App Store VP Departs As Apple Prepares Organizational Changes

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (paywalled), App Store vice president Matt Fischer is departing the company in October as Apple prepares for organizational changes in response to regulatory pressure. MacRumors reports: Apple plans to split its App Store group into two teams, one that handles the App Store and a second team that oversees alternative app distribution. As of earlier this year, Apple has supported iOS app downloads from alternative app stores and from websites in the European Union, a change that the company had to make to comply with the Digital Markets Act. To handle ongoing compliance with EU regulations for app distribution and alternative payment methods, App Store chief Phil Schiller is changing the App Store's hierarchy.

Fischer joined Apple in 2003 to oversee iTunes marketing, but he has served as the vice president of the App Store since 2010. In an email to Apple employees today, Fischer said that he had been thinking about leaving Apple for some time, and the reorganization provided the right opportunity. With Fischer leaving, App Store senior director Carson Oliver will oversee the App Store, and Ann Thai, a director who oversees App Store features, will head up the team that handles alternative app distribution.

You keep using that word

[Powercntrl]

If Apple needs a separate team to manage "alternative app stores", they're not truly alternative now, are they? It's like the game the big cellular companies play with MVNOs. It gives the superficial appearance that there's actually competition, but in reality it's just 3rd parties reselling access to service provided by the major telcos.

I don't think this is what the EU actually envisioned when they legislated for Apple to open up their iDevices to competing app stores.

Re:

[Dusanyu]

Prehaps they need a way to manage altenritive app stores and prevent there phones from being sole preloaded with garbage and or malitious software by the Phone componies

Re:

[_merlin]

I browse from a terminal using links, you insensitive clod!

Re:

[vlad30]

On the one hand I agree It appears to be just like the MVNO market. OTOH I actually think its more like Amazon vs Temu,Alibaba etc Amazon generally sells stuff and its ok what I see on Amazon I can see either identical or similar but much cheaper on Temu, Alibaba etc with the caveat that Temu, Alibaba etc will happily send junk knowing full well when and if it arrives the customer is unlikely to go through the refund process. Those other app stores unless they are run by a company who cares about their rep

Re:

[Plumpaquatsch]

You keep using that word "manage" - when the article says "handle". Time your "manager" locks you back up

Two teams with wildly different mandates:

[hdyoung]

Team 1: "make it awesome"

Team 2: "make it shitty".

Malicious compliance in 3,2,1

Re:Two teams with wildly different mandates:

[Powercntrl]

"Malicious compliance department" has a nice ring to it.