Automated Weather Source, Inc. (AWS) was founded in January 1993 by its current owners and corporate officers. The strong and diverse backgrounds of the AWS founders included entrepreneurial business development, engineering, software development, meteorology and education. With those backgrounds it is no surprise that AWS was built on a unique and powerful concept that integrates state-of-the-art automated weather systems, local education, broadcast television weather and corporate sponsors.
The AWS School WeatherNet concept establishes networks of AWS weather stations in local schools. Schools benefits greatly by integrating exciting and powerful AWS weather technology into science, mathematics and geography curriculum. Through advanced AWS networking technology local broadcast television meteorologists access and "air" real time, up-to-the-second weather conditions from community schools. For the broadcaster, the AWS School WeatherNet concept provides a superb opportunities to localize weathercasts and improve public relations and community/education outreach efforts. Each local School Weather Network expands through donations of AWS systems by broadcasters and corporate sponsors and direct purchase of the AWS technology by individual schools and school districts.
AWS' first broadcast contract was signed in February 1993 with WBAL television in Baltimore. Over the remainder of 1993 AWS won contracts with six additional television stations in Atlanta, Denver, Richmond, Dayton, Cincinnati and Washington DC and the AWS School WeatherNet totalling 70 participating schools. 1994 brought accelerated growth to AWS as the number of participating TV stations increased to 27 and the total number of schools to 430. AWS has continued to experience significant growth from 1995 through 1997. Today, 95 TV stations and more than 2,500 schools participate in AWS' exclusive Worldwide School Weather Network.
In 1993 the company located its headquarters and sales offices in a 900 square foot facility in Darnestown, Maryland and its 2,500 square foot engineering and fabrications in Abingdon, Maryland. In October 1995 the company consolidated all of its operations in Montgomery County Maryland's I-270 Technology Corridor, with over 7,500 square feet of office and fabrication space. Over its five year history AWS has grown from 6 employees to a diverse and highly skilled professional staff of more than 20 people.
AWS maintains an aggressive Research and Development program. In early 1995 AWS publicly debuted AWS Online. A first on the Internet, AWS online information technology allows AWS weather stations to be directly connected to the Internet. AWS online technology greatly expands the classroom opportunities for students and teachers as live weather data from AWS sites worldwide are just a mouse click away. Broadcasters display simultaneously real time conditions for on-air use and live, local weather conditions are available to the general public via the World Wide Web.
In 1997 AWS publicly debuted AirWatch, the latest generation of the AWS Weather Station and communications and display software. The AirWatch weather system brings improved accuracy, reliability and maintainability along with fully automated and integrated Internet communications and display software.
AWS has continuously expanded the capabilities of AWS products, to include improved on-air graphics, enhanced communications and networking software and expanded and refined educational curriculum. Additional R&D to integrate the evolving capabilities of Internet Information Technology, improve online technical support and develop new products for 1998-2000 represent major thrusts for the company at this time.
The exceptional value of AWS products has also allowed expansion into new markets. Offering unparalleled accuracy, connectivity and reliability at a low cost, AWS weather systems are now used by NASA for research purposes, the FAA as backup systems for airports, and numerous other commercial and industrial applications.