Compared to manufactured goods or hardware, software products are easy to integrate so that they work together seamlessly. Therefore, collaborating with other software companies to complement and extend the scope of your own product has the potential to transform it and greatly increase your customer base, revenues, and profits.

Joining up with partners can result in offspring where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The ability to form successful partnerships plays a vital role in your company’s success. It’s not enough to get engaged, you want to get married and you want that marriage to last a long, long time.

Thought for the day: How ironic that companies today are spending all sorts of money to build redundant systems and hardware, but shed redundant employees in a flash.

Read on below for some ideas on how to develop a good marriage with the right partner company for your product, and how Product Managers can play a key role in forming a long lasting and fruitful relationship.