{{short description|Multinational meteorological company}} {{Multiple issues| {{Primary sources|date=August 2008}} {{More citations needed|date=August 2016}}}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox company | name = MeteoGroup | logo = File:MeteoGroup logo.png | type = Private | genre = | foundation = 1986 | founder = Harry Otten | defunct = {{End date|2019|11}} | location_city = Utrecht | location_country = The Netherlands | fate = Integrated into DTN | location = | locations = Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.meteogroup.com/sv/se/om-oss/presshoerna/press/article/meteogroup-to-acquire-the-weather-network-commercial-services-division-from-pelmorex-media-inc-4.html |title=MeteoGroup to acquire The Weather Network Commercial Services Division from Pelmorex Media Inc |publisher=MeteoGroup|date=30 September 2015 |access-date=17 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822065223/http://www.meteogroup.com/sv/se/om-oss/presshoerna/press/article/meteogroup-to-acquire-the-weather-network-commercial-services-division-from-pelmorex-media-inc-4.html |archive-date=22 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.meteogroup.com/en/us/about-us/offices.html |title=Offices and Agencies |website=MeteoGroup.com |date= |access-date=17 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822061314/http://www.meteogroup.com/en/us/about-us/offices.html |archive-date=22 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | area_served = | key_people = Marc Chesover (President and Member of the Board)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.meteogroup.com/about-meteogroup |title=Marc Chesover takes over as CEO of |website=MeteoGroup.com |date= |access-date=19 May 2019}}</ref> David Porter (COO)<ref name="LT">{{cite web |url=https://www.meteogroup.com/about-meteogroup |title=Leadership team of |website=MeteoGroup.com |date= |access-date=19 May 2019}}</ref> Ben Kelly (General Counsel and Member of the Board)<ref name="LT"/> | industry = Meteorology | products = SPOS, NowCastingPro, WeatherAPI, RoadMaster, RunwayMaster, WeatherSuite, FleetGuard, RouteGuard, MetOceanPro, DynamicLineRating | services = Weather Technology & Data | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = 400+ | parent = TBG AG | divisions = | subsid = | caption = | homepage = [http://www.meteogroup.com www.meteogroup.com] | footnotes = | intl = }}
'''MeteoGroup''' was a private weather forecasting organisation based in Europe, with offices also in the United States. MeteoGroup provided weather information to markets that included transport, marine, agriculture, energy and the media.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/businesstruth/5488583/MeteoGroup-proves-importance-of-the-weather-business.html |title=Offers and Promotions - Competitions and Discounts |publisher=Telegraph |date= |access-date=17 August 2016}}</ref> MeteoGroup had a portfolio of weather apps: WeatherPro, MeteoEarth and Magical Weather.<ref>{{cite web|author=Nick Spence |url=http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/reviews/index.cfm?reviewId=3421&pn=1 |title=Weather Pro for iPhone review - Review - Macworld UK |website=Macworld.co.uk |date=15 July 2009 |access-date=17 August 2016}}</ref> In 2013, MeteoGroup was acquired by General Atlantic.<ref>{{cite web|title=MeteoGroup Partners with Global Growth Investor, General Atlantic|url=http://www.generalatlantic.com/media/archive/meteogroup-partners-with-global-growth-investor,-general-atlantic/|website=General Atlantic website|access-date=4 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.generalatlantic.com/portfolio/meteogroup/ |title=Portfolio of Growth Equity Investments |publisher=General Atlantic |date= |access-date=17 August 2016}}</ref> In 2018, MeteoGroup was acquired by TBG AG.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.meteogroup.com/acquisition-meteogroup-completed|title=Acquisition MeteoGroup completed|date=2018-11-06|website=MeteoGroup|language=en|access-date=2019-02-11}}</ref>
In November 2019, MeteoGroup was integrated into US weather services company DTN (also owned by TBG).<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.dtn.com/meteogroup-and-dtn-join-to-build-largest-private-weather-company/ |title=MeteoGroup and DTN Join to Build Largest Private Weather Company |date=25 November 2019 |access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref>
==History== In 1986, Meteo Consult B.V, was set up in the Netherlands by Harry Otten, a Dutch TV weather presenter. It was one of the first European private-sector weather businesses.
At that time, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute dominated all the Dutch markets and access by private companies to essential meteorological data and models was severely restricted. Meteo Consult lobbied the Government of the Netherlands for fair and equal data access, and for the opening of weather markets to the private sector. As a result, Meteo Consult grew in both the media and B2B markets.
===Initial European expansion=== In the early 1990s Meteo Consult started expanding outside of the Netherlands and also into marine services. The company began working with a major international energy and petrochemical company to develop an on-board routing system for the shipping market. SPOS, its proprietary weather routing system, is now a market leader and is installed on over 2,000 vessels worldwide.
In 1993 Meteo Consult set up its first business outside the Netherlands when a joint venture for the German market was established in Berlin. In 1998 the joint venture came to an end and its wholly owned German subsidiary MC-Wetter was established.
===Joint venture with PA=== Further European expansion quickly followed. In 1996 Meteo Consult became a majority shareholder in Meteo Services in Belgium (now MeteoGroup Belgium) and in 1997 a joint venture was established with the Press Association in the UK - PA WeatherCentre.
In 1998 Meteo Consult acquired a majority shareholding in MeteoGraphics, a graphics business specialising in visualising weather. Also based in Berlin, MeteoGraphics works closely with the German subsidiary of MeteoGroup.
In May 2005, a majority shareholding in Meteo Consult B.V was acquired by the PA Group, an international group of news, containing information and communications businesses which include the Press Association, the national news agency of the UK and Ireland.
