover all my needs anyway.

They meant limiting the number of pieces of non-Apple hardware. The iPod, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook some of us haul around wherever we go must not count. Seriously, I think someone's 4th grader wrote this for his class assignment.

 

[nuckinfutz]

You hit opt-in to do what exactly? I really don't know what iCloud does. I can upload files to have them accessible on another remote computer, can I?

And, it's not a simple as it seems. People having to sign-up for all these multiple accounts has been a unnecessarily complex. Why exactly did I have to sign-up for an email account to have my notes synced? Was my other account info not good enough? Truth is, if you ask the average person (not people on MRs) what exactly does iCloud do, they wouldn't be able to tell you.

Once you set up an iCloud account syncing data is as simple as hitting an "Use iCloud" button. I don't have to worry about moving data to a folder. For me the best scenario is to use both. I use Dropbox when iCloud isn't available and when I have the choice I default to iCloud because it is a cleaner setup.

Another situation where Dropbox would be the ideal solution is for files that you want to share directly from your Dropbox. iCloud doesn't really have sharing options yet that are as easy.

iCloud is superior for non document based apps. For instance I have an app named StockTouch. It allows me to look at the performance of stocks in an interesting manner. It doesn't save a document however so Dropbox wouldn't be ideal for the sync. iCloud supports Key Value Data. This is small bits of data that aren't documents but still need to be kept in sync. Apps like Games (achievements, levels, coins etc) and and others that merely need to keep small bits of data in sync will use iCloud for the Key Value Data.

Great thing about the Cloud is that you aren't forced into just one instance of Cloud technology.

nuk

 

[tylerk36]

Hire me. I suspect I will get Stock options and my own private vegan chef. Make sure its a beautiful woman with dark brown hair and blue eyes. 38 24 36. Not married has no kids wears 501's and a black turtle neck shirt. Lol.

 

[z3r0]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Am I the only one that thinks Apple should buy Joyent or at least outsource to?

http://www.joyent.com/

Seems like a lot of Suns talent went to Joyent: http://pelegri.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/a-year-after-the-people/

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

According to the report, Apple is thinking about building new cloud-based web applications with an eye toward reducing the number of devices people need to carry with them on the go.

In summer 2012:
...
iPod touch 5G with:
3G/4G network access
GPS (Google Maps or Apple 3D Maps)
iCloud test account for at least 90 days after activation

If you make the iPad 3 thicker (0.7 mm), why not the iPod touch 5G?

 

[MisterK]

Where are Apple's cloud guys

I know what Apple is trying to do with iCloud and their intentions are fantastic. In theory this should do things better than the "disk in the sky" metaphor that Dropbox creates (and I LOVE and pay for extra storage on Dropbox). Apple should definitely have a Dropbox-like component, but I like the idea that I don't even have to think to put anything in there. The overarching concept of iCloud is that each of my devices are just different views of my content and my content is constant. My stuff follows me around like memories and I can access (and change) those through any of my devices and make changes. The information is agnostic and always within reach. It's quite beautiful.

I don't know what Apple's holdup in explaining this simply to people is and why they can't seem to deliver. I know sync is hard. I've heard it a bunch of times, but surely some of the smart people in Cupertino can figure it out.

I think the worry is twofold, though. I don't know if my ideal of iCloud would satisfy many in the tech community. They seem to need more fine control – more knobs to fiddle with. "What if I don't want this here, but I do what it here". It's a reasonable expectation, but not from Apple. Apple's job, for the mass market, is to make this first view I described above. Access to your everything from everywhere and it's all automatically local in each of those places.

Maybe we just need a better metaphor to understand it and maybe Apple needs to define a better metaphor to implement it more simply.

Maybe our songs, documents, and pictures are like remote control airplanes and our devices are universal remotes. Maybe it's like automatic sub versioning (but how do you explain THAT to the masses?)

Whatever they come up with needs to be summed up in a simple sentence. Until they can do that, then the answer isn't in its ideal form. That's Apple's biggest challenge before they can solve the rest of it.

 

[nagromme]

Apple already got it down to just one device you need to carry (first by expanding the “smartphone” concept into much more, while making it usable for the first time, and second via the awesome camera). I’m not sure where the profit is if they drop that to zero!

 

[waldo1979]

Rofl, "WE NEED TEH CLOUD GET MORE CLOUD DRONES".

Newflash, Cloud computing is about privacy harvesting. To join the race you must first try to be the indentity provider of the internet. From there you can track a user's internet behavoir and start profiling. These profiles allow you to hit your target demographics (now that you know what it is!?!).

Oh wait... Apple is a hardware company. Shouldn't a bay area company know all this. Can't you drive down the road and talk to facebook or google? Oh right... they hate you.

Why don't you try focusing on convincing media companies that their 1980 VHS cassette rentals profit models for TV content are deprecated and they're bleeding profits to piracy simply because it's easier to pirate than get content ligitimately. It's simple math for the simple minded.

Keep it real

 

[vitzr]

So they're going to take away Web Photo Galleries and then give them back?

Apple is THE Master when it comes to milking our wallets.

You don't really believe its being given back for Free do you?

Apple & Free don't mix. Only when used in a typically misleading way.

"iCloud is free" ... Yeah Right... LOL

 

[vitzr]

Not quite as easy as hitting a button on your iPhone that says "Use iCloud" and have it done.

Dropbox is a really good sync technology but Apple's approach with iCloud is superior. Once you've set up iCloud you simply just opt-in when you have an app that needs sync. It really could not get any easier.

My my we certainly seem to gave blind faith in Apple. Just the kinds of customers Apple loves. Question nothing, just fork over your money. See how easy Apple has it ? They build it, others buy it.

If problems arise, everyone goes into denial and that's that

 

[tj2001]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405)

My only thought on powerful and extremely user friendly cloud UI is seek out partnership with Synology!!

I own one of their 2 Bay NAS and the software and amazing features behind the software is untouchable from my experience.

 

[PlipPlop]

Apples cloud offerings are just terrible compared to Google's offerings. They should just license things from Google.