News & Events

AFNOR Certification certifies that the management system implemented by Meteo France International for the Engineering, Design, Implementation and Integration of projects in meteorology worldwide has been assessed and found to meet the requirements of ISO 9001 : 2008.

Through this contract Meteo France International strengthens its unique strategic positioning as leading meteorological integrator. Almost 10 years after its creation, MFI has launched nearly 300 projects in 102 countries.

The project involves the implementation of an infrastructure for weather observation systems in 33 Indonesian provinces (including lightning detection network over Java island), as well as data processing and PWS (Public Weather Services) systems in the headquarters in Jakarta and in five regional centers covering all major meteorological Indonesian regions: Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya (western New Guinea).

A significant component (and key success factor) of the Project will come in the form of support services including but not limited to transfer of know how from Météo-France experience and expertise, change management, system integration and technical support.

This unique project is expected to bring the Indonesian National Meteorological Service to highest world standards, for the benefit of the people of Indonesia.

We enjoyed meeting and informing so many of you there.

We remain at your entire disposal for any information.

See you soon

MFI invited to MHEWS 2009

In May 2009 in Toulouse, MHEWS, under the aegis of the WMO, brought together experts from National Meteorological Services, representatives of disaster risk management organizations, the International Red Cross and various other international and regional agencies. The objective was to share certain countries’ profitable experiences in the field of risk management, in particular by capitalizing on relationships that have been built between NMSs, partners and local institutions.

The presentation given by Patrick Bénichou, President of Meteo France International, on the theme “The way to EWS through NHMS modernization” met with great success.

Upcoming seminars

Like every year, Meteo France International will be participating in various regional seminars that will be organized under the aegis of PROMETEO and UBIFRANCE.

The first of these will take place in Argentina on October 29 and 30, and will be aimed at the countries of Latin America. The second will be aimed at Central Europe and the Balkan states, and will be held in Croatia at the end of November/beginning of December.

- ITALY Trentin, a new regional forecasting center is now equipped with the integrated RETIM/SYNERGIE system.

- ASECNA, renewal of the partnership to train its future meteorologists and their instructors with MFI and the ENM (French National School of Meteorology).

- GEORGIA, after an international call for tenders, the Georgian Meteorological Service has chosen the SYNERGIE system and the TRANSMET automatic message switching system to improve its telecommunications and forecasting capabilities.

- BELGOCONTROL & LUXEMBOURG, the Belgian and Luxembourg Aviation Meteorological Services renew their access to the Météo-France data stream and reinforce operational use of SYNERGIE through an upgrade and a support contract.

- SAUDI ARABIA, consultancy and support linked to the forthcoming implementation of the WIS (WMO Information System) by the WMO.

- QATAR, support contract and renewal of the remote atmospheric and marine modeling service (from Météo-France Toulouse).

- LIBYA, support 2009 and development of capabilities in new fields

- INDONESIA, 7 new projects in one year, including aviation SYNERGIE systems, marine SYNERGIE systems, AEROMETWEB briefing systems, and the finalizing of the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC) in Denpasar (Bali).

- IRAN, renewal of the support contract.

- MOROCCO, after-sales support for TRANSMET and SYNERGIE.

In a spirit of continuity and as part of a long-term partnership with France, BMKG has initiated several new projects with MFI. As it favors the implementation of tried-and-tested technical solutions accompanied by cutting-edge forecasting training that is given by experts from Météo-France, BMKG has chosen MFI to manage the commissioning of the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Denpasar (Bali). This project will allow BMKG to precisely monitor cyclonic activity in the region, to issue the associated alert products and to strengthen its position both in Indonesia and on an international level with regard to the WMO. This project called on Météo-France’s extensive know-how in this field, which the company has accumulated in particular within the framework of the WMO’s Regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Center based on Réunion Island.

A comprehensive range of services:

With this in mind and in order to guarantee its customers that they will get the best out of its systems, Meteo France International has put in place a comprehensive range of long-term support services for its customers. These “after-sales services” are made up of four complementary modules:

Preventive maintenance guarantees optimum operation of software thanks to monthly remote monitoring of the servers combined with the delivery of a report that indicates:

- The system’s performance (inputs/outputs/data processed),

- Any errors that have been recorded

- The defined critical thresholds

- The system’s levels.

Upgrade maintenance ensures the durability of the software by updating it with new, improved versions and by upgrading the hardware at regular intervals to maintain optimum system efficiency.

