Increasingly, the industry is integrating vertically and firms are gaining control over the entire value chain.

ECONOMIST: The changing fabric of Italian fashion | The

Apple has done a very good job thus far integrating their products vertically to work with each other.

FORBES: Why Google's Nexus 7 And Microsoft's Surface Tablets Will Beat The iPad

Our Index also confirmed that solar market leaders are focusing on vertically integrating across the value chain to capture higher margin segments.

FORBES: Solar Leaders Pull Away From The Pack

Others, such as Great Western Minerals (disclosure, I know one of the directors there but have no business relationship with them) are vertically integrating to become full producers rather than just processors.

FORBES: China to Face WTO Case Over Rare Earths: All a Little Late

Historically Sony has had a lot of trouble integrating, they've been a very vertically integrated company and I know that one of the things that Howard was brought in to do was to try and make the company more horizontal.

ENGADGET: & Joystiq interview: Kaz Hirai and Jack Tretton, Presidents, Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., and America