Former Apple Executive Avie Tevanian Joins Palm-Linked Elevation Partners

[MacRumors]

Private equity firm Elevation Partners today announced that former Apple executive Avie Tevanian has joined the company as a Managing Director, joining former Apple Chief Financial Officer Fred Anderson on the team behind Palm's attempt at reinventing itself.

Tevanian was a major figure at NeXT Computer, founded by Steve Jobs and later acquired by Apple for its NeXTSTEP operating system that eventually evolved into Mac OS X. He joined Apple as part of the 1996 acquisition of NeXT, and was named Chief Software Technology Officer in 2003. He left the company in 2006.

Fred Anderson, Managing Director and co-founder of Elevation said, "Avie and I worked closely together at Apple for many years and I have always admired his engineering talent and leadership, his strategic vision for how software can transform businesses and his ability to execute on that vision. We are proud that he has decided to join Elevation and believe he will be a huge asset as we explore new investment opportunities”.

Elevation Partners holds a close relationship with Apple competitor Palm, having purchased a 25% stake in the company in mid-2007 as Palm prepared to refocus on its new webOS operating system that officially kicked off in early 2009 with the introduction of the Palm Pre.

As part of the restructuring of Palm, longtime NeXT and Apple executive Jon Rubinstein joined the company, where he now serves as CEO. Combined with the association with Anderson, who holds a position on Palm's board alongside two other directors of Elevation Partners, and now Tevanian, as well as several other hires from Apple's ranks, Palm has been seen as one the primary challengers to Apple's iPhone. But while Palm has released several webOS smartphones over the past year, it has yet to gain significant market share and is instead being overshadowed in recent months by the increasing success of Android-based smartphones.

Article Link: Former Apple Executive Avie Tevanian Joins Palm-Linked Elevation Partners

 

[Elzlaik]

Let me guess ... Avie Tevanian has never used an iPhone either.

 

[Digitalclips]

Is it possible Avie Tevanian has a grudge against Steve and or Apple?

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Once Palm hires Steve J. they can change their name to "Pomegranate" and the cat will be out of the bag.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Is it possible Avie Tevanian has a grudge against Steve and or Apple?

Or like a bulk of us former Apple employees, the honeymoon ends

 

[iChan]

This is good news, I like Palm too... I respect what they are doing, reminds me of Apple in the early 00's.

Past, successful Apple execs joining them makes me feel positive about Palm.

 

[Peace]

Pretty soon Palm will be Apple 10 years ago.

 

[mkrishnan]

Is it possible Avie Tevanian has a grudge against Steve and or Apple?

Some people just like the challenge, in fairness, or something new. Also, this Elevation sounds more like a start-up incubator than a competitor to Apple.

I think it can be similar to, say, the people leaving relatively profitable companies or lucrative industries to take a chance at re-making General Motors. They're not always doing it out of spite. Sometimes they just want a chance to be more central in running the show.

 

[50548]

This is good news, I like Palm too... I respect what they are doing, reminds me of Apple in the early 00's.

Past, successful Apple execs joining them makes me feel positive about Palm.

Apple will soon buy Palm, just as Apple bought NeXT 12 years ago...so any discussion on Palm devices is irrelevant.

 

[DougB541]

Elevation Partners seems to be invested in Palm for the long run (otherwise they could've cashed out a while ago with substantial profits.


Like I said, I have the Palm Pre and I really like it and think WebOS has so much potential.

I'm hoping Palm keeps on trucking so i'll be happy with any additional support/help they get.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Pretty soon Palm will be Apple 10 years ago.

You mean all of the people who MADE APPLE who they are TODAY.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Is it possible Avie Tevanian has a grudge against Steve and or Apple?

No. The man worked with him from 1989 to the early 2000s. He's made tens of millions of dollars working with Steve and two of his companies.

He's got an itch to get back into the game and there aren't openings for his title at Apple, period.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Elevation Partners seems to be invested in Palm for the long run (otherwise they could've cashed out a while ago with substantial profits.


Like I said, I have the Palm Pre and I really like it and think WebOS has so much potential.

I'm hoping Palm keeps on trucking so i'll be happy with any additional support/help they get.

You write like you know nothing about operating systems.

 

[DougB541]

You write like you know nothing about operating systems.

What do you mean?

 

[FakeWozniak]

Apple will soon buy Palm, just as Apple bought NeXT 12 years ago...so any discussion on Palm devices is irrelevant.

Um, tell me one thing that Apple needs from Palm. Products "compete", but there is no IP that Apple needs.Palm is a dead cat lying next to the road. I respect Bono, but this was a bonehead investment.

