Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless company, and WeatherBug®, the leading provider of live, local weather information, today announced WeatherBug Protect, giving Verizon Wireless customers the most relevant weather information on their wireless phones. WeatherBug Protect turns Verizon Wireless mobile phones into weather notification devices, providing advanced warning of lightning, tornadoes, extreme temperatures, flash flooding, high winds, hurricanes and more.
WeatherBug Protect is the only location-based mobile alerting system to utilize the WeatherBug Network of nationwide weather sensors, providing Verizon Wireless customers with real-time, local alerts integrated with notifications from the National Weather Service. Customers receive precise and relevant notification via text message to help them respond to severe weather before it becomes a threat. Customers also get a variety of radar, satellite and other imagery to help them track and visualize the current weather picture.
WeatherBug Protect uses the WeatherBug Network to monitor potentially threatening weather conditions, including lightning activity, severe storms, heavy rainfall, high heat index, high wind gusts and more. It is also one of the first mobile applications to utilize the proprietary WeatherBug Total Lightning Network, which delivers real-time lightning warnings and is the only integrated intracloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning detection network available nationwide.
"Preparation and communication is critical in potentially dangerous weather situations," said Ryan Hughes, vice president of business development for Verizon. "WeatherBug Protect is a comprehensive service that combines the best-of-breed in alerting, location-based services and accurate weather coverage with the nation's most reliable wireless network."
"WeatherBug is committed to empowering people with relevant weather information to help them make informed decisions. We are passionate about enhancing customers' safety for activities impacted by weather, from common occurrences such as an approaching lightning storm to severe situations such as the ice storms many parts of the country recently experienced," said Chris Brozenick, vice president and general manager of mobile, WeatherBug. "We are extremely pleased to extend the reach of WeatherBug Protect to millions of Verizon Wireless customers while they are at work or on-the-go."
In 2007, Verizon Wireless selected WeatherBug as the company's preferred weather partner for several of its mobile entertainment and information services. As a result, Verizon Wireless customers can receive WeatherBug's live, neighborhood weather - the most precise coverage available - via text messages through V CAST Video, the Get It Now® or Media Center virtual store, and through Verizon Wireless' Mobile Web service. WeatherBug content is also available on Verizon's online Web site serving both FiOS Internet and Verizon High Speed Internet customers.
The WeatherBug Network is the world's largest network of weather sensors: It combines live weather sensors, the world's first lightning sensor network capable of detecting intracloud (critical for advanced prediction of severe weather) and cloud-to-ground lightning, and cameras located primarily atop schools with publicly available weather data from around the world. The density of the WeatherBug Network delivers weather information with a degree of accuracy, precision and timeliness unmatched in the industry.
Pricing and Availability
WeatherBug Protect is available on nearly two dozen phones, including the LG ChocolateTM 3, VenusTM by LG and the MOTOTM W755. Verizon Wireless customers can purchase WeatherBug Protect from the Weather section in the Media Center or Get It Now virtual store on their phones for a $5.99 monthly subscription. Airtime, data usage and messaging fees may apply during download and use of the application. For a list of WeatherBug Protect supported phones, visit www.verizonwireless.com/getitnow click on Tools & Applications and enter WeatherBug in the search box located under Categories.
For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. For more information on WeatherBug Protect, visit http://weather.weatherbug.com/mobile.html.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 80 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About WeatherBug
WeatherBug (http://weatherbug.com and http://weatherbugprofessional.com) is a trusted source of dynamic weather information enabling people worldwide to make more informed weather-related decisions. Millions of consumers and professional organizations, including the National Weather Service, rely on WeatherBug to make more informed personal and mission critical decisions which safeguard lives, impact communities and improve business operations. WeatherBug is a brand of AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (http://www.aws.com)