Corrective maintenance (Hotline) aims to allow users to make their software work correctly by rectifying any problems that may affect its operation. Subscribers to this corrective maintenance contract gain access to a telephone hotline service.

Maintaining and developing the skills of a National Meteorological Service (NMS) consists of training the customer’s teams, not only on how to use the software, but also on the modern techniques and concepts that are linked both to their profession (climatology, forecasting, etc.) and to their advancement in order to allow them to use the system more efficiently and thus gain in autonomy.

A dedicated organizational structure:

Creation of an After-Sales Service Unit

To guarantee a high-quality service, Meteo France International has strengthened its teams and created an After-Sales Service Unit, whose main mission is to deal with corrective maintenance requests. This team today includes four people and allows us to provide a first level of assistance in relation to the products and to answer all queries concerning operating systems or networks.

According to the importance of the problem encountered, the team is trained to diagnose its cause in conjunction with you and, if necessary, to call on the help of the relevant Product Manager while giving him/her all the elements required to resolve the problem.

Several of MFI’s long-established customers have already opted for these after-sales services:

Firstly there is Iran, which has chosen a preventive maintenance contract for its systems that were installed in 2006-2007 as part of its pilot modernization project.

Next there is Libya, which is pursuing the close collaboration entered into with MFI over 5 years ago by contracting a complete maintenance service that includes upgrade, preventive and corrective maintenance for all the information systems which have been installed over the years and which have allowed the LNMC (Libyan National Meteorological Center) to be completely modernized.

And, after the implementation of its overall modernization project, Qatar also renewed its trust in MFI at the start of April 2009 with a corrective maintenance contract for all the systems installed (TRANSMET, CLISYS, SYNERGIE, METEOFACTORY®,…).

It is also important to check that the existing systems are correctly integrated with the new systems and that the existing data sources are correctly integrated, whilst at the same time allowing the systems to be upgraded to integrate new data.

Finally, given the significant changes that are to be made to the WMO Information System (WIS), it is necessary to make sure that the systems chosen are ready for these future changes.

It is with this in mind that Meteo France International has industrialized the drawing-up of a reference document: the Basic Design Study (BDS). This BDS, which was delivered for the first time in its new format to the IMD (India Meteorological Department), is a consultancy publication of over 1500 pages that are grouped together in 2 volumes and 16 sections.

The first volume sets out a detailed functional description for each system, accompanied by recommendations for implementation (configuration, staffing, target organization) in the country in question. In addition, the National Meteorological Service’s specific needs are taken into account during dedicated site surveys, which are carried out in the upstream phase and then integrated into the BDS.

The second volume sets out the general vision of the project in the form of workflows, and also shows all the relevant relationships between the different components (new or existing) of the modernized NMS. It guarantees the correct integration of the MFI systems, both with the existing systems and with the local data flows or those delivered by Météo-France.

These documents, which constitute essential foundation stones on which the success of such projects is built, are supplemented at the end of implementation by all the “as-built” files in order to clearly explain what has been installed, to facilitate troubleshooting and to easily integrate new data into the systems.

Armed with its success and experience (9 countries have already adopted it), METEOFACTORY®, MFI’s end-user production system, is being given a makeover and further developing its services of assistance to National Meteorological Services. It thus confirms its position as the only open, turnkey system to allow both installation and a true service capability for users.

One of the advantages of METEOFACTORY® is its multimedia mass-broadcasting capability: website, voice server, SMS, e-mail or fax. The product’s output format is adapted to the broadcasting mode (e.g. txt for an SMS message, html for a website), but also to the user’s expectations (e.g. high-definition pdf for the press, multi-page pdf or Open Office Word for hotels, png in an e-mail for other types of users).

An ergonomic, operational end-user production system:

- New design and new navigation for more user-friendliness and improved ergonomics.

- Optimized forecaster expertise module with the initialization of the database being adapted to each NMS, in particular according to the available model outputs and the existing work procedures.

- Simplified administration interface which gives NMSs more freedom to adapt the system to their own needs.

- Text formatting options now directly available when typing in reports.

- Creation of a new assisted production process which allows new products to be created in just a few clicks on the basis of a defined graphic charter.

- Greater emphasis on the production-control module which allows users to supervise and manage the generation and broadcasting of the METEOFACTORY® products.

- New concepts to facilitate the updating and creation of finished products, such as the components (charts, tables, etc.), the image library, the product categories or the production centers.

