By Gerry Shih
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The architect of Android, the world's top-selling mobile operating system, Andy Rubin, has decided to step down as Google Inc combines mobile software divisions under one roof, the company said on Wednesday.
Google appointed Sundar Pichai, the executive overseeing its Chrome web browser and applications like Google Drive and Gmail, to take over Rubin's responsibilities, hinting at how the company with the dominant Internet search engine intends to address the rise of mobile devices.
In a blog post, Larry Page, Google's chief executive and co-founder, credited Rubin for evangelizing Android several years ago and building it into a free, open-source platform that runs on nearly three-quarters of the world's smartphones and is used by the world's largest handset manufacturers, from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to HTC Corp.
"Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android ? and with a really strong leadership team in place ? Andy's decided it's time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google," Page wrote. "Andy, more moonshots please!
The merger of the Chrome and Android divisions helps resolve a longstanding tension in the Mountain View, California-based search engine company's corporate strategy, and reflects a convergence of mobile and desktop software.
When Google poured resources into launching the Chrome web browser five years ago, the company laid out a vision of the Internet and an ecosystem of apps based on the Web. Since then, the Android operating system, acquired by Google in 2005, has exploded in popularity, enabling third-party handset makers like Samsung to overtake Apple Inc while also spawning a massive economy of third-party apps that are only loosely affiliated with Google.
"You had this Chrome OS and this Android Group that were building in many overlapping products," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Gartner. "But for Google, it's not about the platform, but the ecosystem. They're more concerned long-term about Google Docs, Google Voice, Google Books, and less about helping Samsung sell more phones."
Chrome, Gartenberg added, "was the purest expression of Google's philosophy."
Page was mum on Rubin's future role. Some analysts speculated that Rubin, an executive with a knack for developing products, could take on one of the company's many budding projects such as its Glass eyewear or the self-driving car.
"If he really has the magic touch perhaps he can create something else within Google," said Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Partners, who added that it was better for Google to have a more "cohesive" mobile brand.
Android is now installed on roughly two-thirds of the world's smartphones, supplanting Apple Inc at the pinnacle of the fast-moving mobile arena.
Anrdoid tablets are also expected to overtake Apple's iPad in terms of shipments in 2013, IT research house IDC predicted on Tuesday.
"Going forward, Sundar Pichai will lead Android, in addition to his existing work with Chrome and Apps. Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use?and he loves a big bet," Page wrote in the blogpost.
Pichai, who began his engineering training in India before moving to the United States, aggressively pushed Google's Chrome browser in 2008, when Microsoft Corp's Explorer lorded over the market. Chrome now commands a roughly 35 percent market share according to Web traffic analyzers StatCounter.
He is also credited with the development of some of the company's more successful apps, such as Calendar and Gmail.
"While Andy's a really hard act to follow, I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward," Page said.
Google shares slipped 0.2 percent to $825.83 in afternoon trading.
(Reporting by Edwin Chan and Gerry Shih; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Leslie Adler and Andrew Hay)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/googles-pichai-replaces-rubin-androids-helm-171945897--sector.html
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