Are telco tie-ups the way to stay ahead?

"IF you can't beat them, join them."

For telco players in a highly competitive sector, this might now be less trite adage than new motto, as incumbents team up with would-be "disruptors" to stay afloat in a dog-eats-dog space.

The joint Singtel-Razer payments system and StarHub's debut network leasing deal with MyRepublic, both announced last week, are recent signs of the effort to keep a grip on a lucrative but crowded consumer market.