Dr Quentin Stafford-Fraser, a pioneer of the webcam, and Martin King, the inventor of T9 predictive text messaging, founded Newnham Research in 2003 “to enable flexible connections to be made between computers and displays.” King invested $2.5M in the company’s Series A round of financing. In May 2005, Atlas Venture and Benchmark provided $8M in Series B financing. The company has 39 employees and has offices in Palo Alto, CA and Cambridge, UK.

Knowledge workers and businesses are increasingly finding that productivity improvements come from larger display work space rather than increased processor power, according to Newham. However, the VGA/DVI/HDMI interface is neither user friendly nor scalable, and locks most users into a 1:1 relationship between their PC and display.

To address this opportunity, Newnham’s technology allows more flexible connections to be made between computers and displays, using standard networking technologies, such as USB, Ethernet and 802.11. Newnham’s USB NIVO (Network In, Video Out) technology allows any number of monitors to be connected to a single PC using USB and, if required, function independently to display different content. NIVO technology is fast, highly interactive with “zero latency”, low cost, and application and content agnostic.

The first product in the NIVO family links displays to PCs via a USB 2.0 connection, with the interactivity and graphics performance of a conventional connection. USB NIVO enables multi-monitor computing and is targeted at manufacturers of digital displays, PCs or PC accessories who are looking to take advantage of the simplicity and universal understanding of USB. Although many laptops have a video port, the market for USB NIVO is for extra monitors, not the main monitor.

NIVO technology is the first technology to enable high-quality display response over a USB 2.0 connection, according to Newham. This means that the user experience with mouse, monitor and keyboard is comparable to a conventionally connected monitor. Static images in 24-bit true color are displayed without quality loss or color reduction and distortion while full-motion video plays in real-time. Connection is simple and intuitive via USB.

The system’s performance is the result of its proprietary lossless graphics transport format. The NIVO solution is comprised of Virtual Graphics Card (VGC) software that runs on a Windows XP host PC and a silicon-based Hardware Rendering Engine (HRE) module that is connected to, or embedded into, a monitor. The VGC software processes a pixel stream of display information using the company’s patented lossless graphics transport format and transmits it over a USB 2.0 link to the HRE chip. The HRE then transforms the data back into pixels to be displayed on the monitor.

The solution is compatible with all CRT and flat panel monitors with screen resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 at 75Hz. It offers VESA-compliant scan and refresh rates and 24-bit true color depth at all resolutions.

The VGC software supports all Windows XP desktop extend display modes as well as a desktop clone mode. It is silently installed using Microsoft digitally signed drivers and allows display management using the standard Windows Display Properties control panel – without a proprietary GUI. The HRE module has a VGA port and an application specific interface with USB signals, and power system control.

USB NIVO can support one video (movie) and up to 10 other screens, depending on the content. For example, Newnham has demonstrated a 5-monitor system all running through a USB 2.0 hub, with a pen input screen, a screen showing a video loop, another screen with a constantly rotating slide show, the main monitor and another monitor for office applications (Google Earth was running on it).

Newnham is not targeting the high-end gaming market, which uses GPUs from companies like nVidia and ATI. In contrast, Newham’s focus is secondary displays for general office applications. In the gaming market, the GPU would run the gaming monitor while secondary screens would show the strategy information, an IM screen, email etc.

The first design win for USB NIVO is in partnership with Kensington Computer Products Group, who will use the USB NIVO in a universal laptop docking station available in June. The Kensington product allows a laptop user to attach a VGA monitor, an Ethernet network, microphone and speakers, and up to four USB peripherals, to their laptop via a single USB 2.0 connection. In the case of Kensington’s first product, USB NIVO enables a USB laptop dock for essentially the price of a port replicator/hub.

In addition to docking station and multi-monitor computing, USB NIVO opens up a range of new applications aimed at knowledge workers and road warriors who need to view multiple information sources at the same time. Other examples include application-specific monitors that attach to the user’s main display and support a single application such as instant messaging, or lower cost real-time multi-tasking solutions for data-intensive workers such as stock traders, IT managers and others that need real-time data access on four or more monitors.

According to Jon Peddie Research and Newnham analysis, the secondary IT monitor market will grow from roughly 7 million units in 2006 to 15 million units by 2009, growing at greater than 25%. MCT (www.mct.com.tw) offers a USB 2.0 VGA Adapter. Newnham argues that its solution provides significantly better interactivity, better video support, the flexibility to include other network technologies long term, and software for better ease of use.

For the short term, video over USB will remain an aftermarket accessory product; however, Newnham would like to see the rendering chip embedded in the monitor over time. Future plans will likely include support for additional video interfaces like DVI and HDMI, higher resolutions, and other network technologies such as Ethernet Cat5 and 802.11.

The Hardware Rendering Engine is available now as a PCB module and will be available as an ASIC in the future.

Michael Ledzion, CEO (previously co-founded a distribution company, a software company and, most recently, CEO of Polight, a UK-based data storage business)

John Martyn, Secretary & CFO (previously CFO of Convergys EMEA and Geneva Technology)

Martin King, Co-founder (previously founded Tegic Communications, which was acquired by AOL)

Dr Quentin Stafford-Fraser, Co-founder (previously co-inventor of the webcam and held posts at University of Cambridge, Xerox EuroPARC, Olivetti Research, and AT&T Labs)

Dr Tim Glauert, VP of Software (previously CTO at broadcast technology company IPV)

Adrian van den Heever, VP of Product Development and Engineering (most recently with PHILIPS Electronics where he held a number of roles including Consultant (RF Systems and HVE Product Development and Manufacturing) in an Advanced Development Group and RF Group Manager for a product division)

Dr. Andy Fisher, VP of Hardware (previously worked at Philips Electronics and AT&T Labs Cambridge)

Jonathan Jeacocke, Director of ASIC (previously at TI and Virata/Conexant)

Tim Jalland, Director of Business Development

Andrew Davis, Director of Operations