Mike Newton, Founder and Chief Innovator at NetVu, on the products that provide instant warnings in a range of developing situations and cyber secure video surveillance management.

Tell us a bit about you and your background?

My journey into the world of technology and security solutions began in June 1982, shortly after completing my BSc in Computer Science at Manchester University.

I founded Dedicated Micros with a team of four postgraduates. Our initial focus was on retail security, particularly tracking the usage of Snooker Tables.  

As the 1980s progressed, our products evolved into Camplex, the first commercially viable multichannel recorder, and then Uniplex, which introduced multiscreen live and playback facilities.

The early ’90s saw the introduction of DVST, a pioneering Digital Video Storage and transmission unit based on the pre-internet 7-layer OSI model.

By the late ’90s, we had become a leading CCTV Multiplexer manufacturer and by the mid 2000’s we were at the forefront of IP connected HDD Digital Video Recorders technology.  

However, the landscape began to change dramatically in 2008. This led to the restructuring of our business and the formation of NetVu, which retained the Dedicated Micros brand.

We shifted our focus towards the transportation sector and the development of Visual Smoke and Flame detection products under the FireVu brand. 

Despite these challenges, the recent demand for NDAA-compliant and British-designed and built video surveillance products has encouraged us to re-enter the general surveillance market with the Dedicated Micros brand.  

Can you provide an overview of the products and services offered by NetVu today? 

NetVu offers advanced video surveillance products for transportation, general surveillance, and visual fire, flame, and thermal detection.

Our products, designed and manufactured in the UK, support a range of advanced features and streaming formats, setting new industry benchmarks.  

The UK market for integrated data, alarms, and video solutions has evolved significantly since the early ’80s. Our belief that CCTV should serve as much as a business management tool as a surveillance tool has always guided our product development.  

NetVu’s products embed metadata as a critical principle, enabling easy and effective data management, a feature often overlooked by competitors.

Our solutions are agnostic to data sources, integrating seamlessly with various systems and supporting advanced scripting for customisation without risking obsolescence with firmware updates.  

What are the long-term goals and vision for NetVu? 

Looking ahead, my vision for NetVu is to continue innovating and solving our customers’ challenges, particularly as we navigate the complexities introduced by AI and the need for actionable insights.

Our goal is to re-establish NetVu and Dedicated Micros as significant brands in the UK, providing advanced and innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of our customers.

This journey, from the founding of Dedicated Micros to the present day, reflects not just a personal commitment to innovation and resilience but a testament to the enduring power of technology to shape our world. 

This article was originally published in the May Edition of Security Journal United Kingdom. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.