Google Shuffle: CEO Larry Page Transfers Product Power To Pichai

Sundar Pichai has been moving up in the world over the past several years. Word this afternoon is that Google CEO has done some reorganizing of staff duties, putting Pichai in charge of core Google products. While he'd had responsibilities with Android, Chrome, and Google Apps before, Pichai will now take control of search, maps, Google+, commerce and ads, research, and infrastructure. Page has suggested that these powers – until now his – would be transferred so that he might focus on the "bigger picture" – instead of these slightly smaller duties, that is to say.

Word of this transfer comes from Recode and in turn from Google staff who've been sent a memo this afternoon detailing the changes. It would appear more clear than ever that Pichai might some day act as CEO of Google in place of Page – though that's not been confirmed in any way by Google itself.

Pichai has been working with Google since 2004. He's been in charge of product management for Google Chrome and Chrome OS in major ways, worked with development for Gmail and Google Maps, and in 2012 he was put in charge of Google Apps. In 2013 he was put in charge of Android entirely.

It's been suggested that Pichai might not get a title change with this role change, but that the six executives in charge of each of these new product areas will now report to Pichai where they'd previously reported to Page.

Page will continue to manage Nest, Calico, Google X, legal, finance and business (ad sales included), access and energy, and business and operations.