Apple co-founder may have been too involved

Apple's iAd network may actually be in a position to improve without Steve Jobs as company CEO, according to a Business Insider source described as "familiar with the situation." The person says that Jobs used to make many of the decisions at iAd, and that as he became sicker, it became increasingly difficult for the iAd team to accomplish anything. With Jobs gone, Eddy Cue is said to be free to properly take charge of iAd, and make decisions on issues like pricing and technology that weren't discussed while Jobs was alive.

The source believes that despite iAd being ignored by Apple executives in recent keynotes and earnings calls, the company is more committed now than when it first bought out Quattro, since it has full ownership of the platform. The person also argues that Apple has a great opportunity with iAd, since it has a tremendous amount of data on users through their iTunes registrations and download histories.

iAd has not lived up to initial expectations. The network was originally promoted as a high-end advertising option, mostly limited to major corporations thanks to a $1 million minimum buy. That minimum was rapidly halved, however, and is thought to have shrunk still further in recent months. Advertisers have complained not only about cost but issues like its iOS exclusivity, and Apple exercising too much development control.

by MacNN Staff