Partnering is a great way to add value to our customers. It helps us as a business to be focused on our unique advantages and continue to develop our main expertise.
Standards are at the core of our ability to partner with others. Looking back in history standards in canalization in Europe was the main accelerator in the industrial revolution. Prior to the standardization of canals there could be no boat that could make the way through the entire region. The same was true in the early days of the U.S. railroads. When people wanted to move goods from one location to the other, they could not find a train that could make the way through the entire territory because the rail gauge was different in each State. Standards are the links between the different components of any value chain. Without standards, a value chain cannot work.

When we develop new products we face huge challenges. We should ask our self: Who is the competition? How are we going to beat the competition? What should we build our self and what we should buy from others? What is the best way to go to market? And the list goes on. Understanding the limits of our knowledge is critical in our ability to be successful. It will lead us to look for partnerships in order to augment our ability to be successful.

Partnering is more than a business model -- it's an approach. A good partnership will add value to all players and will serve as a strategic advantage for all.