But to respond more to the idea of your latest post, it`s not as simple as whether we`re at the mercy of another company or not. One is always at the mercy of someone or something - be it your business partners, consumers, or competition and other market forces. At the end of the day, e.Digital is responsible for crafting and executing a business plan - regardless of what that plan is.

They`re on the path they`re on because that`s where they figure the best opportunities lie. They market to other companies because they believe they can offer something of value to those companies. That`s their business plan. If the plan fails, they shouldn`t be let off the hook because no one wanted to buy what they had to sell - since the market/timing for their product should have all been researched and anticpated before setting themselves on a particular course.

Not that all risks can be so accurately calculated, but if you embark on a plan to sell lemonade in front of your house, you`d better be pretty certain that there`s a market for it that you can successfully tap into - before you set up your stand, start buying large quantities of lemons, and hiring employees. If e.Digital over-estimated the market for it`s products/services, then that`s their own fault and not (for example) Fujitsu Ten`s or Gateway`s.

Bottom line: They`ll want credit for their successes and should therefore be held accountable for their failures. There`s no other practical way to figure it. Not to mention they`ve had plenty of time to learn from past mistakes. No more excuses.

- Sinkman