@larrycincy Larry Carvalho
Larry Carvalho's twitter question a few days ago got me thinking and here are my thoughts !
The BIG 5 is a popular term used in South Africa and I have picked a few points from Wiki
The BIG 5 collection consists of the lion, the African elephant, the Cape Buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros.[2] The members of the big five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size.[1][3]
The BIG 5 were not enough for this blog, so I have extended the species to include animals from other parts of the world to bring out the impact of M&A.
So let us map Larry's BIG five to the African BIG 5; which of the BIG 5 is the best? You can be the judge !
Lion - MICROSOFT
African Elephant - IBM
Cape Buffalo - ORACLE
Leopard - CISCO
Rhinoceros - HP
Here goes pairing of the BIG 5 in the Cloud .
Lion - MICROSOFT
Microsoft is like a Lion a big cat and hunts only when needed; it is also a endangered species in the world of computing . It has been reactive to competition (read Google) in the Cloud rather then rolling out a brand new strategy, also it has picked up all its existing products and plastered it on the Cloud, not a very innovative idea to drive new products and solutions.
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion
The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight,[4] it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia with an endangered remnant population in Gir Forest National Park in India, having disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Asia in historic times. Until the late Pleistocene, about 10,000 years ago, the lion was the most widespread large land mammal after humans. They were found in most of Africa, across Eurasia from western Europe to India, and in the Americas from the Yukon to Peru.[5] The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a possibly irreversible population decline of thirty to fifty percent over the past two decades in its African range.[6] Lion populations are untenable outside designated reserves and national parks. Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are currently the greatest causes of concern.
African Elephant - IBM
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_intelligence
IBM is like an elephant intelligent and patient and not an first mover in technology, it waits watches and when ready rumbles along. It is difficult given its mass of products and divisions for IBM to be agile in the Cloud. But their loyal customer base may see them through.
IBM is like an elephant intelligent and patient and not an first mover in technology, it waits watches and when ready rumbles along. It is difficult given its mass of products and divisions for IBM to be agile in the Cloud. But their loyal customer base may see them through.
Elephants are amongst the world's most intelligent species. With a mass of just over 5 kg (11 lb), elephant brains are larger than those of any other land animal, and although the largest whales have body masses twenty-fold those of a typical elephant, whale brains are barely twice the mass of an elephant's brain. The elephant's brain is similar to that of humans in terms of structure and complexity - such as the elephant's cortex having as many neurons as a human brain,[1] suggesting convergent evolution.[2]
Elephants exhibit a wide variety of behaviors, including those associated with grief, learning, allomothering, mimicry, art, play, a sense of humor, altruism, use of tools, compassion, cooperation,[3] self-awareness, memory and possibly language.[4] All point to a highly intelligent species that are thought to be equal with cetaceans[5][6][7][8] and primates.[9][10][11] Due to the high intelligence and strong family ties of elephants, some researchers argue it is morally wrong for humans to cull them.[12]
Aristotle once said that elephants were "The beast which passeth all others in wit and mind."[13
Elephants exhibit a wide variety of behaviors, including those associated with grief, learning, allomothering, mimicry, art, play, a sense of humor, altruism, use of tools, compassion, cooperation,[3] self-awareness, memory and possibly language.[4] All point to a highly intelligent species that are thought to be equal with cetaceans[5][6][7][8] and primates.[9][10][11] Due to the high intelligence and strong family ties of elephants, some researchers argue it is morally wrong for humans to cull them.[12]
Aristotle once said that elephants were "The beast which passeth all others in wit and mind."[13
Cape Buffalo - ORACLE
Oracle owns the database space and the description of the African Buffalo says is all " Its head is carried low, its top located below the backline. " Databases have always been the back end defenders and never in the forefront if it leads with SUN it will have some competitive advantage, else it may be a non starter in the cloud and may retire to its core competence of databases .
Oracle owns the database space and the description of the African Buffalo says is all " Its head is carried low, its top located below the backline. " Databases have always been the back end defenders and never in the forefront if it leads with SUN it will have some competitive advantage, else it may be a non starter in the cloud and may retire to its core competence of databases .
The African buffalo is a very robust species. It is up to 1.7 metres high, 3.4 metres long. Savannah type buffaloes weigh 500–900 kg, with males, normally larger than females, reaching the upper weight range. Forest type buffaloes are only half that size.[2] Its head is carried low, its top located below the backline. The front hooves of the buffalo are wider than the rear, which is associated with the need to support the weight of the front part of the body, which is more powerful than the back
The horns of African buffalo are very peculiar. A characteristic feature of them is the fact that the adult bull's horns have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield which can not always be penetrated even by a rifle bullet. From the base the horns diverge, then bend down, and then smoothly curved upwards and outwards.
The horns of African buffalo are very peculiar. A characteristic feature of them is the fact that the adult bull's horns have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield which can not always be penetrated even by a rifle bullet. From the base the horns diverge, then bend down, and then smoothly curved upwards and outwards.
