Cisco kid sniffs explosive prospects

California-based Shah Talukder has jumped ship from multi-billion dollar communications technology whale Cisco to take charge of the main operations of AIM minnow ViaLogy, which has technology to sniff out suicide bombers from a distance of 100 metres.

Talukder, who was working as manager of Cisco’s safety, security and systems arm on a ‘border security’ project with ViaLogy’s American subsidiary, has now joined as chief executive of that very ViaLogy division, the company’s chief operating segment.

Talukder says he was mightily impressed by the company’s breadth of technologies and believes there is much demand for reliable ways of monitoring emissions, physical security and border security. He says he has spoken to customers globally who are ‘keenly interested in enhancing their capabilities to remotely monitor and respond to greenhouse gas, seismic and motion sensors, biological agents or to detect pressure in oil or gas pipelines’. He reckons information could be sent to laptops, mobile phones, PDAs, IP phones or TV in the form of video, voice or sensor data.

Originally formed by NASA scientists, ViaLogy reversed into Original Investments on the London market last September and is now moving from research and development into the commercialisation stage, an area in which Talukder specialises. Capitalised at £38 million at its present 9.5p, the company could prove a volatile performer.