Apple has fired the manager who was responsible for its flawed iOS 6 Maps application, according to Bloomberg sources, as the company seeks outside help to fix the app.

iOS 6 Maps

The sources, who were not named, said senior vice president Eddy Cue had sacked Richard Williamson, who was a senior director of iOS platform services and oversaw the mapping team at Apple.

Apple is yet to comment on the rumours.

Cue, who took on his role just last month, wasted little time in outing Williamson after the mapping application received widespread criticism for diplaying misspelt place names, poor quality satellite images and whole towns simply in the wrong place.

Complaints about the application resulted in Apple CEO Tim Cook posting a public apology on Apple's website, and soon after the head of iOS software Scott Forstall was sacked.

Cook said: "We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make maps better."

The CEO added that the application's accuracy will improve as more users report problems and Apple increases its mapping database, and finished the apology by suggesting customers try other mapping services such as Microsoft Bing and Google.

Shake-up

Following the management shake-up, Apple is now seeking advice from mapping experts like TomTom to help fix the navigation data it shares with Apple.

The maps application was an entirely new addition to the iOS 6 update, after Apple chose to no longer use mapping data provided by Google, whose maps had been on the iPhone since it launched in 2007; the search giant is now believed to be creating its own iOS maps app to rival Apple's.

In removing Google's app, iOS Maps lost Streetview images and public transport information, but gained turn-by-turn directions with voice commands and 3D buildings.

Cue will be familiar with picking up the pieces of an under-performing product, as back in 2011 the troubled MobileMe cloud service was handed over to him before it was shut down and relaunched as iCloud.

Williamson's full-time replacement is not yet known, and we are yet to hear back from Apple after requesting a comment.

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