November 2015
Intermediate to advanced
288 pages
6h 17m
English
It was a match made in heaven. Google’s software division paired with Samsung’s smartphone group in 2009 and together they became number one in the world, with a global market share of 39.6%. The reasons for their success were many. They had clear-cut competencies, economies of scale, sophisticated executive teams, and outstanding engineers. Just as important, they were adaptable in a fast-moving technology space. Samsung’s stock price grew from $732 in 2009 to $1,243 by 2014, an appreciation of nearly 70%. When Samsung faced Apple’s copycat lawsuit, Google employees testified on Samsung’s behalf. Who could ask for more in a strategic partner?
Partners are an invaluable source of sustainable competitive advantage. In ...