Tokyo-based Weathernews Inc. has announced it is partnering with Netatmo, a French company that operates the world’s largest user-generated home weather sensor network, as part of a plan to expand its weather data and improve its global weather forecasting efforts.
Weathernews, which is a major provider of weather information and a leading advocate of using crowd sourced data to improve weather forecasting, recently acquired the social weather app Weathermob and is in the process of further expanding its global presence.
The deal with Netatmo is part of the Weathernews’ strategy of developing a next generation weather forecasting system that will use mobile and social media data improve forecasting.
“Accurate weather forecasting is only as powerful as data used to create predictive models,” said Tomohiro Ishibashi, director of Weathernews, in a statement. “By integrating the European Netatmo’s weather sensor network with our own large and existing data network including the Sunnycomb and Weathermob social weather data in our own forecast model, we can provide a more personalized, accurate and localized service for people and organizations around the globe. As a growing social crowdsourced weather company, Weathernews is delighted -- and committed -- to expanding its global collaboration with other weather-related companies.”
Netatmo bills itself as the world’s largest user-generated home weather sensor network company, with data from 174 countries. It provides portable weather sensors that can be installed in homes to capture such data as temperature, humidity, pressure and air quality levels.
That data will provide Weathernews with much more complete data, including access to weather information from locations that aren’t near traditional weather stations.
Weathernews executives also note that they are currently looking to expand their presence in the U.S. They already offer mobile apps to the consumers via the Weathermob and Sunnycomb app. Those apps will benefit from the added data from Netatmo and their use of mobile and social media data.
But they are also looking to work with local stations and channels to co-brand their weather offerings.
