Today, General Motors Co (GM.N) announced the appointment of former Apple Inc (AAPL.O) executive Mike Abbott to head a division that will integrate three software functions within the company.
Starting on May 22, Abbott will oversee the development of vehicle and enterprise software technologies.
As automakers such as GM and Ford Motor Co (F.N), increasingly invest in technology and software services, they aim to capitalize on subscription-based services while pushing for electric vehicles.
GM CEO Mary Barra noted, “We have entered the next phase of our technology-driven transformation focused on rapidly scaling new EV models.”
The announcement also comes off the heels of GM announcing that it will no longer offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration in its future lineup of electric vehicles. Some may speculate that this hiring move could help bolster innovation to make up for the loss of Apple CarPlay.
During his tenure at Apple, Abbott led the team responsible for developing core infrastructure for all cloud-based services, including iCloud, iMessage, Private Relay, Mail, and account security. In March, Bloomberg News reported Abbott’s departure from the iPhone maker.
Abbott previously held executive roles at Twitter and Palm and was a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.
GM’s announcement follows Ford’s appointment of the former head of Apple’s car project, Doug Field, to lead its advanced technology and embedded systems efforts nearly two years ago.
Source: Reuters
