News
17-Feb-2009 - LGC Forensics acquires two of the UK's
leading digital crime companies
LGC Forensics announces the acquisition of Focus Forensic
Telecommunications (FFT) and Kalagate
LGC Forensics,
the UK’s leading independent forensic science provider, is pleased
to announce the acquisition of two major companies in the digital
crime and imagery market, Focus Forensic Telecommunication (FFT)
and Kalagate. The move extends the
offering of LGC Forensics to include a full range of digital and
document crime forensic services.
FFT is the UK’s leading cell site analysis*
service provider and has an enviable reputation for delivering
exceptionally high quality work to the law enforcement and
commercial market.
Kalagate is the UK’s leading provider of
imagery interpretation services, including facial mapping and CCTV
analysis along with audio analysis services. Kalagate has an
unmatched reputation for the range of technical skills it offers
and for the quality of its work.
The inclusion of these additional cutting-edge
services, combined with LGC Forensics’ existing portfolio of
telephone and computer forensics and questioned document
laboratories, provides customers with a genuine full service
offering for the investigation of digital and document evidence.
This, combined with LGC’s unrivalled traditional forensic service
offerings, including world-leading DNA, drugs
analysis, firearms and other
casework services, further enhances
LGC’s reputation as the UK’s premier independent forensic science
provider.
Andy Laws, Managing Director of Kalagate,
commented: “I am extremely excited at the opportunities that
our acquisition by LGC presents - the move will enable us to
provide our imagery and audio services more effectively to a wider
audience and will accelerate significantly our development in this
market by taking advantage of the substantial resources that LGC
can deliver”.
FFT’s Ceri Walsh said: “This major step
provides us with the ability to deliver a true end-to-end service
cost-effectively and seamlessly to all of our customers”.
These acquisitions will add to the existing
and rapidly expanding Digital and Document Forensics Business Unit
within LGC to form one of the largest and most capable teams in
this field. Steve Allen,
Managing Director of LGC Forensics, commented: “This
enhanced service offering delivers real benefits to LGC Forensics’
customers in this rapidly evolving market. We are
determined to take the lead in ensuring that quality and customer
service are maintained in this increasingly important area of
forensic science”.
* Cell site analysis is the
science of positioning a telephone that has made or received calls,
or exchanged other data, to the geographical location where that
event occurred.
Notes to
editors:
About FFT
Focus Forensic
Telecommunications Ltd (www.fft.uk.com) began in 2002. In that
time, it has built up an enviable reputation within the
‘e-forensics’ world. As a supplier to many of the UK's Police
forces, as well as providing defence reports for solicitors, FFT
has worked its way up to become one of the best.
In more recent years Focus Forensic Telecommunications Ltd has
continued its growth with little to no advertising. FFT offers cell
site analysis, mobile phone handset and PDA forensic examination,
computer forensic examination and people search and trace services
alongside its popular training courses.
The FFT organisation comprises specialists in intelligence analysis
and investigation, providing an holistic approach to identifying,
detecting, and dealing with criminal activity. It is actively
involved in ongoing investigations, providing an analysis and
examination service to a range of agencies.
About Kalagate
The
Kalagate Imagery Bureau (http://www.kalagate.co.uk ) is the
leading provider of forensic imagery interpretation and analysis
services within the UK. The office in St Neots, Cambridgeshire was
established in 1989 and Kalagate’s highly trained, qualified and
experienced expertimagery interpreters are supported by expert
technical staff in handling many hundreds of cases each year.
Kalagate’s customers include every Police
Force in England & Wales, many in other parts of the British
Isles, in addition to the Crown Prosecution Service and other
governmental departments. Kalagate receives many referrals from the
National Policing Improvement Agency and has also undertaken work
for in excess of 2000 solicitors over the years.
Kalagate’s work is conducted on state-of-the art equipment to
achieve the best results and has an international reputation that
extends beyond the law-enforcement and legal community. Kalagate
offers an out-of-hours service and is always ready to respond to
short notice requests; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if
required.