Eddy'll Fix It: Apple's Eddy Cue the man to sort out iTunes, Siri and Apple Maps
Though hardware sales have been as strong as ever for Apple this year, it’s also been a year full of uncharacteristic software cock-ups too. By now, the Apple Maps debacle needs no introduction, while Siri and iTunes continue to disappoint.
These failing have led to the high-profile departure of Scott Forstall, former iOS chief, making way for Jony Ive to oversee both hardware and software at the cupertino company.
So, who’s going to pick up the pieces following these disastrous launches? Eddy Cue, Apple’s “Mr Fixit”.
Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services and Ferrari board member, has been given the unenviable task of getting Siri and Apple Maps up to scratch, and has been leading the iTunes 11 launch, expected to land later today.
So, is Cue up to the job? It seems so, according to a new profile piece from the WSJ. Seen as the senior exec to oversee “all the most important services that Apple wants to grow”, Apple staff have great faith in Cue, who seems a very likeable fellow:
“Employees single him out as the rare senior Apple manager who likes to make small talk and discuss sports. (Mr. Cue is a Duke University basketball fanatic, and his office is full of photos of the team.)
Employees appreciate that he doesn’t shy from acknowledging mistakes head-on by saying things like “We really f-ed up,” said people who know him.“
Remember, this is the man who championed a 7-inch tablet long before the iPad Mini became a reality, and that’s proving very popular so far.
The iTunes 11 launch today will be a good measuring post by which to gauge Cue’s expertise. If his leadership has managed to streamline the bloated mess that iTunes has become, we may yet be able to hold out hope for both Siri and Apple Maps.
