If your business is building products, why divert from your core competency to develop in-house software tools when you can hire a company like Salesforce.com to deliver the services you need from the cloud?
The good news is that the BRIC approach is better than trying to build your own diversified portfolio, which would be like building a house out of straw or sticks.
"Whether you are buying a house or building a factory, you want a level of comfort about what can be built on your doorstep, " says Richard Blythe, head of policy at the Royal Town Planning Institute.