KIRKLAND, Wash. and Andover, MA – April 14, 2008 – INRIX®, the leading provider of traffic flow information in North America, in partnership with WSI, the leading provider of weather-driven business solutions for broadcast and cable television stations in North America, today announced an agreement where WSI will exclusively incorporate the full breadth of INRIX Traffic services, including real-time and predictive traffic data, into their premier on-air traffic product TruVu Traffic HD.
For twenty-five years, WSI has been the first choice among #1 broadcast and cable television stations including CNN, FOX, NBC and hundreds of TV station customers for on-air and online real-time weather and traffic presentations. Augmenting WSI’s traffic news systems with INRIX Traffic services offers an unbeatable combination for improving ratings and increasing web traffic to broadcast outlets across the country.
INRIX’s unique approach to traffic provides WSI customers with accurate, real-time and predictive traffic for all key roadways in over 100 markets. INRIX is able to achieve broad market and road coverage through its unique “Smart Dust Network” approach of aggregating traffic-related information from more than 250 public and private sources, including traditional road sensors together with up-to-the-minute data from over 800,000 GPS-enabled vehicles and data from other sources. As a result, INRIX offers customers the most accurate traffic information available.
INRIX Predictive Traffic leverages its advanced sophisticated analysis engine to make highly accurate predictions about future traffic conditions – whether they are 15 minutes, 1 hour or even 2 days into the future — determining the combination of factors that will influence future traffic patterns and uniquely developing an in-depth understanding of what traffic is like in each metropolitan area.
INRIX’s technology combines input of commonly known traffic-impacting factors such as the current traffic conditions, day of the week, season, holidays and related days, current and forecast weather, crashes and road construction, as well as other events such as sporting events and concerts, and even uniquely local variables such as the legislative calendar in Washington D.C. or the NAB convention in Las Vegas. This allows INRIX to make continually updated predictions conditioned on dynamic knowledge of current and future conditions.
For example, providing highly-accurate weekend predictive traffic forecasts that save a family’s trip to the beach by alerting them ahead of time to traffic congestion, highlighting key route conditions and providing alternate routing suggestions will not only prevent frustrating delays, but generate tremendous viewer loyalty.
The ability to generate Monday morning commuter forecasts – on a Sunday – is an equally compelling differentiator that will provide stations with a “first to market” status that wins ratings battles.
“Viewers tune in for fresh and vital information every day, seeking out relevant and reliable traffic and weather reports,” said Bill Dow, vice-president, Media Product Management at WSI Corporation. “More than any other story, we depend on traffic and weather news because we’re concerned about how daily events can disrupt our lives. What brings us to the screen is information that INRIX and WSI can comprehensively provide to viewers day after day.”
INRIX has developed a unique technology portfolio that generates highly accurate real time, historical and predictive traffic information. With the broadest coverage on more roads and in more markets than any other traffic information provider in North America, INRIX’s growth and success has been remarkable since the company was founded in 2004.
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with a company that shares the same commitment to delivering high-quality weather information products as we do to providing the highest-quality traffic information services,” commented Bryan Mistele, president and CEO of INRIX. “We look forward to leveraging WSI’s considerable presence in the broadcast and cable television market to bring a ratings-winning combination to stations across North America.”
About INRIX
INRIX® is the leading provider of accurate real time, historical and predictive traffic information nationwide, providing over 50 industry partners and customers including Clear Channel Radio’s Total Traffic Network, TomTom, deCarta, I-95 Corridor Coalition, MapQuest, Microsoft, Mio, TCS, Tele Atlas, TeleNav, Telmap and others with the highest quality data and broadest coverage available for personal navigation, mapping, and other location-based service applications in the car, online and on mobile devices.
INRIX Traffic Services leverage sophisticated statistical analysis techniques, originally developed by Microsoft Research, to aggregate and enhance traffic-related information from hundreds of public and private sources, going well beyond the limitations of static road sensor networks, historical-based models and cellular data aggregators, to offer customers the most sophisticated understanding of the unique system-wide traffic patterns in each metropolitan area. Additionally, INRIX offers real-time flow data for 117 markets in the U.S. and the U.K. and incident data for 114 markets across the country through its partnership with Clear Channel Radio’s Total Traffic Network. To experience the traffic technology revolution behind the next generation of navigation and location-based service applications, visit www.inrix.com.
About WSI Corporation
WSI Corporation is the world’s leading provider of weather-driven business solutions for professionals in the media, aviation and energy markets. For over 30 years, WSI has focused on predicting, detecting and visualizing disruptive weather – from the severe weather that makes headlines a few weeks each year to the more subtle weather changes that affect the business operations and profits of its clients each day. WSI is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Landmark Communications, Inc., a privately held company that also owns The Weather Channel® and weather.com. More information about WSI can be found at www.wsi.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
INRIX
K. Michele Largé
425-284-3854
Michele@inrix.com
MEDIA CONTACT
WSI Corporation
Linda Maynard
978-983-6715
lmaynard@wsi.com
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