Who We Are

Berkeley Varitronics Systems, Inc. (BVS) is a privately owned family business and known as an engineering think tank delivering custom wireless RF engineering products and solutions since 1972. BVS clients range from NASA to many Fortune 500 companies all the way down to small entrepreneurs looking for rapid development and prototyping of an idea. Our word of mouth and repeat business is fueled by our reputation of treating the customers the way we would like to be treated ourselves and delivering every engineering specification as promised. BVS has deployed tens of thousands of wireless security, test, safety and cybersecurity products worldwide.

Our history

Back in 1972 in Berkeley Heights, NJ, BVS founder and CTO, Gary Schober, began to assemble a team of expert RF hardware and software engineers. This team has led BVS to many innovations including the first wireless link used to monitor artificial hearts, remote monitoring systems for Pepsi vending machines and even the design (over 30 unique instruments) and delivery (over 6,000 units) of cellular test devices used in the U.S. cellular network buildout in the late 80s.

Since 1990, BVS has been designing, manufacturing and shipping our own branded products all from our headquarters in Metuchen, NJ. Over the years, the entire catalog has grown to some 200 unique products consisting of wireless test, security, safety and cybersecurity solutions including stimulus transmitters, cell phone detection solutions and cybersecurity training and education. This vast array of products and categories allows BVS to serve government, corporate, military, law enforcement, correctional, telecom and transportation industries by leveraging decades of wireless and manufacturing expertise into every project and product we ship.

World class achievements

In the 90s, the cellular industry was poised to transition their networks from analog to digital. This massive shift required test transmitters and receivers to build out new wireless networks and BVS responded with the Gator™ stimulus transmitter. Gator™ became the top-selling transmitter in the world due to its ruggedness, lightweight and reliability and established BVS as a world class innovator of wireless test products.

In 1999, BVS began development on Grasshopper™ Wi-Fi Receiver as soon as the Wi-Fi Alliance finalized the 802.11b standard. The resulting product was embraced by Wi-Fi engineers and spurred on further by the rapid build out of Wi-Fi networks around the world. Grasshopper™ quickly led to a follow-up hit, Yellowjacket™, the world’s most advanced Wi-Fi analysis receiver still recognized and used by many engineers nearly 20 years after it’s initial release.

2000’s Heading

As smartphones became ubiquitous, the need to detect and locate them grew. This led BVS to develop PocketHound™, the industry’s most sensitive covert phone detector. To date, BVS has sold thousands of PocketHounds to law enforcement, universities and correctional facilities around the world and has established themselves as a leader in wireless security.

In 2010, BVS developed a cellular detection system for mass transit in order to detect and curb smartphone use by distracted operators. To date, TransitHound™ has been deployed in over 15,000 locomotives by some of the railway industry’s largest companies. TransitHound has already detected and alerted authorities to many distracted railway and heavy machinery operators potentially saving lives and further solidifying the reputation of BVS as a wireless safety innovator.

In response to massive data breaches and cyber attacks against small businesses and consumers, BVS CEO and President, Scott Schober, embarked on campaign to educate and arm customers with cybersecurity solutions. In 2016, Scott wrote Hacked Again (4.3 stars with 243 ratings on Amazon) and followed that book up with Cybersecurity is Everybody’s Business in 2019 and also Senior Cyber in 2021. Both books have been strongly embraced by the cybersecurity community and have even become part of academic security curriculum in universities. In addition, BVS began working with law enforcement to unveil Skim Scan™, Skim Swipe™, BlueSleuth-Pro™ and other card skimmer detection products to help combat the widespread problems of card skimming and resulting identity theft.

Innovation from our customers’ needs

Some of BVS’ best customized design solutions come straight from our customers’ mouths. Since sales and engineering teams both deal directly with customers daily, we are able to keep our ear to the ground to listen for the latest tech trends and customer requirements. In 2010, we developed a wireless receiver specifically tuned to the RF signature of common cellular phones for customers in law enforcement. Our RF engineers managed to create a sophisticated yet low cost receiver that fulfilled our customers’ immediate needs and also spawned a complete line of cell phone detection products now used worldwide by educational, correctional and law enforcement professionals.

