Rand McNally: Innovation and safety for all customers

How Rand McNally is enhancing the road travel experience with weather APIs

The client: Rand McNally
Vaisala provided: Weather & Weather Map API

Everyone wants to save time on their journey and arrive safely, whether they’re traveling or transporting goods across the country. Smart technology is making it possible to do both, and Rand McNally is paving the way.

Rand McNally has been transforming commercial and personal travel with revolutionary mobility technology. Their telematics and fleet management expertise plus award-winning commercial navigation are used by drivers, shippers, carriers, logistics and supply chain customers.

The challenge: Looking for flexible, accurate weather data

Since 1856, Rand McNally has been creating products that help people and business move. What began with their iconic Road Atlas has evolved into a suite of connected vehicle products — all with the goal of enriching safety, efficiency and the driver experience.

Weather information is essential for safe and efficient road travel, but it also needs to be accurate and accessible regardless of location. When Rand McNally set out to include weather data in their connected vehicle products, their main goal was to make it easier for drivers to get to their destination. The organization sought a flexible solution that offered reliable data and high-performance capacity that would enable them to customize the interface for their navigation app.

The solution: Integrating and customizing weather APIs

Vaisala’s Weather and Weather Map APIs provide the key components Rand McNally was looking for. High-quality forecasts are generated just when a customer needs them, and are calculated for the exact location requested. The result is hyperlocal, up-to-date information about specific locations which benefits everyone from fleet vehicle drivers to travelers.

Rand McNally utilized the APIs to create an enhanced driving experience. Along with a personal WiFi connection, travelers have the freedom to choose a variety of real-time weather data to assist them during their trip. They can display temperature, feels-like temperature, precipitation, wind speed and dew point on their navigation map — all of which help keep them safe and informed of developing weather conditions on the road.

The benefits: Enabling brighter, safer journeys for all

Rand McNally is driving innovation that empowers their customers to enjoy safer, more comfortable journeys. Fleet vehicle drivers get the information they need to anticipate anything from high winds to snowstorms, so they can make accurate transportation decisions. Travelers can avoid potentially hazardous driving conditions and spend less time in weather-related traffic jams.

Rand McNally took full advantage of the flexibility and customization available with the Weather and Weather Map APIs, and worked closely with Vaisala to create a solution that meets high expectations. After launching the weather- enabled enhancements, data volumes grew exponentially in just months — proof that customers are enjoying the features as well. Since Vaisala continuously improves forecasting methods, Rand McNally has the confidence of providing even more accurate forecast data going forward.

"Working with Vaisala we were able to create weather map overlays on our navigation, giving travelers an at-a-glance view of current weather as well as conditions down the road."
John McAvoy
Vice President, Geographic Information Systems Engineering