Comprehensive, customized support:

The site survey:

The installation of a METEOFACTORY® in a National Meteorological Service starts with an expert being sent on a mission to the site concerned in order to analyze the existing production and organization, and to propose an initial definition of the target system (definition of the parameters, the areas of expertise, the priority users, the initial associated products and the modes of transmission).

Training:

The training sessions on how to use METEOFACTORY® are divided up according to user profiles (forecasters, producers, product creators and administrators) but take place simultaneously, which allows each of the participants to have a better understanding of his role in the production chain whilst at the same time working in conjunction with the other profiles for a better overall view.

Operational support:

This mission takes place on site after the training sessions and aims to provide support when METEOFACTORY® is brought into service within the forecasting and production teams. Its objective is to validate the operational organizational structure, to check the coherence between the expertise time and the production deadlines, and to finalize and validate the priority products.

This mission also allows the National Meteorological Service, with MFI’s expert assistance, to initiate its first meetings with the end users.

Basically, MFI’s support services allow the NMS to plan a smooth transition to a customer-oriented approach.

This contract falls within the framework of IMD’s overall Modernization Program.

On this occasion, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Indian Minister of State for Science and Technology, noted that this contract was the outcome of India’s initiative to choose France as their strategic partner in meteorology and to benefit from Météo-France’s expertise in the fields of forecasting, services to end-users and management of extreme weather events.

A long term partnership for building the core systems of a large-scale modernization program

A central and critical part of the India Meteorological Department’s vast modernization program, this project includes the supply and installation of state-of-the-art information systems in accordance with governmental guidelines.

Through this project, IMD aims to enhance its efficiency and visibility for end-users by improving warning systems and supplying high added-value forecasts to a wider community of users, while affirming its role at the international level.

To be implemented within a 24-month period, this contract represents the first phase in a long term partnership between IMD and MFI. Its focus will be upgrading the strategic information systems at the Delhi and Pune headquarters and the regional centers in Delhi and Kolkata.

State-of-the-art information systems

Within the scope of the project, Meteo France International will assist IMD in modernizing its core systems:

• Telecommunications (TRANSMET Automatic Message Switching System),

• Archiving and data processing system (CIPS Central Information and Processing System)

• Forecasting (SYNERGIE Expert’s tool for forecasting & alerts),

• Climatology (CLISYS Climate Data Management System),

• Public Weather Services and Early Warning Systems (METEOFACTORY® system).

An integrated project supported by cross-functional services from MFI

The key to the project’s success will be the ongoing services that MFI will provide for IMD throughout the project’s life span – such as consulting, transition support, integration, and general training.

Thousands of expert man-days will be dedicated to the project, mainly in the areas of capacity building, systems integration and change management, in order to ensure optimal transfer of knowledge and know-how from Météo-France to IMD.

The signing ceremony was attended by General Shaffik, Minister of Egyptian Civil Aviation, Mrs. Anne-Marie Idrac, French Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, and Mr. Philippe Coste, French Ambassador in Cairo.

The Egyptian Government has considered financial support from France. In 2007, EMA issued a call for tender requesting an integrated offer for all the infrastructure and systems needed for its modernization process. Meteo France International responded with a comprehensive proposal incorporating Météo-France’s specific know-how and other French technologies, to ensure EMA state-of-the-art architecture and meteorological solutions.

A global meteorological project to help EMA set up new service capability in the field of marine forecasting and agro meteorology

The aim of this project, called “NEMOS” (Network for Egyptian Meteorological Observations & Services), is to enhance EMA’s agro and marine services for Egyptian professional, institutional and public end-users by strengthening the relevant observation network and information systems.

The modernization of EMA’s observation and information infrastructure will involve the upgrading and networking existing automatic observation stations, the supply of additional synoptic and agro meteorological stations, and the collection of all synoptic observation data.

Other aspects of this far-reaching project will include upgrading the existing forecasting capacity for general forecasting, and setting up agro meteorology and marine forecasting workstations, the climate database and production system (CLISYS) and a dedicated Public Weather Services System through METEOFACTORY® and TV systems. Cairo Regional Meteorological Training Center will also be equipped with forecasting workstations.

MFI’s role as integrator of observation networks and information systems

In addition, the project covers the necessary professional training courses on advanced meteorological subjects – from numerical weather modeling to agro and marine meteorology and applied climatology.

Above all, the key characteristic of this project is Meteo France International’s unique role as integrator. This function will be pivotal in ensuring the Egyptian Meteorological Authority the successful integration of all individual systems – including systems and equipment from other dedicated French companies – into an efficient and comprehensive meteorological solution.