NOAA Works with Ekkosoft.us to Bring Tidal Information to Cell Phone Users

NOAA WORKS WITH EKKOSOFT.US
TO BRING TIDAL INFORMATION TO CELL PHONE USERS

Recreational boaters, fishermen, beachgoers and others now have a faster, easier way of obtaining tide predictions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and ekkosoft.us of Newburyport, Mass., a wireless application development firm, will provide tide information over cellular phones. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Currently, tidal information from NOAA is available in print and over the Internet:
http://www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov. Scientists from NOAA’s National Ocean Service Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) worked with ekkosoft.us to bring this service to cell phone users. The service premiered January 28, 2004.

Noting that many boaters and fishermen have their cell phones with them out on the water, Mike Szabados, director of CO-OPs said, “This technology allows the public a new way to access tidal information, ensuring a safer more enjoyable time on the water.” He added, “This new capability supports NOAA's mission, providing safe and efficient transportation information to the Nation.”

Information will be provided via cell phone using a program developed by ekkosoft.us called Salt Water Tides. Salt Water Tides accesses data from NOAA servers and uses software based on NOAA algorithms to generate tide prediction graphics for thousands of locations around the United States coast. Salt Water Tides is a user-friendly application that provides high tide, low tide, sunrise, sunset and moon phases for over 2,300 locations. Additional value added features include daily color tide graphs with cross hairs indicators. The application can also be used to set alerts that will ring the cell phone at user selected tides.

In order to access the program, users will need a wireless phone, capable of transmitting and visually displaying tidal data, graphics and images. Users may be charged a fee for the service by their service provider.

NOAA's National Ocean Service, which includes CO-OPS, is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving and restoring the nation’s coasts and oceans. It balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats and mitigating coastal hazards.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

National Ocean Service: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/