Former rivals, such as eBay, Yahoo! and Microsoft, are exploring alliances to counter its influence.
Yahoo, the Internet company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., has been exploring alliances with Google; the MySpace.com unit of the News Corporation; and the AOL unit of Time Warner.
Other exchanges have explored alliances with the London Stock Exchange, but its chief executive, Don Cruickshank, has said it will remain independent for now.
Despite his failed takeover bid last year, Ballmer has continued to explore an alliance with Yahoo and its new chief executive, Carol Bartz.
As he has noted, "I didn't pick the moment" to explore an alliance with GM.
Here's what GM missed and, perhaps, what Ford Motor can expect if it were to explore an alliance with Renault and Nissan.
Along with Waymo's initial project with FCA Corp.'s Chrysler on the minivan fleet, Honda in December announced plans to explore an alliance with Waymo in automated driving technology.
John began to explore an alliance with the French king Philip II, freshly returned from the crusade.
"I'm more open to exploring Asian alliances and comfortable doing business in Asia, even though I'm from Europe".
The United States, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are all exploring new alliances and struggling to find a new equilibrium — overtly and covertly.
