Most of the alliances, says Paolini, are legally formalized because of the need for both parties to "open the kimono" and discuss sales figures, proprietary research and financial figures.

There's a certain paradox here. When both partners are equally intent on internalizing the other's skills, distrust and conflict may spoil the alliance and threaten its very survival. That's one reason joint ventures between Korean and Japanese companies have been few and tempestuous. Neither side wants to "open the kimono."

I think users have benefited in the sense that they will see new ideas and new levels of capability being brought in that they would probably never have seen. The breakup is forcing AT&T not only to get competitive, but to be willing to open its kimono and talk more thoroughly about its plans.