Apple’s Executive in Charge of Government Sales Is Said to Depart Company

By Adam Satariano - Dec 2, 2011 5:05 AM GMT+0700

Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s vice president in charge of sales to the U.S. government, who helped get its devices into more federal agencies, has left the company, according to a person with knowledge of the move.

Ron Police, who had run the government sales force since 2004, left in October, said the person, who asked not to be named because the departure hasn’t been disclosed. Police’s LinkedIn profile indicates that he’s no longer at the company.

Police, who couldn’t be reached for comment, helped Apple’s iPhone and iPad gain a foothold at government agencies, a market traditionally dominated by technology products from companies such as Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Dell Inc. (DELL) and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) To further that effort, Apple is seeking security certification from the National Institute of Standards, the agency that provides technology recommendations to the federal government.

While President Barack Obama has said he uses an iPad, government sales still only account for a small part of Apple’s revenue. In the fiscal year ended in September 2010, the latest period with complete data available, the federal government spent $50.8 million on Apple products, either directly or through resellers and integrators, according to information compiled by Bloomberg Government. Apple’s total sales in that period were $65.2 billion.

Even so, government agencies are starting to use Apple’s products more. The U.S. Defense Department has purchased iPads for trial use, and the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department has said its employees will be able to use iPhones and iPads to conduct official work.

Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California- based Apple, declined to comment.

Police’s departure creates another senior job opening for Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook to fill. Apple also is seeking executives for its retail operations and the iAd mobile- advertising platform.

Apple shares rose 1.5 percent to $387.93 at the close in New York. The stock has climbed 20 percent this year.