Moreover, today's big mergers may give birth to hard-to-beat Internet learningpartnerships, according to Clark Aldridge, an education analyst at Gartner Group (IT) .
Until now, vice-chancellors and student leaders have insisted that universities are not about hard-headed seller-buyer relationships but about high-minded partnerships for learning.
"We are a car company that through market-driven, customer focused innovation is learning to think and act like an electronics company, leveraging partnerships with fresh, innovative technology leaders, " added Mulally, who delivered the Consumer Electronics Show keynote address on Thursday.