Netwatch CEO charts next phase of growth

LAKE FOREST, Calif.—As Justin Nagy settles into his role as CEO of Netwatch, he sees significant opportunities to expand the company's proactive video monitoring business while continuing to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) and human intervention.  

Nagy, whose previous leadership roles include The SEER Group, Allied Universal and Andrews International, said one of his biggest takeaways since joining Netwatch in May has been the expertise throughout the organization.  

"Our operators make decisions under pressure that can have an immediate effect on someone's safety or a customer's property," he said.  

AI and people working together 

As AI continues reshaping the security industry, Nagy believes its greatest value lies in helping operators focus on the events that matter most. 

"There is a misconception that adding AI removes the need for people," he said. "It can help identify relevant activity and reduce the noise reaching a monitoring team. Someone still needs to assess the situation and take the appropriate action."  

Nagy said AI-enabled detection paired with trained operators allows incidents to be addressed in real time.  

"We believe AI-enabled detection connects to trained people who assess events and can deliver live, situation-specific voice warnings," he said. "That creates an opportunity to address an intrusion while it is happening and potentially prevent it from escalating."  

The shift to proactive security 

Organizations remain at different stages in transitioning from reactive security to proactive monitoring and intervention, according to Nagy.  

"For many, the challenge is figuring out how a different approach fits into what they already have," he said. "They have invested in cameras, alarms and security procedures."  

He said the best starting point is identifying a specific challenge, whether recurring trespassing, exposed inventory or an unattended facility.  

"The starting point should be a specific problem," Nagy said. "From there, we can determine where earlier detection and intervention can change the outcome."  

Opportunities for integrators 

Nagy believes proactive monitoring continues to create opportunities for dealers and integrators seeking recurring revenue while strengthening customer relationships.  

"Proactive monitoring gives dealers and integrators a way to build an ongoing service relationship around the systems they design and install," he said. "It creates recurring revenue while giving them a reason to stay engaged as the customer's needs change."  

However, he emphasized that successful partnerships require collaboration and support.  

"The conversation has to extend beyond whether monitoring can generate monthly revenue," Nagy said. "We need to discuss which customers are a good fit and how the service will support a lasting customer relationship."  

Building on a pioneer's legacy 

Nagy said Netwatch, which protects more than 330,000 customer sites worldwide, will continue investing in technology and service delivery while expanding its leadership position in proactive video monitoring.  

"Netwatch helped pioneer proactive video monitoring, and there is a substantial foundation here to build on," he said. "The next chapter is about bringing that capability to more customers, strengthening our technology, and giving our people better tools to do their jobs."  

Nagy said success should ultimately be measured not only by growth, but also by the value the company delivers to its customers, partners and employees. 

"My ambition is to build on Netwatch's pioneering role and strengthen our position as a global leader in proactive video monitoring," Nagy added. "We can help shape the market by demonstrating what well-applied technology and skilled human intervention can accomplish together." 

Related: Netwatch taps Kris Slimmer to lead sales growth