Englewood, CO, 5 Jan 2009: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just completed the review of IPSM's application to become a Qualified Internet Communications Provider (QICP). IPSM is now listed as a certified QICP on the FAA website. The QICP certification process was established by the FAA to allow weather vendors the ability to provide meteorological data via the public Internet. Established standards must be met in order for a weather vendor to receive QICP approval. Three standards must be met in order to receive QICP approval and status: network infrastructure reliability, accessissibility, and security. The FAA grants QICP approval based on system integrity and transmission of data (e.g. accuracy, timeliness) only, not the quality of a vendor's weather content and/or data.

Dominion Energy signs up for LEADS On-Line!

Glen Allen, VA 12 Nov 08: Dominion Energy has signed up for IPSM’s advanced of LEADS On-Line weather decision support service. Dominion meteorologists, commodities traders, and decision-makers plan to use our state-of-the-art, web-based service to enhance forecasting support to their existing customer base, which spans the eastern United States. Headquartered in Richmond, VA, Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with an energy portfolio of about 26,500 megawatts of generation and 7,800 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline. Dominion also operates the nation's largest underground natural gas storage system with about 950 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in 11 states.

IPSM now a NWA Corporate Member!

Englewood, CO, 3 Nov 2008: IPSM has joined the National Weather Association (NWA) as it's newest Corporate Member. The NWA is a member-led, all inclusive, non-profit, professional association supporting and promoting excellence in operational meteorology and related activities since 1975. Members have many opportunities to share information, news, studies and concerns related to operational meteorology and related activities through committee work, submitting correspondence or articles to NWA publications, making presentations or leading workshops at the Annual Meeting, and to network with great people in a wide variety of careers (from well-known senior professionals to weather enthusiasts). IPSM looks forward to bringing it's wealth of knowledge and expertise in the fields of operational meteorology, aviation meteorology, remote sensing, education, information technology, and weather analysis and forecasting to the NWA team.

IPSM Wins Colombian Air Force Weather Satellite Recieve System Project!

Bogotá, Colombia, 22 Oct 08: IPSM, in cooperation with our partner Unicom Ltda. of Colombia, has officially won a contract to install a GOES-12/GVAR weather satellite direct receive system into the Colombian Air Force (FAC) headquarters in Bogotá. The IPSM Magellan/LEADS system solution will allow FAC forecasters to process, display, and analyze GOES-12/GVAR weather satellite data for use in supporting overall military aviation and resource protection operations. FAC users will also be able to integrate the GOES-12/GVAR imagery produced by the Magellan/LEADS system with other current systems, increasing overall situational awareness for leaders and decision-makers. Additionally, IPSM will host a contingent of FAC forecasters for a 2-week satellite meteorology course as part of this project.

IPSM Launches new Radar Nowcast Capability!

IPSM, in cooperation with Weather Decision Technologies, Inc. (WDT), has officially launched our new US Air Force (USAF) Weather Radar Nowcast capability on LEADS On-Line to the meet critical near-term severe weather forecasting requirements of the USAF and Army. This advanced integration of WDT’s MAPLE Forecast Radar and real-time Level II storm data, coupled with IPSM’s industry leading LEADS On-Line web tools, is being provided to all US-based Operational Weather Squadrons (OWS). The OWS’s are responsible for USAF weather forecasting and warfighter support. Our development team worked closely with WDT scientists to rapidly develop and deploy this new functionality. The new radar data looper allows users to view past, current, and forecasted weather radar in one integrated display. Furthermore, IPSM has crafted this entirely web-based tool to toggle on/off and mouse over for more detail severe storm indicators (TVS, Hail Triangles, Strom Tracks, NWS WWA, etc) derived from the multiple sources and advanced algorithms. The USAF is undergoing a 4-month trial of this new service to determine how it can enhance their overall forecasting and resource protection operations. This service is available immediately, as well, to commercial customers that have a high degree of sensitivity to impending severe weather events. For a trial of this service for your operations register on our website at: http://nowcast.meteostar.com.

IPSM at the 2008 Brazilian Meteorological Congress Show!

São Paulo, Brazil, 25-29 Aug 08: IPSM, in cooperation with our Brazilian Partner SIMTECH, hosted a booth last week at the 2008 Brazilian Meteorological Congress show in São Paulo, Brazil. Over 1000 meteorologists, hydrologists and environmental scientists from around Brazil and South America attend the show. Current IPSM/SIMTECH customers, as well as many new, prospective clients, stopped by to see what was new with IPSM and LEADS. The activity around the booth was constant, as the IPSM team performed demos of our new LEADS On-Line capability, while also discussing upgrades for current customers.

LEADS On-Line Tropical Cyclone Floater Windows Activated!

IPSM has turned on it's Tropical Cyclone floater windows for this year's Atlantic/Eastern Pacific hurricane season. LEADS On-Line subscribers can find these floating windows on the Satellite page under the Weather pull-down menu. Products include IR, VIS, WV, and IR/tropical storm track overlay loops. We've also added our new Probability loop, which overlays IR satellite, storm track and IPSM's derived storm probability/impact graphic. These windows and products will remain active throughout the hurricane season.