iMapHurricane! Video Widget Brings Streaming-Video Hurricane Center Updates to Media Sites and Mobile Phones

Norman, OK, July 11, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Just in time for Hurricane season, Weather Decision Technologies, Inc., and America’s Emergency Network (AEN) have exclusively partnered to provide a vital new emergency information tool to local newspaper, radio, and television websites called iMapHurricane! Video Widget, featuring live video updates from the nation’s hurricane experts. Media companies will now have access to the widget that can be embedded in their website for a small one-time setup fee and no on-going cost, whether they are located in Hurricane zones or across the country.

The new iMapHurricane! Video Widget will feature real-time video streaming of the National Hurricane Center’s critical storm updates. The NHC plans to provide hourly updates during hurricane landfall situations, and holds special briefings during high-risk scenarios when storms are especially strong and storm patterns threaten large cities or vulnerable populations.

Through the agreement between WDT and AEN, each NHC update and briefing will be available live and as video on-demand for four hours after the feed is over to viewers of WDT’s partner websites in over 250 market demographic areas (DMA’s). For media outlets with iPhone users, WDT is offering on-demand updates directly to mobile phones through its custom, iMap® iPhone application.

“WDT is partnering with AEN, the experts in the live hurricane-update delivery business, to bring NHC updates to media companies and their iPhone users nationwide,” said Mike Eilts, President and CEO of WDT. “WDT brings its extensive market presence in the media industry to ensure that the word gets out about this critical addition to media companies’ arsenal of hurricane solutions. Combined with our best-selling iMap® geo-referenced weather map, the AEN solution offers broadcasters another terrific new application to meet the needs of their information-hungry viewers and iPhone users.”

“With AEN’s groundbreaking access to live video updates from the National Hurricane Center, and WDT’s extraordinary reach into weather-related media outlets, the opportunities to reach more people with this vital information have grown exponentially,” says Bryan Norcross, AEN’s President and CEO. “For the first time, important expert information from the National Hurricane Center can be distributed to media outlets and directly to the public without news crews and remote trucks having to be deployed. Live video feeds are sent to websites and broadcast studios via the AEN network at a fraction of the cost of traditional video-transmission systems. Plans are already underway to deliver additional products to WDT for distribution. These are exciting times for both companies.”

Media companies may easily embed the iMapHurricane! Video Widget directly in their website. The NHC Updates Widget is a Silverlight-based video-player application that will be embedded as a 400 x 700 pixel iFrame on any web page. AEN hosts the widget and provides hosting, bandwidth, and real-time and on-demand content. An example of the AEN widget can be found here: http://www.miamiherald.com/1060/story/908147.html . AEN has set up feeds from key Florida emergency management centers. Other emergency organizations around the country will be on line in the future.

WDT is a leader in providing geo-mapping and weather content to local media websites through its iMap® product line. iMapWeather modules feature a large suite of Hurricane, Severe Storm, and Winter seasonal content that are provided to local media websites.

About America’s Emergency Network, Inc.
AEN's goal is to be sure that every emergency manager, whether from a large county or a small town, has an outlet to reach the public, the media and other government officials. The AEN satellite-based video distribution system is designed to continue to work after a disaster when all power and communications lines are knocked out. For the first time, emergency managers and other public officials have a direct conduit to the public and the media to explain what has happened and how the government is responding. See http://emergency.info for more information.

About Weather Decision Technologies, Inc
Founded in 1999, Weather Decision Technologies, Inc. (WDT) has become a global leader in providing state-of-the-science weather detection, nowcasting, and forecasting systems and services to our partners and customers. WDT provides its numerical weather prediction capabilities and services for weather sensitive industries globally. WDT maintains operational and international offices in metropolitan Washington, DC; Norman, Oklahoma; Munich, Germany; and Tokyo, Japan.

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