WEATHERNEWS PERSONNEL MONITOR SSAS ALARMS TO WARN CLIENTS OF THREATS TO VESSELS AT SEA

Human Approach Behind Weathernews' ASAP Solution Offers Ships More Safety Benefits than Basic SSAS Hardware Systems

San Francisco, CA, (September 14, 2004) – Weathernews Inc., the world's largest, publicly-traded, full-service weather company (formerly known as WNI Oceanroutes) is the first in the industry to offer an important, back-end service with its ship security alert system (SSAS). Weathernews' experienced marine Risk Communicators are available 24x7x365, continually monitoring all alarms that are activated through its Asset Surveillance & Alarm Program (ASAP). Companies using ASAP now have the peace of mind that if one of their vessels is compromised or under threat, they will be notified by Weathernews personnel immediately.

Now that hardware from trusted manufacturers is widely available to the market, and companies are beginning to successfully implement reliable SSAS systems, Weathernews, the 50-year leader of the marine industry, recognizes the need for a human approach to potential maritime emergencies. While some basic SSAS hardware systems offer an automated notification when an alarm is activated, companies never can be sure that they will receive the message. Additionally, if this basic hardware system does not have a polling service associated with it, the vessel cannot be tracked after an alarm is activated, making it very difficult for authorities to find the compromised vessel at sea. If the vessel is not found, it is much more likely to reach port unsupervised.

“Terrorists don't necessarily adhere to a convenient schedule for shipping companies,” said Marshall Johnson, Vice President of Operations at Weathernews Americas Inc. “If a vessel is threatened, it may be at night when the responsible security officer is home sleeping. In this case, the officer will want to be notified by phone that the vessel is in need of help, and Weathernews' staff will make sure he gets the message.”

In emergency situations, operations professionals need a trusted hardware solution, but they also need trusted emergency services. According to John J. Callaghan Jr., Manager of Fleet Operations of Transoceanic Cable Ship Company (TCSC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tyco Telecommunications, “Weathernews has provided TCSC with Optimum Ship Routing, Tracking, and Position Polling services for five years, and we've become accustomed to the personal attention we receive from their staff. We rely on Weathernews as a trusted partner to provide that same level of commitment and service if an ASAP alarm is activated.”

Weathernews' ASAP system is a simple, stand-alone SSAS that enables ship owners to comply with the IMO's regulation completely and immediately. ASAP is Type Approved by Class Societies such as the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). It is an Internet-enabled interactive tool that is simple-to-install and easy-to-use.

For more information about the ASAP system and how it can help ship owners comply quickly and easily with the IMO's SSAS regulation, please visit: htt://www.us.weathernews.com/marine/asap.htm.

Weathernews' ASAP solution can accommodate a range of client specifications, and it is available to work for customers now. Security officers should contact Weathernews' ASAP sales team at asap.sales@wni.com.

Weathernews Americas Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weathernews, Inc. Based in Japan, Weathernews, Inc. is the world's largest, publicly-traded, full-service weather company (TSE#1, 4825). A global organization with 38 offices in 14 countries, Weathernews delivers customized, risk communication services to businesses and individuals whose lives or livelihoods are affected by the weather. With over 12,000 business customers and 1,000,000 wireless subscribers worldwide, the company consistently evaluates and evolves existing applications for weather information while exploring additional markets and industries which would benefit operationally and financially from specific weather information and delivery methods. Currently, Weathernews delivers weather information, analysis and risk communication services to some of the largest companies in agriculture, aviation, energy, marine, media, offshore oil and retail. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.weathernews.com.

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