Accurate Weather as a Killer Mobile Application
So what is it, from the user’s perspective, that makes mobile weather a killer application?
It affects outdoor activity
With the knowledge of exactly where and when it will rain, a user can adjust his activities to rapid changes in the weather while on the go. Knowing precipitation intensity, exactly how cold it will feel or if the snow will accumulate on the road can assist mobile users in maximizing their outdoor activity and experience.
It is localized:
While storms often come in a massive scale, from the user’s perspective the severity of a storm is relative to the user’s location. If a user is located under the center of a small size thunderstorm experiencing heavy rain or massive hail, to the user, it’s a huge storm. If the user is on the outskirts of a really massive thunderstorm (2 – 3 km from the storm center) experiencing only light showers, the user will feels as if the storm is not as bad as it was portrayed in the news …
It is timely:
Knowing that it may rain during the next few hours is not such a big deal; some companies do it less accurately while some, like Nooly, do it with precision. Nevertheless, knowing the exact time it will start to rain, when exactly the rain will subside or when a user will have a break in the rain to pick up the kids, walk the dog, catch a cab, ride his bike back home or do whatever a user needs to do outside Makes weather a very useful and powerful mobile application in the hands of a user in need.
It is personalized
Users are getting accurate weather prediction relevant to their location or to any one of their favorite locations. The Nooly prediction is tailored to user schedule, work, health, special needs and hobbies. It can take into account any of the user’s family members and their sensitivity to the weather – e.g. infants, babies, small kids, the elderly as well as pets…
It’s cool!
It is something users like to brag about. They show it to their friends, the new gadget that can predict the exact time it will rain. Nooly users are being approached by non-Nooly users or by somehow less “technological” people, asking them for accurate weather prediction in time of need. Having the user’s family and friends contacting the user for information and help portrays the Nooly user as a “cool,” “advanced,” and “knowledgeable” person.
Give users real added value
Among the hundreds of thousands of smartphone applications, accurate weather is definitely one of mobile phones’ most useful applications. The detailed warning and the accurate and localized predictions give users a clear and quantified value; it help users save money (e.g. tells users in advance of golf condition), it can save lives (by warning of risky road conditions), and it can save time (by predicting traffic jams due to snow or icy roads conditions). Accurate weather can improve life quality (e.g. informing the user of great weather condition to engage in their favorite hobby – jogging, fishing, biking, hiking, skiing, rollerblading, etc.) Knowing the exact weather can contribute to better family and social activity.
It’s addictive!
Even without any specific need for accurate weather, people want to know what the weather will be like; they compare, whether or not today is hotter than last week, which storm was more powerful, the morning thunderstorm that was a big one or the one that is building in front of us… with Nooly, the forecast is updated every 5 minute. Within every 15 – 30 minutes a completely new picture of the sky is emerging, giving those who care about the weather a new thrill of discovering new weather patterns that will be knocking on their doorstep very soon …
Global Warming:
The raise in global temperature bring with it intensifying weather conditions; heat waves are longer and hotter, average Tornadoes and Hurricanes are stronger, the winters are colder than average, and severe thunderstorms happen more often than ever. Among the general population there is deep concern and uncertainty that is accompanying these severe weather events. Where the uncertainty level is rising, there is a stronger demand for tools that give some certainty, explanation and accurate prediction. Detailed, localized, and accurate predictions help users to compare and distinguish themselves in their location with respect to extreme weather events that are on the news.
Make 3rd party applications more relevant to the user:
A Nooly prediction doesn’t need to be consumed directly. It could be imbedded into a 3rd party application, e.g. social applications, where complementary, accurate, relevant weather prediction is available for the benefit of the group and its activity. Nooly’s minute-by-minute location sensitive weather prediction can be embedded into any sport, travel, entertainment, navigation application, etc., where an accurate, relevant, weather prediction can make a difference on the quality of the application offering, its content or on the value their users receive from location-sensitive, accurate, relevant weather prediction that is embedded with their unique content.
It is predicted that by 2012, certain mobile weather applications will be significantly more popular in comparison to the currently most popular email application – Gmail. The increase in mobile weather application popularity is expected to come from technological improvements that will give new dimensions of accuracy, locality and personalization to mobile weather applications transforming it to be a must-have application with any Smartphone. In addition, while new and internal communication methods within social network slowly replace traditional emails as a main means of communication, high levels of expertise and control of essential patents ensure that only a handful of “weather companies” with very focused, embedded and standalone weather application will continue to dominate the Smartphone most popular downloads lists and the Smartphone must-have application lists.
