OAKVILLE, ON, Sept. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - Pelmorex Media Inc., parent company of The Weather Network and MétéoMédia, announced today that it has acquired Beat The Traffic. Based in Santa Clara, California, Beat The Traffic is a leading provider of vehicle traffic reporting solutions for broadcast media and consumers. The acquisition enhances Pelmorex Media's traffic and traveler-related information and paves the way for the company's upcoming launch of Travelers Network in late October.
"It's an exciting day for Pelmorex Media as we launch our traveler information service and add key resources to our Travelers Network team," said Pierre Morrissette, Chairman and CEO of Pelmorex Media Inc. "The expansion of our services demonstrates our continued commitment to providing consumers with detailed, real-time information that they've come to expect from us over the past 23 years and reinforces our position as a leading multi-platform media service."
The acquisition of Beat The Traffic gives Pelmorex Media a significant boost to its expertise for the traveler information category and access to technology and patents that will enhance the services provided by Travelers Network. Beat The Traffic is a very popular service utilized by many media clients in North America and abroad. "We are anxious to add to this significant international customer base as we invest further in product and market development initiatives," continued Mr. Morrissette.
"We are very excited to join the Pelmorex family; Pelmorex is an innovator and leader in weather and traveler-related information services. Its vision of helping consumers' plan for anything aligns perfectly with the tools and technology that Beat The Traffic consumers depend on," said Andre Gueziec, founder of Beat The Traffic. "Personally, I am very excited to be joining Travelers Network in the new position of Director, Research and Development, and to work together to enhance existing services and develop innovative solutions for the travelers market."
Travelers Network will continue to invest in and grow the existing Beat The Traffic technology and consumer base while establishing its Canadian service which will initially launch as a website (www.travelersnetwork.com) and iPhone application providing real-time traffic and routing information for all Canadians in both official languages. Travelers Network will have a dedicated team of travel experts for the Greater Toronto Area reviewing, validating and updating all traffic and travel data in real time, providing the most up to date information. Pelmorex Media then plans to roll out dedicated traffic desks to more cities across North America over time. Additional smartphone and tablet applications will also be introduced to provide broad market access.
"Launching traveler-related services is a natural extension for us and it complements the highly successful weather-related services provided by The Weather Network and MétéoMédia," said Mark Thompson, Managing Director, Travelers Network. Mr. Thompson continued, "Our aim is to help consumers get from Point A to B, whether it's around the corner or around the globe for all modes of travel. No other single provider offers this type of service."
Travelers Network will be established as its own division, but will also work in tandem with The Weather Network and MétéoMédia to provide updated travel-related information for all of their platforms.
As a leading-edge media company, Pelmorex Media continues to grow its breadth of services available to consumers and partners. Through actively listening and adapting to needs, Pelmorex Media is continuing to stay ahead of the curve and asserting its position as a go-to provider for weather and traveler information services.
About Pelmorex Media Inc.
Founded in 1989, Pelmorex Media Inc. is the parent company of The Weather Network, MétéoMédia, Travelers Network and Réseau Voyageurs. In July 2012, Pelmorex added Eltiempo to its lineup, Spain's leading multi-platform weather-related information service. The California-based Beat The Traffic service was acquired in September 2012 to complement Travelers Network, a service dedicated to routing users from point A to B, around the corner or around the globe, via all modes of transportation. Pelmorex is a leader in meeting the information needs of consumers with invaluable content, ease of accessibility, overall quality and a compelling experience on all platforms and also in meeting the weather information needs of commercial and government clients whose success relies on accurate and reliable weather related information. The Weather Network and its French counterpart, MétéoMédia are among the top media brands in Canada and market leaders in the multi-platform digital market including, web, smartphones and tablets. The Weather Network and MétéoMédia television services are in every home via cable, satellite and telco distributors and rank among Canada's most frequently consulted services. Pelmorex has also been licensed to operate Canada's National Alerting Aggregation and Dissemination System (NAADS) which aggregates and distributes emergency alerts issued by all authorized government jurisdictions; alerts are made available to the public via broadcasters and distributors as well as via the internet and mobile devices. Pelmorex Media Inc. has been named one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies for seven consecutive years and is one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers for 2012.
SOURCE: Pelmorex Media Inc.
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