Leopard - CISCO
CISCO has changed its spots like the leopard, it has done a number of acquisitions and put together a new offering for the Cloud computing. Cisco has a winner suite, but like the leopard its "body is long but the legs short", can it run the extra mile to shed its networking image and don the new coat of the cloud computing leader image. Time will tell !
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard
Leopards are agile and stealthy predators. Although smaller than other members of the Panthera genus, they are able to take large prey due to their massive skulls that facilitate powerful jaw muscles. Head and body length is between 125 and 165 cm (49 and 65 in), and the tail reaches 60 to 110 cm (24 to 43 in). Shoulder height is 45 to 80 cm (18 to 31 in). The muscles attached to the scapula are exceptionally strong, which enhance their ability to climb trees. They are very diverse in size. Males are about 30% larger than females, weighing 30 to 91 kg (66 to 200 lb) compared to 23 to 60 kg (51 to 130 lb) for females. Large males of up to 91 kg (200 lb) have been documented in Kruger National Park in South Africa; however, males in the South Africa's coastal mountains average 31 kg (68 lb). This wide variation in size is thought to result from the quality and availability of prey found in each habitat. Smaller sized leopards also are known in the deserts of the Middle East.[4] Its body is comparatively long, and its legs are short.[5]
Rhinoceros - HP
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros
HP is like a Rhinoceros, it has a so many sub species withing itself that it could be a different creature to different customers. To some it is the old HP, to others it is Tandem, To some Digital, to others EDS plus and plus which includes Palm, Compaq, 3 com etc , the string of acquisitions has been spectacular, the treasure chest is overflowing with world class solutions to put together as a cloud computing offering.
But lack of cohesiveness between various acquired divisions may slow down HP in getting its market share and due recognition in the Cloud. See the full list in wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_acquisitions_by_Hewlett-Packard
HP is like a Rhinoceros, it has a so many sub species withing itself that it could be a different creature to different customers. To some it is the old HP, to others it is Tandem, To some Digital, to others EDS plus and plus which includes Palm, Compaq, 3 com etc , the string of acquisitions has been spectacular, the treasure chest is overflowing with world class solutions to put together as a cloud computing offering.
But lack of cohesiveness between various acquired divisions may slow down HP in getting its market share and due recognition in the Cloud. See the full list in wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_acquisitions_by_Hewlett-Packard
Below I have mapped the different species of Rhinoceros to different acquired companies of HP .
White Rhinoceros
There are two subspecies of White Rhinos; as of 2005, South Africa has the most of the first subspecies, the Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum). The population of Southern White Rhinos is about 14,500, making them the most abundant subspecies of rhino in the world. However, the population of the second subspecies, the critically endangered Northern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni), is down to as few as four individuals in the wild, and as of June 2008 this sub-species are thought to have become extinct in the wild.[7] Six are known to be held in captivity, two of which reside in a zoo in San Diego. There are currently four that were in held in captivity since 1982 in a zoo in the Czech Republic which were transferred to a wildlife refuge in Kenya in December 2009, in an effort to have the animals reproduce and save the subspecies.[8]
The White Rhino has an immense body and large head, a short neck and broad chest. This rhino can exceed 3,500 kg (7,700 lb), have a head-and-body length of 3.5–4.6 m (11–15 ft) and a shoulder height of 1.8–2 m (5.9–6.6 ft) The record-sized White Rhinoceros was about 4,530 kg (10,000 lb).[9] On its snout it has two horns. The front horn is larger than the other horn and averages 90 cm (35 in) in length and can reach 150 cm (59 in). The White Rhinoceros also has a prominent muscular hump that supports its relatively large head. The colour of this animal can range from yellowish brown to slate grey. Most of its body hair is found on the ear fringes and tail bristles with the rest distributed rather sparsely over the rest of the body. White Rhinos have the distinctive flat broad mouth which is used for grazing.
During the latter half of the 20th century their numbers were severely reduced from an estimated 70,000[12] in the late 1960s to only 2,410 in 1995.[13]
Two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses are now confined to the Kaziranga National Park situated in the Golaghat district of Assam, India.[14]
Like the closely related larger Indian Rhinoceros, the Javan rhinoceros has only a single horn. Its hairless, hazy gray skin falls into folds into the shoulder, back, and rump giving it an armored-like appearance. The Javan rhino's body length reaches up to 3.1–3.2 m (10–10 ft), including its head and a height of 1.5–1.7 m (4 ft 10 in–5 ft 7 in) tall. Adults are variously reported to weigh between 900–1,400 kg[16] or 1,360-2,000 kg.[17] Male horns can reach 26 cm in length while in females they are knobs or are not present at all.[17]
The White Rhino has an immense body and large head, a short neck and broad chest. This rhino can exceed 3,500 kg (7,700 lb), have a head-and-body length of 3.5–4.6 m (11–15 ft) and a shoulder height of 1.8–2 m (5.9–6.6 ft) The record-sized White Rhinoceros was about 4,530 kg (10,000 lb).[9] On its snout it has two horns. The front horn is larger than the other horn and averages 90 cm (35 in) in length and can reach 150 cm (59 in). The White Rhinoceros also has a prominent muscular hump that supports its relatively large head. The colour of this animal can range from yellowish brown to slate grey. Most of its body hair is found on the ear fringes and tail bristles with the rest distributed rather sparsely over the rest of the body. White Rhinos have the distinctive flat broad mouth which is used for grazing.
