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Cyanogen Gets a New CEO, Shifts Away From Selling a Full Mobile Operating System (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Cyanogen, a startup behind its own, alternative version of the Android operating system, now has a new CEO. In the wake of reports that the company exaggerated its success in terms of active users, layoffs, and difficulties scaling, Cyanogen's co-founder and CEO Kirt McMaster will be transitioning into an "Executive Chairman" role, while Lior Tal, previously COO, will now assume the CEO position. In addition, Steve Kondik, Cyanogen's co-founder and CTO, will be taking on a new role as Chief Science Officer, the company announced. He will report Stephen Lawler, the company's SVP of Engineering. Today's blog post from new CEO Tal also somewhat acknowledged the company's struggles, and announced plans to shift in its business model with the launch of a new Cyanogen Modular OS program. "in recent years, Android and the mobile ecosystem changed," wrote Tal. "Android has become extremely fragmented causing serious security vulnerabilities and few or no incentives to device manufacturers to deliver software upgrades and/or security patches," he said. "Increased demand for lower-priced smartphones, coupled with the specifications arms race, has left manufacturers focused on scale and efficiency while compromising investment in software and services. Innovation cannot happen in a vacuum, which is what we have today," Tal added. The company will be moving away from its former model which involved it shipping the full-stack of the operating system, the company says. Its new program will instead allows manufacturers to introduce their own, customizable smartphones that use different parts of the Cyanogen OS via dynamic modules and MODs, while still using the ROM of their choice. That means they could still run stock Android on their devices, then pick and choose the pieces of Cyanogen's technology they want to also add. The full Cyanogen OS is still available and being sold, but is no longer the main focus. In July, Cyanogen Inc. laid off 20 percent of its workforce and sent a letter from McMaster to employees admitting that, despite shipping millions of devices with its OS, was "not scaling fast enough nor in an efficient manner."
So their solution is to fragment the ecosystem even more?
If they stop releasing unmolested pure open OS images then what good are they going to be?
If I cant rip out the Craptastic shitpile that Samsung has in the phone as well as the crap that AT&T shovels in and get it back to a pure android with optional enhancements that they are known for then I dont see where they will go.
Cyanogenmod was the ONLY highly trusted alternative to make an android phone back into a decent device. It was the only way I was able to make the HTC One M8 into something tolerable and get rid of that craptastic "sense" that they force on you.
I really hope the CEO is mis quoted, because the Cyaongenmod OS images are what make android phones great.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Seriously not trying to troll. With the granular privacy settings in stock, what does Cyanogenmod really offer over AOSP now?
Seems the best option would be a new team that focuses on making a stable AOSP that's updatable and supports a variety of hardware other then the Nexus line, may it RIP.