US tech giant Apple was providing a drag on New York equity markets on Wednesday after it announced changes to top management in an effort to 'encourage even more collaboration between our world-class hardware, software and services teams at all levels of our company'.

In the press release, Chief Executive Tim Cook said that the integration of those three areas was behind the results of its products.

"We are in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in Apple's history," Cook said.

"The amazing products that we've introduced in September and October, iPhone 5, iOS 6, iPad mini, iPad, iMac, MacBook Pro, iPod touch, iPod nano and many of our applications, could only have been created at Apple and are the direct result of our relentless focus on tightly integrating world-class hardware, software and services."

Apple announced that mobile software director Scott Forstall will leave the company next year and until then will serve as an advisor to Chief Executive Tim Cook. Retail chief John Browett will also leave the company. Cook will directly supervise the retail area until a replacement is found.

Current industrial design chief Jony Ive will now head the Human Interface division. Eddy Cue will be in charge of the Siri and Maps projects.

Craig Federighi will be in charge of development of the iOS and OS X operating systems.

Bob Mansfield will lead a new "Technologies" group, which will combine the wireless and semiconductor teams.

By 13:09 in New York, shares were down 1.57% at $594.53.

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