Shane Cole
Apple's hardware-oriented corporate culture has been responsible for delays that have plagued the rollout of the company's automotive strategy, a new report suggests.
Apple executives "didn't quite know what to do" with the iOS in the Car program, according to The Information's Jessica E. Lessin. The disconnect is attributed primarily to overarching organizational issues that are said to place pressure on non-hardware products that do not fit within existing teams.
Even in the lead-up to iOS in the Car's high-profile unveiling at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference last June, executives were reportedly still unsure about the product's future. The iOS in the Car group was forced to "lobby hard" for stage time, sources told the publication.
Following that announcement, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the initiative "very, very important" and a "key focus" for the company heading into 2014. Despite those assurances, however, development appears to have remained slow.
Alliances with major manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari have failed to bear fruit thus far, and announcements from other automakers have been few and far between. Only Apple's Siri Eyes Free functionality has made it into production vehicles.
The news comes as rival Google is positioning its Android operating system as an alternative for in-car 'infotainment' systems. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company announced partnerships with automakers including Audi, Hyundai, Honda, and General Motors earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
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83 Comments
This is it? Or all that you get without paying?
Seems to be par for the course these days. At some point the Apple management need to focus and get some fire in their bellies again and start kicking some ass. Sleepy time in Cupertino will lead to a slow fade.
[quote name="bennettvista" url="/t/161805/organizational-strife-said-to-bedevil-apples-ios-in-the-car-intiative#post_2464383"]Seems to be par for the course these days. At some point the Apple management need to focus and get some fire in their bellies again and start kicking some ass. Sleepy time in Cupertino will lead to a slow fade.[/quote] What sleepy time?
"News"? No sources that I can see.
The sleepy time that anyone can see a mile away if they pay attention and their loyalties aren't so far ingrained in one company that they overlook obvious missteps. The sleepy time of not realizing that you can't control each and every aspect of every single product and that control has a point or curve where once reached experiences diminishing returns. If Apple would stop trying to control every single minute thing and worry about the only control that truly matters which is overall quality control they would be in a better place. Here is what's going to happen... iOS in the car WILL indeed be launched, it will then be received with lukewarm fan fair... it will be 'neat' for a bit and then because of the way Apple thinks and their corporate culture it won't go far because essentially carmakers are going to need to concede to add the functionality into their already functioning in-dash products which essentially perform all the functions that iOS in the car does but with an interface that's as pretty. THEN Google will start it's onslaught and through their partnerships with these same manufacturers will get Android as the actual operating on the in-dash units themselves. Rather than just essentially a plugin which beams or streams iOS data from the iPhone onto in-dash unit, Googles partnership will see Android actually installed directly on those units. This coupled with Googles approach to be less open and less controlling will give way to a LOT of developer support for the in-dash unit to customize the interface and make it as pretty and/or informative as said developer imagines and the users/customers of these in-dash units will have true choice over the look of their dash, the functionality, and the information they are presented. Apple all the while will be Apple and they will control their little app plugin and give the users no options for how it looks, no options for the information displayed, and real options for developers to tap into it's potential (just like with Apple TV). At the end of the day this will play out just like iOS vs. Android. iOS in the car will have a sizable following but Googles initiative will dominate the industry because they work WITH people instead of arrogantly always presuming on people and making an environment that feels like even though you partner with them, you really are just working FOR them and that they know best, always, at all times, even when they don't.