Technology, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is the backbone of business forecasting today. That’s why IBM purchased The Weather Company in 2015, according to a MarketWatch report this past June. While Big Blue is positioned to use its considerable data-crunching resources to get a better handle on the weather, there’s more to the story than just making meteorologists look good on the six o’clock news.
In an article titled “IBM finally reveals why it bought The Weather Company,” MarketWatch reporter Jennifer Booton writes that IBM will use the massive data collection capacity of The Weather Company to pinpoint changing weather conditions in local areas that will help businesses position themselves for more accurate sales forecasting.
IBM…revealed its first joint product with The Weather Company: a hyperlocal weather forecast—at a 0.2-mile to 1.2-mile resolution—to provide enterprise clients with short-term customized forecasts. It’s hoping to include this service, dubbed Deep Thunder, as part of a growing suite of products offered to enterprise clients through its Watson arm.
Deep Thunder combines big data and machine-learning tools from IBM Research with The Weather Company’s global forecasting model, which includes more than 195,000 personal weather stations.
CNN reported a year ago at the time of the purchase that IBM’s intent is business-driven:
Weather data isn’t as trivial as it seems. It’s one of the most-looked-up pieces of information that businesses and consumers rely on. You obviously care about what to wear every day. But many businesses rely on weather data to maximize profits.
Drug companies and pharmacies rely on weather forecasts to predict when to increase supplies of allergy medications. And agriculture companies use weather data to maximize crop yields. Monsanto (MON), for example, purchased weather data company Climate Corp. for nearly $1 billion in 2013.
Having access to the right data could mean millions of dollars in increased sales.
Now with hurricane Matthew pummeling the Caribbean and the East Coast of the U.S., you can bet that thousands of businesses will be affected, whether they are in the path of the storm or supplying goods and services to the devastated region from a safe distance. The more information they have, the better they will be able to regroup and rebuild.
Data, weather, and business—it’s all connected. And that’s why technology, and IT professionals, in particular, are vital to the success of small and large businesses alike. Forward-thinking business leaders are ramping up hiring in the IT sector, with some four million new IT jobs projected to be available in ten years.
If you’re in IT, you are better positioned to thrive in your career because you are contributing to what many believe is the backbone of business—information technology.
Want to get a better forecast about your career in technology? Call us and speak with an IT career professional at Core Technology Solutions.