Conversely the partnerships of open source databases vendors including MySQL and others have created a strong alliance that has forced Microsoft's SQL Server database team to create customized connectors for these open source applications. Open source, first the subject of an encirclement strategy, is now implementing its own on Microsoft's operating system business. The Linux operating system is now pre-installed on many of the world's leading hardware manufacturers' laptops, desktop and server systems. The business development teams and strategies representing Linux have struck back at Microsoft with an encirclement strategy that started with Microsoft's OEM partners first and progressed to their enterprise, or large business customers. Bypass attack is a marketing strategy that concentrates on defining and attacking uncontested markets that competitors either have not yet discovered, or are so new and emerging that no one has found them yet. The concept of finding uncontested markets was defined by Kim & Mauborgne (2004) in their book, Blue Ocean Strategy. Inherent in the definition of new markets is the use of a bypass strategy on the part of incumbent market leaders who, according to the research completed (Kim, Mauborgne, 2004), have the advantage of finding new markets based on accumulated experience. The authors are quick to point out that finding uncontested markets has much more to do with the hard work of viewing customers' unmet needs from a different perspective than just price, availability, or features differentiation. In fact Kim & Mauborgne (2004) point out that a red ocean strategy is one that...

Their contention is that seeing the unmet needs of customers from an entirely fresh and often not-before-considered perspective can lead to successful bypass attacks.
Guerilla warfare appears chaotic and uncoordinated to competitors yet is in fact highly organized and synchronized to wreak havoc on competitor's pricing, messaging and promotional strategies. Guerilla warfare has also been successfully used by companies looking to gain a competitive advantage in terms of their distribution channels as well. An example of successful guerilla warfare is the launch of Virgin America Airlines in the U.S. Instead of taking a frontal attack strategy on competing airlines on the heavily traveled routes between Los Angeles and San Francisco for example, Virgin America is taking a fare-based sales approach to breaking into new time slots between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco Airport (SFO). In addition, Virgin is taking a guerrilla tactic of offering all seats, regardless of class of service, unlimited use of MP3s and videos. Virgin America is also planning on offering free Internet service as well by the middle of 2008. Clearly Virgin America is taking a very aggressive stance on guerilla warfare to other low-price leaders in one of the most-traveled areas of regional airlines travel in the U.S.

Bibliography (Kim, Mauborgne, 2004)

Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne. (2004). BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY. Harvard Business Review, 82(10), 76-84. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 701178841).