Apple announces company shake-up

Apple has today announced executive management changes, encouraging even more collaboration between the company's hardware, software and services teams.

The tech giant released a statement saying iOS software SVP Scott Forstall will be leaving the company next year and will serve as an advisor to CEO Tim Cook in the interim.

Head of Retail John Browett is also leaving Apple, with his departure immediate.

Following less than a year of service with the Silicon Valley based company, Browett was responsible for the cutting of staff hours at Apple's retail stores as well as replacing Google Maps with the firm's first mapping application.

But with these decisions reversed and criticised respectively, Apple is now seeking an immediate replacement in the role.

"We are in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in Apple's history," says 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.

Cook also announced that Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi will add more responsibilities to their roles as part of the shake-up.

Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his role as the leader of Industrial Design.

Cue will take on the additional responsibility of Siri and Maps, placing all of our online services in one group, with Federighi leading both iOS and OS X.

Mansfield will lead a new group however, called Technologies, which combines all of Apple's wireless teams across the company in one organisation, including the semiconductor teams.