Lexington, Mass., USA / Wellington, New Zealand – AER, Inc., the largest commercial weather research and development company in the U.S., and Metra Information Ltd., the internationally recognized subsidiary of Meteorological Service of New Zealand Ltd., today announced their global teaming agreement to sell a broad spectrum of weather and climate information products to markets in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
With combined expertise in areas of worldwide mesoscale numerical weather prediction, nowcasting, probabilistic medium-range (one- to 10-day) forecasts, and seasonal forecasts, Metra’s and AER’s services span the time spectrum for forecasts from five minutes to 6 months into the future. Metra and AER will leverage each other’s strengths and market presence to provide companies with exciting new services. Metra has a worldwide customer base extending from New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands to Hong Kong, China and the Pacific Rim, the Middle East, parts of the U.S., Continental Europe, and the United Kingdom. AER’s major focus is in the U.S., with systems integration projects in South America, parts of Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim.
“AER’s extensive research and development in numerical weather prediction techniques, coupled with a demand in the market for better forecasts, has brought us to the point where introducing these services globally is the logical next step. Metra is the right partner for the job given their complementary services, and markets,” stated Cecilia Sze, president and CEO of AER.
AER’s focus is on 10-day ensemble forecasts to communicate forecast confidence to companies interested in using that information to their advantage. With 51 individual forecasts, AER’s eCast ensemble provides a preferred way to look at the variability in current conditions that are ultimately responsible for the weather 7 to 10 days out. Individuals trading in weather derivatives and power are able to make more informed decisions when they understand the temperature forecast’s full range of probabilities and the spread within the range derived from eCast. In addition, AER scientists have developed a seasonal forecasting technique that has outperformed traditional methods with especially good skill during the key winter months.
“Metra’s high-quality operational forecasting systems, modeling ability, and commercially focused R&D, combined with our innovative presentation expertise complement AER’s strengths, in what we hope is a successful long-term relationship. At the end of the day, we are all about quality and about delivering innovation and value to our customers,” said John Lumsden, Metra’s chief executive.
Metra has developed internationally known short-term and hourly forecast productsthat are used by power generators, retailers and traders looking at Europe and Australasia. Among other things, Metra specializes in servicing the energy industry and has a reputation for operational excellence, customer focus, and on-time delivery. Forecasts for key weather variables are provided according to client needs, down to hourly or out to 72 hours, and beyond.
About AER:
Founded in 1977, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. is an award-winning environmental research and consulting company addressing the research and science application needs of governmental and industry clients, from the oceans to the planets, from the integration of meteorological systems through the assessment of risk. In addition to its Lexington, Mass., headquarters, AER has offices in Omaha and San Francisco. For more information, visit our web site at www.aer.com.
About Metra Information Ltd:
Metra is a subsidiary company of Meteorological Service of New Zealand Ltd., a New Zealand state-owned enterprise, headquartered in Wellington with an office in the United Kingdom. It provides services to international customers primarily in the aviation, media and energy sectors. MetService employs some 165 people providing weather and information presentation services. For more information, please visit Metra’s web site at www.metra.info.
Contacts:
AER, Inc.
+1 781-761-2288
Marketing Communications
Contact Us
Metra Information Ltd.
Paul Linton
Manager – International Sales & Marketing
paul.linton@metra.info
www.metra.info
+64 4 4700700