Why are they so attached to NWS Chat specifically? Perhaps there are reasons unexplained, but from this article it sounds very much like they've got Not Invented Here syndrome.<p>Sure, they need bespoke computation services for their modeling functions and so forth. But when it comes to the dissemination of information, it seems like that's very much a commodity these days, and can be provided at such an enormous scale at such low prices that it should scarcely be a concern.<p>I suspect, with no evidence whatsoever, that the NWS is holding this hostage for better funding overall, because it's the visible piece that causes pain to the public. There are other areas where they believe they really need better funding, but haven't been able to convince the budgetmakers of that. In order to force their hand, they're starving the public-facing stuff.