, one of the principal architects of fibre channel technology in the world. "I do not know when I will retire from work but I will never retire from being busy," he declares. Malavalli is the chairman and chief executive officer of the California-based InMage Systems Inc, a data continuity company that recently started operations in Hyderabad.
"My work with InMage is a full-time job but whenever I am free I indulge in digital photography and travelling," says the Santa Clara-based Malavalli. "I love taking pictures of nature and wild life and click pictures of people only when I am obligated to, at family get-togethers," chuckles he.
"I have travelled to many places across the world and am now thinking of visiting Antarctica next year. Visiting such inaccessible places is something that I enjoy and I am looking forward to capturing images of penguins on my digital camera," says Malavalli, who was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Council (SVEC) Hall of Fame for his contributions to technology in February 2003.
Malavalli today has an extensive collection of photographs and says that when he retires from work he may consider exhibiting them. "But right now my hands are full. InMage has been doing reasonably well considering the fact that we are meeting deadlines and attracting good customers."
InMage has 30-odd customers for its data continuity solutions and Malavalli expects this number to grow with the start of the Indian operations.
Born in Mysore, Malavalli completed a degree in electrical engineering at the city-based National Institute of Engineering, moved to Germany for a post graduate degree and then to Canada and finally to the US.
He then went on to work with companies like Hewlett Packard, ITT Communications and Canstar and also co-founded the Nasdaq-listed Brocade Communications, a storage area networking infrastructure provider, where he was chief technology officer.
InMage will be investing $ 2 million in its Indian operations and will employ 40 people at its Hyderabad centre by December end this year.
"We are in talks with channel partners in India to distribute our data recovery and back-up solutions. We will be focusing on this distribution model rather than just direct distribution as otherwise it becomes difficult to reach potential customers," Malavalli says.
So how often does he visit India? "Earlier it was two times a year but now I will visit the country more often because of our Indian operations," Malavalli says. Malavalli is also involved with Televital at Bangalore.
Televital offers integrated electronic patient medical records and real-time telemedicine software modules to authorised healthcare providers across the world. Malavalli is the lead investor and co-chairman of Televital.
This apart, through non-profit organisations like the American India Foundation (AIF), Malavalli also focuses on reducing the digital divide between the rich and the poor through Digital Equalizer Centres.
These aim at bringing educational content in various subjects electronically to students in rural India. And what drives his involvement in such activities? Replies he: "When a person has earned reasonably well to lead a comfortable life, he should start spending on charity."