Many people are missing the point about "Palm being Apple 10 years ago". The folks that left Apple, left 10 years ago. It's more the "talent" at Palm being the same as Apple's 10 years ago, not the products. Palm is a 1 trick pony and when Apple and Google devices flood Sprint, the vultures would have dragged Palms rotten corpse from the side of the road.

 

[AidenShaw]

Apple will soon buy Palm, just as Apple bought NeXT 12 years ago...so any discussion on Palm devices is irrelevant.

You forgot

PALM IS DEAD!

 

[kdarling]

Palm's going to be on both AT&T and Verizon soon. WebOS is a very decent system, powerful yet easy to learn. It'll be medium popular, with good word of mouth recommendations.

Just needs a little larger display for some of us.

As someone else commented on another iPhone forum: just give us a Nexus handset with WebOS!

 

[50548]

Um, tell me one thing that Apple needs from Palm. Products "compete", but there is no IP that Apple needs.Palm is a dead cat lying next to the road. I respect Bono, but this was a bonehead investment.

Many people are missing the point about "Palm being Apple 10 years ago". The folks that left Apple, left 10 years ago. It's more the "talent" at Palm being the same as Apple's 10 years ago, not the products. Palm is a 1 trick pony and when Apple and Google devices flood Sprint, the vultures would have dragged Palms rotten corpse from the side of the road.

Surely it does, because patents are carried over with each cientist the company loses. Tevanian was an asset for Apple, and someone SJ would gladly take back.

As for Mr. Rubinstein and his opportunistic attitude, he should just become a rabbi in the synagogue next door; his period of useful contributions to Apple is over.

You forgot

PALM IS DEAD!

Indeed; thank you Sir.

 

[AidenShaw]

Indeed; thank you Sir.

Welcome

 

[brendu]

in 1996 a LOT of people said apple was dead... companies can and do come back when they have a solid product... and webOS is a solid product.. it is much nicer and more polished than android, and despite a smaller app catalog has a big advantage.. palm completely controls webOS, like apple does with iPhoneOS... until the nexus one google does not fully control android, and the lack of continuing and frequent updates to all android products is going to hurt android overall, they will be more and more like windows mobile which as we all know has major issues...

all that said, android is real nice, iPhone is still the winner... but Palm is not dead... and in about three years everyone who is declaring Palm dead will be eating those words... (although I doubt if Palm phones ever overtake the iPhone in marketshare

 

[scroto]

Apple will soon buy Palm, just as Apple bought NeXT 12 years ago...so any discussion on Palm devices is irrelevant.

You're irrelevant

 

[kdarling]

Surely it does, because patents are carried over with each scientist the company loses.

At least in the USA, employee patents are almost always assigned to the company they work for. Any place like Apple would certainly require such a contract.

 

[mccldwll]

in 1996 a LOT of people said apple was dead... companies can and do come back when they have a solid product... and webOS is a solid product.. it is much nicer and more polished than android, and despite a smaller app catalog has a big advantage.. palm completely controls webOS, like apple does with iPhoneOS... until the nexus one google does not fully control android, and the lack of continuing and frequent updates to all android products is going to hurt android overall, they will be more and more like windows mobile which as we all know has major issues...

all that said, android is real nice, iPhone is still the winner... but Palm is not dead... and in about three years everyone who is declaring Palm dead will be eating those words... (although I doubt if Palm phones ever overtake the iPhone in marketshare

Palm will no longer exist a year from now. WebOS will be bought by someone, and if it's the right company, may survive. Hang onto your Pixis and Pres because they'll be collectibles.

 

[haunebu]

Correction

From the MR article:

"But while Palm has released several webOS smartphones over the past year, it has yet to gain significant market share..."

Sorry, but Palm has only released two webOS phones (Pre and Pixi), and they've been out for just six months. In fact, the Pixi has been out for just half that time.

To say that several devices have been out for a year is taking serious editorial liberty.

It's pretty amazing to see what Palm's webOS has achieved in such a short amount of time, on one carrier. I can't wait to play with the Palm Pre Plus on Verizon. Two weeks to go.

Go Palm!

 

[Shin3r]

I tried Palm webOS for a short period of time; just enough to return it and go back to my iPhone. That said however, they have a solid new beginning with webOS. I did like it but it's just not as polished as iPhone OS. If they could focus on better hardware and polish the OS to what Apple is currently offering, they easily have a fighting chance. It's too early to say though whether they will pull it off or not. Good competition never hurts anyone.