Apple fires Maps manager as it works to fix the widely panned app

Apple has fired the manager in charge of its homegrown Maps app two months after the software debuted to harsh criticism.

Richard Williamson was let go by Senior Vice President Eddy Cue, according to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the situation. Cue is reportedly seeking advice from outside mapping experts and working with digital map company TomTom to fix navigation information and other data it provides to Apple.

Apple has been quick to own up to the app’s problems, which include poor directions, mislabeled landmarks, lack of information on public transportation and wildly inaccurate images (melting Las Vegas strip, anyone?). The outcry over the Maps app forced Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook to issue an apology in September in which he encouraged users to try alternatives from the company’s competitors.

The Cupertino, Calif., company’s Maps app replaced rival Google’s popular version on iOS 6 devices, including the new iPhone 5. Google’s Maps app had been a feature on the iPhone since the original device launched in 2007; Google is said to be working on a version of its Maps software for iOS 6 that will be available in Apple’s App Store.

Cue, who was promoted last month as part of a management shakeup that saw the departure of iOS head Scott Forstall, is hoping to develop a new leadership team that can oversee the company’s efforts to fix Maps, Bloomberg said. It’s unclear whether a successor to Williamson has been named.

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