Earth Networks chooses customizable digital displays from Sparkpad as the platform for its new LCD weather display. The partnership brings together two technology companies located in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
Sparkpad (http://www.sparkpad.com), provider of “open platform” Internet-enabled displays and tablets, announces its selection by Earth Networks™, the owner of the WeatherBug® brand and operator of the largest weather observing and lightning network, for its new LCD weather display.
Earth Networks is using 15” integrated displays and open platform software from Sparkpad for the new LCD weather display, which provides businesses, schools, golf clubs and resorts, emergency response organizations and others with quick access to important real-time weather data, including current conditions, the three-day forecast, live camera images and breaking severe weather alerts.
The partnership brings together two technology companies located in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Sparkpad, based in Sterling, Va., in Northern Virginia’s high-tech corridor, is a technology services company that released its customizable Wi-Fi digital signage and touch-screen platform in March. Earth Networks, based in Germantown, Md., operates the popular WeatherBug website, desktop application and mobile apps and provides extensive weather tracking and alerting solutions to consumers, businesses, and government organizations throughout the globe.
“In bringing our LCD weather display to market, we needed a flexible, innovative partner, and we found that in Sparkpad,” says Tim Hyatt, Director of Operations, Earth Networks. “Sparkpad’s platform combines the high-quality display and fully customizable software we required to help bring weather information and alerts to our users, whether in a school, operations center or business, in a new, convenient way.”
“We are very pleased that Earth Networks, a company that millions turn to for detailed current weather conditions, weather forecasts and weather alerts, has selected the Sparkpad platform for its new weather display,” said Drew Weaver, CEO and Co‐founder of Sparkpad. “The company’s unique display ‒ which provides users with live, local weather conditions, the upcoming forecast and live camera images ‒ serves as a perfect example of how companies can easily develop and deploy their own custom digital signage solution using Sparkpad.”
Sparkpad’s 15” programmable display combines a large, color LCD screen with an embedded computer and Wi-Fi into a sleek, free-standing online device. Companies use open platform software, built on Linux, to create custom apps that display content and send and retrieve data over a local network or the Internet.
About Earth Networks™
As the provider of advanced weather data for nearly 20 years, Earth Networks (formerly AWS) operates the world’s largest weather observation and lightning detection networks and is building what will become the largest greenhouse gas monitoring network. Observations from Earth Networks inform and alert consumers, enterprises and governments around the world, providing them with advanced environmental intelligence for decision making and safety. The company’s popular WeatherBug website, desktop application and mobile apps provide millions of consumers with real-time, local weather information and dangerous severe weather alerts. Enterprise solutions from Earth Networks enable organizations, including energy and utilities, agriculture, sports and recreation, emergency operations and government entities, to safeguard lives, prepare for weather events and improve business operations. Earth Networks (http://www.earthnetworks.com) is based in Germantown, Md.
ABOUT SPARKPAD
Sparkpad provides “white box” tablets and digital displays that can be easily customized by companies to create their own line of branded, dedicated-use devices. Using a free Software Development Kit (SDK) available on Sparkpad’s website (http://www.sparkpad.com), companies can easily create their own interactive touch panels, digital signage and other solutions using Sparkpad’s programmable Wi-Fi-enabled touch screen displays. Sparkpad is based in the Dulles Technology Corridor with development offices in Shanghai, China.
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Source: Earth Networks
