There has been increasing focus on Levinson and Schmidts roles in recent months as competition between Google and Apple has increased.

Googles Chrome browser .

That competition grew a little more heated when, just last month, Google announced that its , which will go up against Apples Mac OS X.

Eric Schmidt stepping down from the Apple board certainly highlights the conflicts that are present on many boards of directors, said Dan Olds, an analyst at The Gabriel Consulting Group. There is a value to having a smart technology guy on your board. But when that board member is the CEO of a company that is becoming a direct competitor in some markets, then it's gone too far and something needs to change. With Levinson, it's an indirect conflict, he's on both boards. In light of how Google and Apple are becoming competitors, it would be a good idea for him to pick one boat to ride in and abandon the other.

Olds added that its a matter of logistics as well as a matter of perception negative perception.