Apple shake-up kick starts the Cook revolution

Apple’s management has undergone a major shake-up in a move that clearly signals the end of the Steve Jobs era and the start of Tim Cook powered revolution.

Cook, Apple CEO since the resignation of Jobs in August 2011, has ousted Scott Forstall – Apple’s senior vice president of iPhone Software – the man often credited as the head of iOS.

iOS, the software that is found on the massively popular iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, has faced fierce criticism since it was released last month, with many users unhappy with Apple’s new mapping platform. Tim Cook has since issued an apology letter for the Apple Maps saga, but it’s being reported that Forstall was unhappy with that action and refused to put his name to the apology.

The Wall Street Journal suggests that incident was the latest in a long line of clashes and has ultimately led to Forstall’s departure.

Sir Jony Ive, the Brit responsible for many of Apple’s iconic products – including the iPad, iPhone and the MacBook – sees his hardware responsibilities now stretch to the software side as well. “Jony Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his role as the leader of Industrial Design,” read an Apple statement.

But it’s not all good news for the British based Apple bosses; John Browett, the former Dixons boss who joined the Cupertino based company in January, is joining Forstall in heading out of the door.

The official word from Apple a positive one, as you’d expect. “We are in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in Apple’s history,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The amazing products that we’ve introduced in September and October, iPhone 5, iOS 6, iPad mini, iPad, iMac, MacBook Pro, iPod touch, iPod nano and many of our applications, could only have been created at Apple and are the direct result of our relentless focus on tightly integrating world-class hardware, software and services.”

Craig Federighi will lead both the iOS and OS X divisions now in a move that make delivering technology and user experience innovations easier on both platforms.