Japanese to buy police tech supplier

A SOFTWARE company which holds key contracts for the police and NHS is being bought by Japanese tech giant NEC.

In a deal aimed at helping it expand across North America and Asia, Northgate Public Services (NPS) is being sold for £475m.

The move calls time on private equity firm Cinven’s three-year ownership of NPS, based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

NPS, which employs 2,000 staff, provides software which underpins many public services, including technology that collects UK council tax and administers unemployment benefits.

Stephen Callaghan, NPS chief executive, said the firm will offer clients more services, and expand into new sectors and countries following the takeover.

NPS technology has screened 8m babies for hearing loss, while 14 police forces use the firm to boost information exchange on victims and offenders.

Takashi Niino, NEC chief executive, said the takeover will hand the company ‘significant technological advantages’. NEC and NPS will not embark on a board-level shake-up as part of the deal and have ruled out redundancies.