Scott Schober

CEO and President

Scott N. Schober is the President and CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems (BVS), a 50-year-old New Jersey-based privately held company and leading provider of advanced, world-class wireless test, security, safety and cybersecurity solutions. As an experienced software engineer, Scott invented Berkeley’s cell phone detection tools used to enforce a ‘no cell phone policy’. These instruments are effectively used around the globe to find contraband cell phones smuggled into correctional, corporate, government, military, law enforcement and private facilities.

Recognized Innovator

For outstanding achievement in his field, Scott has been recognized by his peers with the Security Products Magazine New Product of the Year Award, the Security Products Reader’s choice award, the Popular Science 25th Annual Best of What’s New Winner, the ConnectED World Award, the M2M Evolution Product of the Year award as well as many others.

Frequent TV and Radio Subject Expert

Mr. Schober is a highly sought after subject expert on the topic of wireless security and cybersecurity for media appearances and commentary. He has appeared on many ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX affiliate news reports, Bloomberg TV, CBS This Morning, CGTN News, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, MSNBC, Bill O’Reilly No Spin News and many more. His cybersecurity expertise is heard on dozens of radio stations such as NPR, Sirius XM Radio, Bloomberg Radio, The Peggy Smedley Show as well as hundreds of tech/security podcasts. He regularly presents on vital security issues at conferences around the globe discussing wireless technology and its role in the current cybersecurity breaches along with his vision for best practices to stay safe in the future. Scott has been interviewed in WSJ, Forbes, Fortune, Success, NY Daily News, Newsweek, USA Today, The Daily Enquirer and The New York Times.

Sought After Speaker

Scott educates business around the world about how to prepare for a future of Cybersecurity and corporate espionage, opening their eyes to this ever deepening black hole of liability. He also shares his insights into covert cell phone detection and creates awareness to the subtle but powerful influence of drones. He has spoken at RSA, ShowMeCon, GovSec, FutureCon, CyberSecurity Summit, Counter Terror expo, Espionage Research International, Connected World, ConstrucTech, IEEE, GSM World Congress and many more events. Mr. Schober was a VIP attendee at two Concordia Summits both held in New York and was selected to appear in an interview discussing national security.

Contributing Writer and Blogger

In addition to his own weekly blog, Scott is also a regular contributor on the Huffington Post, guest-blogger on TripWire’s State of Security and also writes for HP’s Business Value Exchange.

Top-Selling Author

Scott has authored 3 top-selling cybersecurity books that draw on his decades of experience as business leader, innovator and subject expert. Hacked Again chronicles Scott’s personal experience of being hacked and how he managed to escape from despair and help others to learn from his own mistakes. Cybersecurity is Everybody’s Business details Scott’s experience as a small business owner and provides cautionary insight into hackers’ motives and methods. Senior Cyber addresses the victimization of our senior citizens by hackers and how they can fight back.

Educator and Mentor to the Business Community

Mr. Schober is a Cybersecurity Advisory Board Member for Kean University. He is also an Advisory Board Member and regular Cybersecurity Contributing Editor to Connected World Magazine.

Mr. Schober received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Kean, NJ in 1992 and thereafter attended graduate studies in telecommunications at New York University, NY.

“I’ve always been fascinated with how things work. That same curiosity that drove my early exploration has made me a relentless scientist, engineer and innovator who sees challenges as opportunities.”

Notable products include Pockethound, a tool that helps educators detect cheating in the classroom, Manta Ray cell phone detector, SentryHound-Pro cell phone detection portal and Wolfhound-Pro used by TSCM professionals worldwide to detect and locate unauthorized cell phones.

Scott Schober is a relentless scientist, engineer, and innovator.

He is determined and follows through with every new project he begins.
Since he was a child, he always enjoyed taking things apart and creating new things.
Scott holds numerous patents and has developed more than 50 tools and products that protect and maintain the integrity of information security.

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