40813_VaisalaNews_155 7.12.2000 18:29 Sivu 1 155/2001155/2001 After Extensive Field Testing: Launching of New RS90-AG Radiosonde Customer Satisfaction Survey for WOBS Customers: Valuable Customer Feedback Using Product Platforms: Next Generation of Surface Weather Software Products New ROSA Weather Station Generation: Evolution Rather Than Revolution 40813_VaisalaNews_155 7.12.2000 18:29 Sivu 2 Contents President’s Column 3 Serving Better Our Customers 4 Customer Satisfaction Survey for WOBS Customers: Valuable Customer Feedback 6 Next Generation of Surface Weather Software Products 8 Meteorological Data Management System: Aurora’s payload system was MetMan for Multi-purpose Data Collection 10 developed for high altitude dropsonde missions, for use on Compact MAWS301 Automatic Weather Station 12 low speed platforms such as Demanding Tactical Military Needs 14 Pathfinder, Altus and Perseus B. Due to funding cuts, the Vaisala Technology for the U.S. Air Force 17 dropsonde payload was not Military Exhibition EUROSATORY 2000 in France 18 permitted to be deployed and Climatological Conditions on the My Thuan Bridge 19 operated from Pathfinder. Nevertheless, Aurora tested and Major Contract from the U.S. qualified the payload for flight, National Weather Service 20 using its high altitude test Using L and S-Band Boundary Layer Radars and a chambers. Vaisala’s dropsondes were an integral part of this Millimeter-wave Doppler Radar with Vaisala MAWS: scientific experiment. Weather Observations 20 Researchers are using dropson- Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne: des to get a more accurate pic- Fostering Plant Conservation 24 ture of hurricanes. Fire RAWS Unit on the Bircher Burned Over 26 Launching of RS90-AG Radiosonde 29 Vaisala’s MAWS301 Automatic Global Positioning System 31 Weather Station is a new gener- ation weather station especially Significant Radiosonde Order designed for applications where from Met Service Canada 32 no commercial power or com- Vaisala’s Next Generation munication networks are avail- 32 able or economically installed. Radiosounding Ground Equipment MAWS301 is a compact, envi- DigiCORA III Sounding System with ronmentally robust and low Radiotheodolite and GPS Wind Finding 38 power system providing reliable and continuous data on a mul- Orders for Upper Air Systems from North America 40 titude of meteorological and hy- Aurora’s Research Project: drological parameters. Carrying Dropsondes into the Atmosphere 40 Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation: Tracking Severe Storms 45 Vaisala’s new Ice New ROSA Generation Prediction System, for the – Evolution Rather Than Revolution 47 monitoring of surface weather, was installed at Copenhagen Airport Cuts Costs: Copenhagen Airport in New Tools for Winter Maintenance 50 1999. It considerably aids Copenhagen International Airport 53 winter maintenance deci- sion-making by enabling WAS425 Ultrasonic Wind Sensor: airport staff to easily moni- Sales Have Taken Off in U.S. Aviation Market 54 tor conditions on the exten- sive network of runways Focus on Italian Airfields 56 and taxiways. The system Vaisala Acquires Jenoptik Impulsphysik 58 comprises a network of Vaisala to Deliver Lightning Detection to Poland 58 weather station sub nets, including 25 sensors. Order for the Thunderstorm System from Spain 59 Vaisala News on the Internet 59 Vaisala in Brief – We develop, manufacture – We focus on market seg- Editor-in-Chief: Editors: and market products and ments where we can be Marit Finne Bellcrest Language services for environmental world leaders, the pre- Publisher: Services Oy and industrial measure- ferred supplier. We pay Vaisala Oyj Printed in Finland by ments. high attention on customer P.O. Box 26 Sävypaino, Finland satisfaction. Our main FIN-00421 Helsinki – Purpose of those mea- value discipline is Product FINLAND surements is to provide Leadership. Competitive Phone (int.): basis for better quality of advantage is enhanced by +358 9 894 91 life, cost savings, protection economies of scale and of environment, improved scope. Telefax: safety and performance. +358 9 8949 2227 Internet: www.vaisala.com Design and Artwork: 2 155/2001 Non-Stop Studiot Oy ISSN 1238-2388 40813_VaisalaNews_155 7.12.2000 18:29 Sivu 3 I President’s Column I Core Products eather observation ny. We invest in research and I am happy that we can again data is the core prod- development to be able to sup- offer new and better products to W uct for professional ply increasingly better measure- our customers and help them meteorologists. The ment solutions to support our build their competitiveness. We quality of this data significantly customers’ competitiveness. understand that many of them affects the quality and competi- Customer feedback is an im- want to thoroughly evaluate tiveness of their final product. I portant part of this. and test products before buying believe that the theory of C.K. On the other hand, when we them. Unfortunately, we