AccuWeather to Deliver Timely, Localized Weather Information via IBM Emerging Technology

AccuWeather, Inc., The World's Weather Authority®, announced today that it will soon deliver mission-critical weather information via IBM's (NYSE: IBM) emerging Web 2.0 technology, QEDWiki enterprise mashup maker, to businesses and markets worldwide.

Mashup technologies have the potential to speed access to data that reside within corporate and business data warehouses, databases, or spreadsheets without the need to develop complex, custom applications. IBM's QEDWiki technology enables business professionals to rapidly design their own situational applications combining weather information with their own enterprise data systems and other third-party data content.

AccuWeather views QEDWiki as a breakthrough technology that empowers anyone in business to create do-it-yourself applications without the need for large IT development efforts. AccuWeather is currently working with IBM to evaluate the technology and establish pilot programs for the company's commercial clients to evaluate the AccuWeather QEDWiki widgets.

The types of AccuWeather information to be delivered via a subscription-based service using QEDWiki technology include:

• Weather forecasts, current conditions and historical data, including temperature and precipitation, for over 2.7 million locations worldwide, for use by energy analysts, traders as well as retail and other business analysts


• Real-time Local Storm Reports, providing critical, localized and
  
  dynamic data to emergency managers and risk managers


• Doppler Radar with StormTimer™ forecasts for anticipating arrival times and conditions of severe weather


• Severe weather watches and warnings for tornadoes, hail, heavy rain and lightning, enabling businesses to protect their personnel and property


• Tropical and marine forecasts, such as sea surface temperature, wind speed and direction, and ocean wave heights, guiding off-shore interests in transporting and servicing mobile and stationery assets

AccuWeather views data delivered by widgets developed with QEDWiki as a powerful complement to its existing commercial weather applications, subscription services and syndicated weather data services.

"Our clients in retail, energy, utilities, transportation, logistics, finance and insurance demand rapid access to the latest and most accurate weather information," said Paul J. Raymond, Senior Product Manager at AccuWeather, Inc. "Widget-delivered weather information allows our clients to be more productive in utilizing AccuWeather data to identify and exploit business opportunities while at the same time helping clients manage risks imposed by adverse weather conditions."

All of the new AccuWeather weather information will be available as individual palettes of data and display widgets which can be "mashed up" by users within the IBM QEDWiki framework to rapidly develop tools that provide instantaneous value and analysis to users. QEDWiki, being a true Web 2.0 technology, will encourage information sharing among individuals and work groups. IBM has found that QEDWiki brings the power of service oriented architectures (SOA) and Web 2.0 together to help people create situational business applications in five minutes or less.

"AccuWeather has great foresight in how Web 2.0 and Mashup technologies can create new business and revenue opportunities for their company," said Rod Smith, IBM Vice President, Emerging Internet Technology. "IBM is excited about AccuWeather's pioneering investment in this developing technology -- QEDWiki -- which will help grow its commercial business and enhance collaboration, efficiency and productivity among its corporate teams internally." QEDWiki, which is part of IBM's Lab Network, is being incubated with enterprises worldwide in order to validate the applicability of Web 2.0 technologies to the fast changing business needs of customers. The Made in IBM Labs Network is a worldwide collection of research and development laboratories dedicated to driving the birth and growth of some of the world's most promising emerging technologies.

About AccuWeather, Inc.

AccuWeather, The World's Weather Authority®, presents accurate, localized, branded forecasts and severe weather bulletins to over 106 million Americans each day via the Internet, mobile devices and IPTV, through the airwaves, and in print. The 113 meteorologists at AccuWeather deliver a portfolio of customized products and services to media, business, government, and institutions, and inform millions of visitors worldwide through the free AccuWeather.com website. AccuWeather also provides content onto more than 20,000 third-party Internet sites, including CNN Interactive, ABC's owned and operated stations, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Visit www.accuweather.com for more information.