"Barney" partnerships usually fail: Android take note

Let’s say the raptors are Blu-Ray.

First, a quote from the Yankee Group’s Carl Howe:

…Two of the big supporters of HD DVD were Microsoft
and Intel, each of whom could account for exactly zero million HD DVD
drive sales. Whenever I see “Barney alliances” — ones where no money
changes hands, but all the partners agree to love each other and their
technologies — I always consider it a sign that the partnership is
going to fail.

Friends, this is absolutely true. Consider the many “partnerships” we’ve heard of in the past few years. Microsoft’s “openness” lip service is an excellent example as is the vaunted Android “alliance” of over 5,250 companies all working hard to produce red hot phones for us. No one in each of these situations stands to gain much from their involvement and there is no reason to stay in the agreement when the going gets tough. HD DVD isn’t the first of these partnerships to fail and it won’t be the last, so keep your eyes open, kids. When money doesn’t change hands it’s a sure sign that they’ve assigned the project to some summer interns and will shut it down when they go back to school.

Barney Alliances and the Downfall of HD DVD [Wired]