Bad Weather

Happy Friday, and TGIF.

Yesterday, some news about the weather from IBM with the introduction of its GRAF weather forecasting model.

GRAF stands for “Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting” and is the first global weather model to run on a GPU-accelerated supercomputer called “DYEUS.”

In partnership with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, this new system uses state-of-the-art science to forecast the atmosphere on a global scale, providing hourly (vs every 6-12 hours) updates and bringing forecast fidelity once limited to a few countries to the rest of the world.

Forecasts from the new system will be available via The Weather Channel and Weather Underground apps and websites, and also to businesses via IBM offerings.

IBM GRAF runs on supercomputer powered by the IBM Power9 System and CPUs and GPUs optimized on open source software for AI and high-performance computing.

Also on the cloud front…Amazon is filing a protest of the Pentagon’s decision to award the JEDI contract to Microsoft, claiming “unmistakable bias” and “errors” in process.

And Apple is just saying no to vaping, announcing it will remove all 181 vaping-related apps from its store amid growing health concerns over e-cigarettes.

The Weather Company, an IBM Business, Named Official Weather Partner of NASCAR

NASCAR and The Weather Company, an IBM Business, announced today a multi-year agreement that will optimize the weather-related decision process for NASCAR as it incorporates hyper-local weather data and forecasts into their races to improve race-day operations and fan engagement.

 

As part of the agreement, The Weather Company, via The Weather Channel brand, becomes the Official Weather Partner of NASCAR.

In collaboration with Flagship Solutions Group, The Weather Company will provide critical weather information to NASCAR through an advanced weather insights dashboard developed by Flagship that will be integrated into NASCAR’s racing operations and decision support system.

Additionally, The Weather Channel will work with NASCAR on educational content, which will present fans with information on things like how weather impacts vehicle performance.

“There is an enormous amount of logistics and planning needed to support a NASCAR race, but the one thing we do not have control over is weather,” said Elton Sawyer, NASCAR vice president, officiating and technical inspection. “This partnership with The Weather Company and Flagship Solutions Group will provide NASCAR access to critical information that can improve race operations and help minimize delays, while improving the race day experience for millions of our loyal fans.”

Through this partnership, NASCAR will now have access to The Weather Company’s world-renowned weather data, as well as direct input from an onsite personal weather station, at each race. The Weather Company produces the most accurate forecast for more than 2 billion locations around the world every 15 minutes. NASCAR will incorporate hyper-local weather data and forecasts into their races to improve race-day operations and fan engagement.

“Every business needs a weather strategy – and this is especially true for a partner like NASCAR where every race has the potential to be impacted by weather,” said Bill Dow, head of media and entertainment for The Weather Company. “Having access to the most accurate, precise, and hyperlocal weather information positions NASCAR to make more informed and timely, critical business decisions that impact race day operations, as well as improve planning for future events that will help drive their success.”

The Weather Track, a real-time, weather insights dashboard, developed on the IBM Cloud and leveraging Flagship Solutions’ trademarked Infralytics™ methodology, will provide critical information including rain start and stop times, wind speed, lightning proximity, tornado/flash flood warnings, and more to help organizers optimize each event. Longer term, NASCAR plans to use weather forecasting and analytics to help improve planning.

The Weather Company Introduces New Solutions Designed to Help Freight and Logistic Companies

If you happen to be in the freight business, you know that weather-related delays cost cargo companies big bucks. $8.7B a year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

To help address these inefficiences, The Weather Company, an IBM Business, has introduced its new Operations Dashboard for Ground Transportation.

This new solution is designed to help optimize workforce productivity and route selection for freight and logistics companies. The comprehensive, customizable dashboard includes key information on weather and road conditions, including precipitation, wind, fog, ice and pooling water.

The dashboard also integrates real-time traffic flow and incident data, and flags safety hazards.

“By providing freight and logistics companies with a single view of critical weather and traffic information, we are providing them with the ability to make proactive decisions that can reduce inefficiencies and potentially keep their drivers out of harm’s way,” said Mark Gildersleeve, vice president and head of business solutions, The Weather Company. “We understand that weather can be disruptive, but with the right insight companies can be prepared to make proactive decisions.”

 

The Weather Company, an IBM Business, introduced new operations dashboard to help freight and logistic companies improve operational efficiency.  (Credit: The Weather Company, an IBM Business)

The Operations Dashboard for Ground Transportation is designed to provide input across the trucking and fleet organizations. As part of the solution:

• Dispatchers will have access to a comprehensive dashboard of the network of vehicles and locations, with a view of relevant weather, traffic, and safety information on each route.
• Distribution Center Executives will have access to a dashboard-level view of weather and traffic that impacts the safety of relevant personnel and facility operations.
• Drivers will receive live, location-based alerts for current locations and upcoming locations based on current trajectory. Drivers will also have the ability to check weather and traffic while planning the day’s travel and during breaks.

Additionally, dispatchers can set up individualized alerts of approaching hazards that are delivered via API to an in-cab or mobile device.

This alerting capability can track a driver’s trajectory and send alerts based on approaching weather. With weather updates as frequently every five minutes and down to a 500-meter resolution, drivers will be equipped to make more informed decisions from the road.

To learn more, visit https://business.weather.com/industry-solutions/ground-transportation.

The Weather Company Extends Access to WEATHERfx Platform

The Weather Company, an IBM Business, announced today it is expanding off-property access to its proprietary automated ad targeting platform, WEATHERfx, and further extending the capability beyond The Weather Channel and Weather Underground web and mobile properties.

As part of this WEATHERfx expansion, Weather has collaborated with The Trade Desk, a global self-service technology platform for buyers of advertising, and Vistar Media, the industry’s first and only solution for programmatic out-of-home advertising.

Through The Trade Desk and Vistar Media, marketers will be able to leverage WEATHERfx targeting across a variety of programmatic campaigns. Both programmatic and digital OOH advertising are promising growth markets, with programmatic ad spending expected to grow at double-digit rates for the next several years, and digital placements forecasted to account for more than half of OOH ad spending by 2018.

WEATHERfx is an automated targeting platform that helps power more informed marketing decisions by leveraging weather’s potential impact on emotion and delivering messaging designed to inform consumer action. Using weather-based triggers that identify conditions when weather is most likely to drive consumer behavior, the automated WEATHERfx platform eliminates media waste and activates a brand’s media to run when the optimal mix of conditions occur.

“Collaborating with The Weather Channel to extend WEATHERfx data targeting to out-of-home was a natural fit,” said Michael Provenzano, CEO & Co-Founder at Vistar Media. “Vistar’s platform is uniquely built to respond to data sets involving location and time – like weather conditions – to help marketers connect with on-the-go consumers at the right place and right time with relevant messaging.”

In addition to improving the relevancy of programmatic advertising campaigns via The Trade Desk and Vistar Media, WEATHERfx can also be used off-platform to help marketers better target messaging across social media, email marketing, and on marketers’ owned and operated websites or mobile apps.