Apple today announced that Dr. Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer of Google, was elected to Apple’s board of directors at their meeting today. Eric also sits on Google’s board of directors and Princeton University’s board of trustees.
“Eric is obviously doing a terrific job as CEO of Google, and we look forward to his contributions as a member of Apple’s board of directors,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric’s insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead.”
“Apple is one of the companies in the world that I most admire,” said Eric Schmidt in the release. “I’m really looking forward to working with Steve and Apple’s board to help with all of the amazing things Apple is doing.”
Eric Schmidt joined Google from Novell, where he was chairman and CEO. At Google, Eric shares responsibility for Google’s day-to-day operations, and is focused on building the corporate infrastructure needed to maintain Google’s rapid growth while ensuring that quality remains high and product development times are kept to a minimum. Eric’s 20 years of experience as an Internet strategist, entrepreneur and technologist give him a well-seasoned perspective which perfectly complements Google’s needs as a young and rapidly growing company with a unique corporate culture.
Prior to joining Novell, Eric was chief technology officer at Sun Microsystems, Inc., where he led the development of Java, Sun’s platform-independent programming technology, and defined Sun’s Internet software strategy. Before joining Sun in 1983, he was a member of the research staff at the Computer Science Lab at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), and held positions at Bell Laboratories and Zilog. Eric has a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University, and a master’s and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California-Berkeley. In 2006, Eric was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, which recognized his work on “the development of strategies for the world’s most successful Internet search engine company.”
Note to Ballmer’s secretary; DUCK!
Related article:
Chair hurling Microsoft CEO Ballmer: ‘I’m going to f—ing kill Google’ – September 03, 2005
FIRST!
Ummmm Whoa! They are freaking out in Redmond.
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…
Ho-lee-$#!+.
The CEO of Google? On the Apple board? That pretty much ensures synergy between the two companies.
Yeah, I’d say it’s Google & Apple vs. Microsoft.
News flash: Vista release on January 30, 2007
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/#1547418
Someone from the 1983 PARC research staff.
Exciting times ahead!
iDon’t for once what to say!
MW=business Cool, huh?
Can this guy have a more outstanding career??? It’s insane.
Is he replacing someone?. I hope he doesn’t turn into another Larry Ellison who was stretched so thin that hardly contributed to the board.
We will be taking Steve Ballmer home today.
Microsoft – Fails For Sure
Avis and Enterprise uniting against Hertz.
JEG: I’m not sure if there is a limit to how large the board can be.
Regardless, this is quite the coup. Jobs himself must have been trying to lure Schmidt to the Apple Board of Directors.
Jim:”Avis and Enterprise uniting against Hertz.”
That metaphor only applies of Hertz is the one whose cars have a tendency to crash.
duper.. lol… true.
(later that day, Dr. Schmidt speaking confidentially with Mr. Jobs:)
“Und now, Mikrozoft… ZUNE you shall feel our wrath! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!
(lightening flashing in the background…)
Maybe now Google will start releasing their new products on Macs at the same time they release them on Windows.
Be fair: That’s all I’m freaking asking!!!
Does he get paid? I hope he updates iPhoto which is a piece of crap.
I hope he’s replacing AL GORE! Send that idiot back to obscurity where he belongs.
Stuart> If he returns to obscurity, where will you go?
iDon’t: “Does he get paid? I hope he updates iPhoto which is a piece of crap.”
Google produced Picasa, which I feel is actually superior to iPhoto in a few ways. For one, it produces much nicer looking photo web pages with css. Hopefully iPhoto can incorporate some of these features.
Apple and Google. My two favorite tech companies…
Last year Business 2.0 reported that they’ve learned from “telecom insiders” that Google is hard at work on a nation-wide high-capacity WiFi data network. Other speculation and rumors suggest that Apple may create a portable communications platform based on WiFi and iChat.
bravo MDN — now if only you could enable images in the forums so we could post our own renditions of what is going on in Redmond.
love the chair throwing .gif! Nice touch MDN!
lets see how synergies play out here…….all I know is this must be pissing off Redmond, and I like that!
Love the flying chair.
iDon’t… If you think iPhoto is a piece of crap, DON’T use it. Don’t be so cheap, use something that actually costs real money. But I don’t see how the CEO from Google joining the Apple board is going to improve software you think is crap. He’s not being brought in to develop software Apple gives away for free.
Microsoft won’t care. They’re too busy entertaining themselves with corporate videos:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9076288729387457440
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=959125392868390030
Well Steve DID mention Google at WWDC saying that Google and Apple innovate while MS copies. I found it odd that he mentioned Google then, now it makes sense.
Flying chair… ROFLMAO!!