Google Maps chief Jeff Huber moves to Google X after decade at company

Google has continued its restructuring plans, with maps chief Jeff Huber following the head of Android, Andy Rubin, out of Google and reportedly into the firm's laboratory project Google X.

Huber, who has run Google's Mapping and Commerce group for the last ten years, will join Google X, which is headed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Google X has produced projects such as Google Glass and the firm's driverless car programme.

"Jeff is an extraordinary executive. He just finished his first decade at Google - having worked on some of our most complicated issues like ads, apps, payments and geo - and now he is eager to work in more of a start-up environment," a Google spokesperson told Computing in an email.

Wired claims that former Andorid chief Rubin will also join Google X, and that Huber's former division will be split into two with Mapping falling under Google's Search division, run by senior vice president Alan Eustace, and Commerce run by Susan Wojcicki within Google' s Advertising Group.

Yesterday, Huber tweeted the news of his switchover to his followers.

"Finishing up my first decade at Google, and excited to begin the next one at Google X. What would you like to see X do next?" he said.

Earlier this week, Google CEO Larry Page revealed in a blog that Andy Rubin would be replaced by Sundar Pichai, who currently runs the company's Chrome web browser and Apps division.

According to some reports, the restructuring at Google reflects a tightening of control at the top of the company, and a desire to consolidate related ventures under fewer heads.

But, at the same time there are many who believe that Google's vision to place the likes of Huber and Rubin at Google X, and allowing Pichai to apply his expertise to the Linux-based operating system Android, will allow the company's divisions to communicate more closely together, thereby creating an increasingly unified Google.