When IBM announced it was buying The Weather Company this week, not everyone took the deal seriously. After all, the legacy computer company nicknamed Big Blue has long been pursuing the cloud in the technological sense of the word, beefing up its data analytics business. Was it possible IBM (IBM) mixed up the type of cloud it desired, and instead bought a group of experts in cumulus, fog, and rain-producing varieties?
The jokes pretty much wrote themselves—though that didn’t stop Twitter (TWTR) users from attempting many of their own online (see below). IBM is actually buying The Weather Company’s digital assets, including weather.com, which run on advanced cloud-based technology (on earthbound servers somewhere, not in the sky) to enhance its growing Watson big data services. The acquisition does not actually include The Weather Channel, the meteorological company’s TV arm, as some people tweeted erroneously in their jokes. (Were IBM or TWC in on the joke? Neither responded to a request for comment.) Read on for a selection of cloud-computing comedy:
https://twitter.com/Cryo/status/659369885991088129
Nice one on IBM, the weather (incl cloud) and buzzwords, from @jennifersaba@Breakingviewshttps://t.co/shpHhKTfNupic.twitter.com/zkwUul9PNL
— Richard Beales (@richardbeales1) October 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/USAMensaDropout/status/659134416443297792
IBM to acquire Weather Channel in a huge mistake over an executive's misunderstanding of TWC's "cloud prediction" abilities
— Ben (@innismir) October 27, 2015
https://twitter.com/fart/status/659396322718449664
Is there some tongue in cheek activity around the rumour that IBM wants to buy The Weather Channel to enhance its cloud computing platform?
— David L. Smith (@mediadls) October 19, 2015
IBM is buying The Weather Company. I am sure there is a joke here.
— Carl (@cloudycarl) October 28, 2015
Expecting a lot of "cloud computing" jokes over the next few days as a result of IBM-Weather Channel deal.Https://t.co/qZLxGjIE46
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) October 28, 2015
Keep your umbrella handy… IBM to acquire Weather Company https://t.co/1L5ZeIHqGC#IBMCloudpic.twitter.com/33a0P9BSKS
— Steve Robinson (@Robinsonsj) October 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/umeshunni/status/659424087262019584
https://twitter.com/jmcduling/status/659192231434129408
#IBM puts the clouds in #cloud computing with it's acquisition of the Weather Company https://t.co/GahBKhnipgpic.twitter.com/ISUaejlYBB
— LogicalisAgileDC (@logicalisagile) October 30, 2015
IBM to buy Weather Channel parent co because of its "cloud technology." Sometimes the gags write themselves BUY $IBMhttps://t.co/kayZZo6IJF
— TradeIt (@TradeIt) October 28, 2015
#IBM acquires #weatherchannel – they need to buy the rights to weather with you, get off of my cloud and sunshine of your life
— Phil Hassey (@PHassey) October 28, 2015
I musn't make a cloud computing joke…
I musn't make a cloud computing joke…
I musn't make a cloud computing joke…https://t.co/0Or8dOrDtV— Matthew Mark Miller (@DataMiller) October 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/treyford/status/659707966543822848
@treyford@Infosecjen@alexcpsec and here I thought that was a joke when I saw it earlier
— Tayatranscends @ Bluesky (@tayatranscends) October 29, 2015
Obligitory IBM confused about what cloud actually means joke https://t.co/HKz5b0sTEz
— Adley Bowden (@adleyb) October 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/tigercubdigital/status/659460138642853888