We have just swapped to a set of Marzoccchi forks with Ohlins Cartridges, from a set of Factory Marzocchi , for SM.. its much easier to tell which works best on the tarmac, than it is on the dirt,
The reason the japanese factories are using Showa and KYB is because that is what they use on the bikes they sell, so that is what the need to develop. For the same reason, KTM will always be WP.
Ohlins provide service at MotoGP , WSB, BSB and MXGP, and the stuff they use and develop is freely available, to a point, the stuff the factory guys use rarely filters down until its been replaced by something better.
The only exercise i get these days, is shaking my head in disbelief