Google’s Newest Nameplate Order: Vint Cerf
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Written By Reprise Media | September 9, 2005 | Share This
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Google does it again with yet another high-profile hire. This time its not raiding the coffers of a competitor but rather going straight to the source, bringing aboard a man many refer to as the “Father of the Internet.”
Vinton Cerf has joined Google as “Chief Internet Evangelist” according to a statement released by the company yesterday. Cerf will begin working for the Big G in early October from his Virginia home with frequent visits to the company headquarters in Mountain View.
What does a “Chieft Internet Evangelist” do, exactly? Even Google execs themselves are unsure. Says Bill Coughran, VP of Engineering:
“It’s true Vint has broad interests, and exactly what he’ll do, we’ll see.”
Cerf is equally perplexed by his title:
“It’s chief internet evangelist, which suggests I should go from three-piece suits to some sort of ecclesiastical robes.”
He later went on to define his religion preference as “geek orthodox.”
This is an awesome hire for Google and symbolic of the migration from telcom (Cerf’s former employer was MCI) to online. It should also provide plenty of ammo for the ‘Google-as-hellbent-on-world-domination’ crowd, as one of Cerf’s pet projects is The Interplanetary Internet, which is devoted to creating a standard for planet-to-planet communication via radio and laser signals.
If you’re interested in hearing more about what this hire means, check out this quality analysis from Stefanie Olsen at CNET.
Topics: People on the Move |