Apple Hires Amazon Search Guru To Run Siri

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Apple has tapped Amazon executive William Stasior to run Siri, the Cupertino company’s digital assistant. Stasior has been responsible for running Amazon’s A9 search/advertising unit, and his impressive CV has attracted Apple’s eye.

Siri co-founders Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer were hired by Apple when Siri was purchased back in 2010. Since then, both Kittlaus and Cheyer have left Apple with a Siri-sized hole for someone to fill. Stasior looks like the man for the job.

AllThingsD got the scoop:

Apple has hired major Amazon exec and prominent search technologist William Stasior to run its Siri unit, according to sources.

At the online retail giant, Stasior has been in charge of A9, Amazon’s search and search advertising unit. The former AltaVista exec co-founded the independent company and has run it since Udi Manber left for Google.

The report also hints at Stasior’s possible involvement with Apple’s iAd network:

What’s more intriguing is what else Stasior might find himself working on — presumably, strengthening Apple’s search and search advertising technology in the wake of its increasing competition with Google.

Since Apple kicked Google Maps to the curb in iOS 6, the only remaining tie with Google is search. Will Apple eventually do its own search network? Who knows. Stasior’s background in search will certainly be of value if the time ever comes.

Source: AllThingsD

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