May 10, 2017; 12:27 PM

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Through transformational big data solutions powered by Microsoft Azure, decision makers and developers make life-saving impact while driving business results.

AccuWeather Global Headquarters - May 10, 2017 -- AccuWeather, the global leader in weather information and digital media, today announced the launch of AccuWeather D3 Express™, powered by Microsoft Azure, at the Microsoft Build Developer Conference held May 10-12 in Seattle, WA.

The AccuWeather D3 Express platform places business decision makers and developers at the center of accurate, actionable information that will help to save lives and provide a new level of business intelligence. Users can seamlessly integrate, streamline, and automate the decision making process using analytics to aid their company in all aspects of business, resulting in greater efficiencies for marketing, merchandising, supply chain, logistics, and many more.

AccuWeather D3 Express features AccuWeather's custom Impact Indicator™, forecasting how disruptive a weather event will be at each business location on an impact scale of 1 (insignificant) to 10 (extreme) through the use of ten years of historical weather data, proprietary algorithms, and forecasts with Superior Accuracy™ and advanced analytics. The impact, or risk value, considers the probability of a weather event occurring and the loss or opportunity for gain that the event will cause at each location to quickly understand the weather impact in order to take immediate action. Azure powers AccuWeather D3 Express, enabling developers to analyze and uncover valuable weather relationships by event and magnitude and deliver these insights at scale to a global audience. AccuWeather D3 Express integrates several Azure features to move, store, and manage data and to present data to the web or API client, including Azure Blob storage, App Service, API Management, and Web Apps.

"AccuWeather is using intelligent weather data in ways that are predictive, visual, and interactive using Microsoft Azure as the foundation in the AccuWeather D3 platform," said Nicole Herskowitz, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Azure, Microsoft Corp. "We are pleased to see AccuWeather benefit from the global scale and broad portfolio of Azure services as it enhances opportunities for developers."

AccuWeather D3 Express is available as both a user interface and API with each solution incorporating the customer's specific geographic locations of interest. This is the first tier of a planned series release, which will offer a customized platform solutions suite designed specifically for businesses to prepare for weather events and their impact on the bottom line.

As one example, through AccuWeather D3 Express available on Azure, supply chain managers will be alerted of potential disruptive weather to quickly see which transportation routes and stores will be affected and alter those routes to ensure the safest, on-time deliveries. Marketing teams in the same organization can execute targeted advertising and promotional events to drive incremental revenue, operations can change staffing, production, and inventory levels to increase profits, and more.

"AccuWeather D3 Express is designed for developers, business leaders, and individuals who want to make a life-changing difference," said Rosemary Radich, AccuWeather Head of Business Intelligence. "Microsoft Azure users who integrate AccuWeather's data - the most complete, accurate, and actionable weather information available globally - into their operational platforms will significantly impact production, distribution, marketing, staffing decisions, and more. Most importantly, developers can help to save lives by having severe and disruption weather information updates in advance to take immediate action."

AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions' D3 Analytics takes the most complete global real-time and historical weather database - including AccuWeather's unique real-time data sets from around the world with exclusive observations, satellite, and radar - analyzed with third-party and client datasets to uncover new levels of business intelligence through proprietary statistical analytics and predictive modeling. AccuWeather uses its Superior Accuracy to make predictions for logistics, sales planning, inventory control, and more, providing the most actionable, customized data-driven decisions for businesses, partnering with the world's leading brands. This year, AccuWeather recognizes and celebrates 55 years of life-saving impact through Superior Accuracy and will continue to bring revolutionary new innovations to users globally.

Visit www.AccuWeather.com/EnterpriseSolutions for additional information.

About AccuWeather, Inc.

Over 1.5 billion people worldwide rely on AccuWeather to help them plan their lives, protect their businesses, and get more from their day. AccuWeather provides hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute forecasts with Superior Accuracy™ with customized content and engaging video presentations available through smart phones, tablets, free wired and mobile Internet sites via AccuWeather.com, award winning AccuWeather apps, connected TVs, wearables, smart homes, and connected cars, as well as radio, television, newspapers, and the AccuWeather Network cable channel. Established in 1962 by Founder, Chairman and President Dr. Joel N. Myers - a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society who was recognized as one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur Magazine's Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs book - AccuWeather also delivers a wide range of highly-customized enterprise solutions to media, business, government, and institutions, as well as weather news, content, and video for more than 180,000 third-party websites. AccuWeather's CEO, Barry Lee Myers, is an award winning leader in global weather information issues and one of the world's most recognized advocates for cooperative relationships between government weather agencies and the weather industry. He is a leader in the digital weather information space.