WAYNE, Pa., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Planalytics is expanding its business weather intelligence offerings to the Life Sciences field, announced Fred Fox, President and CEO of the company.
“We have a proven track record helping clients in the consumer products, financial and energy industries understand - and manage - the impact of weather on their businesses,” said Fox. “We are building on that expertise and, at the same time, significantly enhancing our capabilities to better serve companies involved in agriculture, food and pharmaceuticals,” he continued.
As part of the Life Sciences initiative, Planalytics is now offering unique causal modeling capabilities that can help clients identify and measure potential threats from pests and diseases, as well as weather events that affect food production and, ultimately, the health and well-being of humans and animals around the globe.
One example of this technology is a malaria forecasting tool developed through a strategic alliance recently formed between Planalytics and Mud Springs Geographers, Inc. “With this tool, public health officials can monitor conditions that are conducive to a potential threat of this mosquito- borne disease,” Fox stated. (For an example go to http://www.planalytics.com/media/main_pages/malaria-map.pdf) Besides malaria forecasting, variations of the tool have also been created for use by crop producers, plant breeders and turf grass managers.
John Corbett, PhD, is an agricultural climatologist and co-founder of Mud Springs who has worked in various countries around the world promoting greater understanding of the interrelationships between climate, geography and food production. “Any farmer or livestock producer, regardless of where he is on the globe, can tell you how critically weather impacts his livelihood. But it’s only been recently that the technology and tools have existed that make it possible to utilize weather intelligence and other data to meet their challenges head on at a very granular level,” Corbett said.
“Our alliance with Mud Springs makes it possible for us to help producers and the companies they depend on for seed, fertilizer and other inputs to better manage weather risk,” Fox adds. “At the same time, we are able to advise food companies and retailers that buy what farmers produce, ensuring that they have sufficient supplies of food to meet consumer demand at the right time, at the right place and at the right price.”
Heading the Life Sciences team at Planalytics is Jed Lafferty, Managing Director. “With over 25 years’ experience in agricultural products marketing, distribution and information management, Jed brings a unique perspective to our business,” Fox said. Lafferty, who has an agronomy background, was Director of E-Business for Agriliance, the agricultural distribution and retail subsidiary of Land O’Lakes and CHS, Inc. and also spent ten years with Farm Journal Media prior to joining Planalytics.
About Planalytics, Inc.
Planalytics, Inc. is the singular global source of Business Weather Intelligence(SM) - the actionable information companies need to understand and optimize the impact of weather on their business. Weather is the most volatile of all external factors affecting business performance and Planalytics helps companies proactively manage this risk. Powered by an unparalleled database of weather’s financial and volumetric impacts, proprietary forecasting technologies and market-specific expertise, Planalytics’ Business Weather Intelligence is essential to any company, in any industry, looking to effectively shape strategies, pinpoint opportunities and make more profitable decisions. For more information, visit http://www.planalytics.com.
Planalytics Inc.
CONTACT: David Frieberg, Marketing Director, +1-610-407-2905, ordfrieberg@planalytics.com, or Jed Lafferty, Managing Director, LifeSciences, +1-610-854-2245, or jlafferty@planalytics.com, both ofPlanalytics, Inc.