Black Rhinoceros ( EDS)
Main article: Black Rhinoceros
The name Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) was chosen to distinguish this species from the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). This can be confusing, as those two species are not really distinguishable by colour. There are four subspecies of black rhino: South-central (Diceros bicornis minor), the most numerous, which once ranged from central Tanzania south through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to northern and eastern South Africa; South-western (Diceros bicornis bicornis) which are better adapted to the arid and semi-arid savannas of Namibia, southern Angola, western Botswana and western South Africa; East African (Diceros bicornis michaeli), primarily in Tanzania; and West African (Diceros bicornis longipes) which was tentatively declared extinct in 2006.[10]
An adult Black Rhinoceros stands 150–175 cm (59–69 in) high at the shoulder and is 3.5–3.9 m (11–13 ft) in length.[11] An adult weighs from 850 to 1,600 kg (1,900 to 3,500 lb), exceptionally to 1,800 kg (4,000 lb), with the females being smaller than the males. Two horns on the skull are made of keratin with the larger front horn typically 50 cm long, exceptionally up to 140 cm. Sometimes, a third smaller horn may develop. The Black Rhino is much smaller than the White Rhino, and has a pointed mouth, which they use to grasp leaves and twigs when feeding.During the latter half of the 20th century their numbers were severely reduced from an estimated 70,000[12] in the late 1960s to only 2,410 in 1995.[13]
Indian Rhinocero (Tandem)
The Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is now found almost exclusively in Nepal and North-Eastern India. The rhino once inhabited many areas of Pakistan to Burma and may have even roamed in China. But because of human influence their range has shrunk and now they only exist in several protected areas of India (in Assam, West Bengal and a few pairs in Uttar Pradesh) and Nepal, plus a few pairs in Lal Suhanra national park in Pakistan. It is confined to the tall grasslands and forests in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The Indian Rhinoceros has thick, silver-brown skin which creates huge folds all over its body. Its upper legs and shoulders are covered in wart-like bumps, and it has very little body hair. Fully grown males are larger than females in the wild, weighing from 2,500–3,200 kg (5,500–7,100 lb).The Indian rhino stands at 1.75–2.0 metres (5.75–6.5 ft) Female Indian rhinos weigh about 1,900 kg and is 3–4 metres long. The record-sized specimen of this rhino was approximately 3,800 kg. The Indian Rhino has a single horn that reaches a length of between 20 and 100 cm. Its size is comparable to that of the White Rhino in Africa.Two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses are now confined to the Kaziranga National Park situated in the Golaghat district of Assam, India.[14]
Javan Rhinoceros (Hewlett Packard)
Main article: Javan Rhinoceros
The Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is one of the rarest and most endangered large mammals anywhere in the world.[15] According to 2002 estimates, only about 60 remain, in Java (Indonesia) and Vietnam. Of all the rhino species, the least is known of the Javan Rhino. These animals prefer dense lowland rain forest, tall grass and reed beds that are plentiful with large floodplains and mud wallows. Though once widespread throughout Asia, by the 1930s the rhinoceros was nearly hunted to extinction in India, Burma, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra for the supposed medical powers of its horn and blood. As of 2009, there are only 40 of them remaining in Ujung Kulon Conservation, Java, Indonesia.Like the closely related larger Indian Rhinoceros, the Javan rhinoceros has only a single horn. Its hairless, hazy gray skin falls into folds into the shoulder, back, and rump giving it an armored-like appearance. The Javan rhino's body length reaches up to 3.1–3.2 m (10–10 ft), including its head and a height of 1.5–1.7 m (4 ft 10 in–5 ft 7 in) tall. Adults are variously reported to weigh between 900–1,400 kg[16] or 1,360-2,000 kg.[17] Male horns can reach 26 cm in length while in females they are knobs or are not present at all.[17]
Sumatran Rhinoceros (Compaq)
Main article: Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is the smallest extant rhinoceros species, as well as the one with the most fur, which allows it to survive at very high altitudes in Borneo and Sumatra. Due to habitat loss and poaching, its numbers have declined and it is one of the world's rarest mammals. About 275 Sumatran Rhinos are believed to remain.
Typically a mature Sumatran rhino stands about 130 cm (51 in) high at the shoulder, a body length of 240–315 cm (94–124 in) and weighs around 700 kg (1,500 lb), though the largest individuals have been known to weigh as much as 1,000 kilograms. Like the African species, it has two horns; the largest is the front (25–79 cm) and the smaller being the second, which is usually less than 10 cm long. The males have much larger horns than the females. Hair can range from dense (the densest hair in young calves) to scarce. The color of these rhinos is reddish brown. The body is short and has stubby legs. They also have a prehensile lip.
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