lack Prahaland and Gary Hamel *) deliver measurement solutions, common reliable standards to concerning core products and they also have their own core verify product performance. core competence is also valid products. In each measurement The long testing period slows for organizations in the meteor- system, a sensor, measuring al- down the introduction of new ological field. In making pur- gorithm or measuring concept, technology and thereby the de- chasing decisions related to the including automation, may be velopment of the whole field. If observation network, meteorol- the core product affecting the only we users and manufactur- ogists set the limits for future total performance. Our own re- ers in this field could together competitiveness. search is focused on these core create verification methods so We at Vaisala have defined products. One example is our that the process of overlapping our own role in the meteorol- sensor technology, including and successive retesting could ogical field on that basis. It is the HUMICAP® and BARO- be avoided. It would be of ben- our job to provide measure- CAP® sensors. Behind the suc- efit to all. I ment solutions that allow cus- cessful core products are core tomers to build their own com- competence and unique experi- petitiveness. The critical factors ence, which have been created are observations performance, as a result of sustained team- observations availability and work. Such a level of compe- their total cost. tence can be only achieved if Vaisala’s approach is to pro- we have sufficient, high quality vide added value through prod- resources. We are dedicated to uct leadership. We are a strong- the continuous improvement Pekka Ketonen ly technology-oriented compa- of our core products. President and CEO *) C.K. Prahaland and Gary Hamel, “The Core Competence of the Corporation”, Harvard Business Review, May-June 1990 155/2001 3 40813_VaisalaNews_155 7.12.2000 18:29 Sivu 4 Marit Finne Editor-in-Chief Vaisala News Vaisala Helsinki Finland Serving Our Customers Better Today, more than ever, we at Vaisala live in a channel at Vaisala. We inter- for ABB’s industrial automa- competitive world. Our challenge is to continu- viewed Mr. Laisi to find out tion business in Finland, first in more about his plans for the fu- sales and marketing and then ously provide our customers with improved ture. in a general management posi- products and better services. We also need to re- tion running a factory. member that, whatever we do, it should add New global WOBS “During that time, the ABB value in the eyes of our customers. In this situa- sales channel director company in Finland developed its operations on a global scale tion increased efficiency is essential. Vesa Laisi leads the Weather and it is this expertise that I Observations (WOBS) sales hope I can contribute to the channel – one of two global Vaisala Group. Vaisala is just sales channels in the Vaisala now going through a strong de- n June 1, 2000, the Group – which bears the main velopment phase aimed at en- Vaisala Group’s new responsibility for sales and suring its role as a global player O global organization marketing to meteorological in- in the environmental measure- was inaugurated. It stitutes, road and airport au- ment business. I have both a marked the beginning of a thorities, and research and mil- technical and a commercial ed- major change in our thinking itary customers. ucation which I believe will and in our way of serving cus- “These customers are profes- help me to understand how to tomers. It was also the moment sional users of weather data and develop products and services when Vesa Laisi, a master’s set very challenging demands to meet customer require- graduate in both engineering on our sales organization. It is ments, and how to develop and and economics, joined the essential for our long-term suc- manage a sales channel to meet company. He is the new global cess to have professional sales these requirements and opti- director of the WOBS sales and marketing operations and mize our customer service.” services within the Vaisala What exactly are the areas Group and in our distribution that Vesa Laisi feels should be We aim to continuously provide our customers with improved products and network,” says Mr. Laisi. improved in the future? better services. Professional sales and marketing operations and services within Before joining Vaisala, Vesa the Vaisala Group and in our distribution network play a major role in our Laisi worked for twelve years future development. VAISALA NEWS 6 5 M M M 4 155/2001 4 40813_VaisalaNews_155 7.12.2000 18:29 Sivu 5 Vesa Laisi is the new meet all our customers’ needs. an important operation for us, global director of the The world is entering a period and we will invest heavily in of- WOBS sales channel when any asset, any process, fering cost-effective services at Vaisala. can be turned into a service that will help our customers to that is available via Internet.