The Press Association and Meteo Consult had worked together since 1997 in a successful joint venture in the UK, PA WeatherCentre Ltd, now MeteoGroup UK, combining the meteorological skills of Meteo Consult with the packaging and delivery skills of the Press Association. This acquisition broadened PA Group's diversified information services for international markets, helping the company to enter new markets.
===Rebranding as MeteoGroup=== In September 2006, the business was re-branded as MeteoGroup, which brought together all its businesses under a single brand. Meteo Consult has retained its original brand name alongside the strapline 'A MeteoGroup Company'.
MeteoGroup España was launched in 2006 with an office in Madrid and, in 2007, MeteoGroup opened new weather operations in Poland (MeteoGroup Polska) and Sweden (MeteoGroup Scandinavia). A new business was launched in France in April 2009 (MeteoGroup France), bringing the number of European MeteoGroup operations to eight.
===Launch of US office=== In 2010 MeteoGroup expanded into the United States and launched MeteoGroup USA.
In May 2011, MeteoGroup acquired Nowcasting International Limited, an Ireland-based company specialising in technology for offshore weather forecasting. The company now forms part of MeteoGroup Offshore, a dedicated division supplying meteorological and oceanographic products and services to the offshore industry.
At the end of 2011 MeteoGroup Italia was set up in Italy.
In the summer of 2017 MeteoGroup withdrew from the US transportation business, ending all relationships with their US sales force.
===Expansion into Southeast Asia=== In July 2012, MeteoGroup Singapore was launched, initially focusing on providing weather products and services to the Southeast Asian shipping and offshore markets.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 30, 2012 |url=https://en.prnasia.com/releases/global/Europe_s_Largest_Private_Weather_Company_Opens_Office_in_Singapore-65596.shtml |title=Europe's Largest Private Weather Company Opens Office in Singapore |work=PR Newswire |access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref>
===Major European acquisition=== In September 2013, MeteoGroup acquired mminternational (Europe) AG, a major Swiss-German weather company. According to its press release, this expanded MeteoGroup's global operations to 14 countries, making it one of the largest weather companies in the world with almost 400 employees and combined annual turnover of more than €50 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/meteogroup-acquires-leading-european-weather-business-224818122.html |title=MeteoGroup Acquires Leading European Weather Business |website=Cision - PR Newswire|date=23 September 2013 |author=MeteoGroup (press release) |access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref>
===BBC Weather=== On 6 February 2018 BBC Weather changed supplier after nearly a century from the government Met Office to MeteoGroup, after being required to put its weather services out to tender.<ref>{{cite news|title=Met Office loses BBC weather forecasting contract|publisher=BBC News|date=23 August 2015|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34031785}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Howell |first=Liz |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fblogs%2Faboutthebbc%2Fentries%2F6b148874-aef6-4eab-82f1-317facf0d28d |title=BBC Weather has a new look |publisher=BBC |date=6 February 2018 |access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Staufenberg |first=Jess |date=August 17, 2016 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/bbc-weather-news-met-office-meteogroup-replacement-after-94-years-forecasts-a7195576.html |title=BBC weather service replaces Met Office with private company MeteoGroup after 94-year spell |work=The Independent |access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref> Some claimed that the BBC's forecasts were less accurate following the change to MeteoGroup.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/04/weather-watchers-complain-new-bbc-weather-website-suggests-raining/|title=Weather watchers complain new BBC weather website suggests it's raining every day|last1=Sawer|first1=Patrick|date=4 February 2018|work=The Telegraph|access-date=15 February 2018|last2=Horton|first2=Helena|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/914321/BBC-weather-website-update-complaints-weather-forecast-MeteoGroup |title=BBC backlash over new weather website as critics complain it suggests it's ALWAYS raining |last=Perring|first=Rebecca |date=4 February 2018 |work=Express.co.uk |access-date=15 February 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Caroline |date=February 10, 2018 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/10/met-office-still-best-forecaster-in-galaxy-despite-bbc-rejection |title=Met Office still 'best forecaster in galaxy' despite BBC rejection |work=The Guardian |access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref> In 2025 the Met Office was reinstated as BBC weather service provider, as an agreement between the two organisations in the interests of public service rather than a commercial relationship involving procurement.<ref>{{cite news|last=Glynn|first=Paul|title=BBC reunites with Met Office for weather forecasts|publisher=BBC News|date=30 July 2025|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crm4z8mple3o}}</ref>
=== Acquisition by TBG AG === In 2018 MeteoGroup was acquired by TBG AG, a private venture capital firm based in Zurich, Switzerland.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 24, 2018 |url=https://news.sky.com/story/forecaster-meteogroup-to-come-under-tbg-umbrella-11507522 |title=Forecaster MeteoGroup to come under TBG umbrella |work=Sky News |access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
=== Integration into DTN === In November 2019, MeteoGroup was integrated into US weather services company DTN (also owned by TBG AG) and was rebranded as DTN, establishing a DTN European headquarters in Utrecht, Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news |last=Norman |first=Helen |date=November 28, 2019 |url=https://www.meteorologicaltechnologyinternational.com/news/new-appointments/meteogroup-and-dtn-join-forces-to-become-largest-private-weather-company.html |title=MeteoGroup and DTN join forces to become largest private weather company |work=meteorologicaltechnologyinternational.com |access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commonscat| MeteoGroup}} * [http://www.meteogroup.com Official website]
Category:Meteorological companies Category:Dutch companies established in 1986 Category:Consulting firms established in 1986 Category:Business services companies established in 1986 Category:Service companies of the Netherlands