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Yesterday Erick Tseng announced his departure for Facebook to head up their mobile division, and now Senior Software Engineer Cedric Beust is parting ways as well. He will be headed to LinkedIn to work with their mobile development. All of this just begs the question: what exactly is going on over at Google with their Android team?
Beust was under Google’s employ for six years, working on Java development for Android, and was an integral part to the Android team. Along with Erick Tseng, that’s two big names in as many days who have found a new home at social networking sites. I’d be hesitant to say something bad is brewing behind the scenes at Google, and would more chalk this one up to coincidence. In Tseng’s tweets and Beust’s blog posting announcing the move, there is not a negative word to be found about their experiences working on Android.
If anything, I’d say this is more a case of just how far Android has come. With the bulk of the heavy work done and Android now sitting pretty in the mobile market, these ex-Android team members most likely see the opportunity in using their experience to better serve another area of mobile development.
In his parting words, Beust makes one thing clear regarding the future of Android and the imminent release of Froyo: “prepare to be blown away by what you will see very soon.”
[via TechCrunch]
:(
WTF
Maybe its just me.. but if things were about to cool off a bit for the android team, i’d be staying put.. who doesn’t like a lighter work load? More time to surf the net at work :)
this could work out good if Google replaces these guys with people who have fresh new ideas and thinking about android.
guys like these two that just left seem to always like to push themselves, always have a challenge. That’s why you’ll always see them innovating and bringing tech further and further.
I hate to see Android loose valuable people, but You could also look at it like they’re going to other places to make it worth with Android better and bring even more opportunity to the Android platform..
I would personally stay as I think there is a lot more work to be done on Android.
EXACTLY. Android should be getting better FB/Linkedin apps.
at the very least we should eventually see some decent Facebook and Linkedin apps for Android…
Classic stuff…it happens all the time where I work..you train up, develop your culture, etc, then move to a whole other org or department and infuse that there creating a more homogeneous environment. I’m with elijablake, expect more integration between Facebook, Linkdin and Android
I think this is actually due to the success of Android. I think these guys are being head hunted. They are probably leaving to get better money and more control over the projects they are working on.
They’ve done a great job for Android, and let’s hope they do well elsewhere.
Being a senior software engineer myself, I know that Google is very demanding on their senior engineers so I would imagine the life/work balance is probably a factor and I’ve work in Telecomm and that environment is crazy stressful, putting these together has be ok for a while but after a while you seek to move out of the fast lane where you can get the same of more money for 20 hours less a week.
THANKS Erick and Cedric for what you’ve accomplished with Android! I just can’t wait to see where Froyo is gonna take us!!
Sometimes people feel for a change,when the opportunity comes they go with it.Life goes on as well as business, the work will not stop.I look forward to development of games on Android which Google is seriously looking into and probably after they will begin to look into developing Froyo beyond.
I have no problem with them leaving,as long as its not to “THE FRUITY ONE”.
It’s all about freedom and choice or you can say freedom of choice if you like.
Oh since they weren’t working for Apple, they already had their freedom.
that last sentence sent chills through me.
cant wait!
When did Google acquire Android? As part of such an acquisition, key people probably signed employment contracts. What employment length might these contracts be for?
The pace of development is supposed to slow down a bit with froyoon the way. I suspect these two have accomplished what they wanted and are looking for other fast moving ships.
DannyB, google did not buy android, google CREATED android.
I wonder why it has taken so long to STILL not have separate ringtones for notifications, SMS and EMAIL messages. Then, also, there is no Divx/Xvid playback and NO EQ in the music apps… i could go on… still plenty to do with android.
@Jrun4: it’s you and the majority of people which is why Erick and Cedric are where they are in life/career.
The majority of people would prefer the “lighter workload” but the few like these two are why new ideas are created, why businesses grow, and ultimately why they’re rolling in $$$ while you’re still dreading Monday morning on that Sunday afternoon.
Hope this doesn’t slow down the release or Froyo :(
fredphoesh… you are an idiot… they did not create Android they bought the Android startup headed by Andy Rubin. Go Google that.
@fredphoesh are you on drugs? You can have different sounds for sms and email. You just have to set it up from with in the application it’s self. So for email you go into it’s setting and configure it, then go into messaging and do the same.
BTW Google did obtain Android through a purchase. However the majority of the development has probably been done since.
Actually, I’m pretty sure that Google did BUY Android when it was being created by the startup company of the same name and just further developed it with the Open Handset Alliance. I don’t know if Eric and Cedric were part of the original team but I agree with others that their departure can expand and strengthen the adoption of Android, especially since they’re heading to other high-profile social networking companies. Their contributions to our favorite mobile platform will not go unnoticed but at the stage that Android is at, there will be very eager individuals ready to step up to promote and evolve Android even further. They are heading off to other ventures while their stock is high and Android is getting some really good exposure in the media. Can’t blame them and I wish them luck. I’m sure they will keep in touch with the team.