NEC Corporation has purchased Hemel Hempstead-based IT firm Northgate Public Services (UK) Limited for £475mn, according to a report in the Nikkei Asian Review on 10 January.
Northgate provides software to police departments for managing crime data and reading licence plates. The acquisition is part of NEC’s effort to boost UK sales of its facial recognition technology.
The Japanese multinational also plans to use the purchase to help Northgate expand into other markets.