Microsoft's partnerships with RIM, Nokia and Yahoo (and acquisition of Skype) underscore the need to form alliances against Google or Apple in certain markets.
CIO — How do you solve a problem like Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG)?If you're Microsoft (MSFT), you find a Google or Apple competitor and strike a deal to combat a common foe.
The "enemy of my enemy is my friend" ethos has been a major part of Microsoft's strategy to compete with the seemingly impenetrable Apple and Google in both the search and mobile markets. In the past year, Microsoft's search partnership with Yahoo passed muster with regulators; it announced a deal to run Windows Phone 7 on Nokia phones; and it teamed up with RIM to have Bing replace Google as the default search provider on BlackBerry devices.
Microsoft's Frenemies: The Necessity of Partnering Up
