It has become common for big tech companies from Silicon Valley and San Francisco to open branch offices in the Seattle region, including Google, Facebook, Salesforce, Oracle, HP, and many others. In many cases, the offices are engineering centers, boosting the ability of each company to recruit developers in the region.
So where the heck is Apple?
That’s the question raised by developer Gus Mueller, founder of Flying Meat Software, in this post over the weekend. He noted the large population of developers in the Seattle region experienced in Apple’s Cocoa framework for iOS and OS X development, and the frequency with which Apple attempts to recruit these developers to California.
Yes, Apple traditionally keeps things close to the vest in Cupertino. But Mueller says the company should break with tradition and open its own engineering center here.
“I know the usual responses: secrecy, being face to face is important, it is against Apple’s DNA. But you know what? Apple needs quality developers in a bad way, so I think it’s time for that special DNA to evolve,” he writes.
He adds, “Hire a manager, and open an Apple developer office in Seattle. There are plenty of places across the country where Apple has offices for historical reasons or acquisitions. Why not have a remote office on purpose this time?
The topic of Apple in Seattle also came up last week in the context of the redevelopment plan for the Yesler Terrace property east of downtown Seattle, and the desire for a large tech company as an anchor tenant.
It’s an interesting idea, but pretty unlikely. Setting up shop in Microsoft and Amazon country is probably not the first item on Apple CEO Tim Cook’s to-do list, even if it could boost the company’s recruiting prospects.
