A response to an external blog link found here.

Coopetition means exchanging ideas and getting ahead with, not of, the competition.

No classically liberal economist or savvy business person will argue the importance of competition in global, national, or local business. The economy thrives on new innovations, differentiations, cost cutting strategies, means of operation – anything that will let a company get ahead and a consumer buy better for a lower price. Business need competition as motivation to keep pushing the boundaries and breaking through limits.

However, this blog post takes the idea of businesses benefiting from competition with each other to a different, albeit friendlier level. A company’s point of differentiation is its selling point, but that differentiation often leaves room for improvement in some other area. By cooperating with the companies that pose a threat, it allows the business to not only reduce that danger, but fill in the spaces its value proposition has left, thus targeting a broader audience with a better service.
Of course there are risks associated with working with a rival, but each successful business has a something to teach and something to learn and being willing to exchange this information could lead to broader scope for both companies.