Firefox parent company Mozilla Corp. has hired Tantek Çelik, a well-known figure in the developer and open-Web community, for the role of Web standards lead.

But as Mozilla deals with internal issues and a continued threat from Google's Chrome, where exactly does this hire fit in? CNET spoke with Çelik on Tuesday, on the eve of his first day at the new job, and rather than talking about keeping ahead of Chrome or dealing with Facebook's increasing dominance, he said that what's really in his crosshairs is the iPhone--and how pretty it makes everything.

Mozilla "knows that the open Web platform is a few steps behind the iPhone and iPad," said Çelik, who's presently a contractor at the browser manufacturer but said it could turn into something bigger. "They know that they're in this evolutionary race and they just have to crank up the heat on everybody."

On a basic level, his role in Mozilla will be twofold, addressing both user interface and social networking.