Mediaboss Marketing

Answer: IoT has solidified itself in the home and auto industries as perhaps the most significant development since the advent of the smartphone. Companies such as Nest and Ring have become household names, and youd be hard pressed to buy a car today that isnt connected to the internet. Siren Marine is bringing this connectivity to the marine space by creating the Connected Boat platform. Essentially, Siren acts as the gateway that takes all of the data coming from the boat, sends it to the cloud and down to the end-users mobile device.

Q: What are the functions that the app allows boat owners to monitor and control?

A: As a team of lifelong boaters and boat owners, we know firsthand what the app needs. It monitors all critical systems like battery voltage, high water (is there water coming into the boat), bilge pump activity (is my bilge pump pumping water out, and draining my batteries), GPS position, and security (entry/intrusion). Utilizing a connection to the NMEA [National Marine Electronics Association] 2000 network, we can monitor advanced engine metrics such as revolutions per minute, oil pressure, and fuel consumption, in addition to tank level data. Another advantage of the NMEA 2000 connection is the ability to remotely control digital switching systems essentially letting you control all of the boats systems (lights, air conditioning, etc.) from the palm of your hand.

Q: How does the app allow boat owners to visualize data and how do they use the data?

A: The app allows the owner to see the status of all of the boats systems and its location at a glance in a clean, intuitive interface. Its important to note that this is a native Android and IOS app, not an HTML 5 web app. This provides enhanced stability and reliability that is essential for an application like this.

Within the app, a user will see a dashboard made up of individual tiles. Each system (such as a battery, bilge pump, shore power connection, etc.) that is connected will have its own tile that displays the status of that system. Users can click on each tile to see a more detailed breakdown of current conditions and a history of events related to that system. At a glance, the owner can have total peace of mind that the boat is safe, secure, and ready to enjoy.

Q: When was the company formed, how has it grown, and how many employees does it have now?

A: I started working on the original concept and prototype in 2006, years before IoT was a well-known concept. By 2010, I had the first production run of our first-generation product ready to ship. I incorporated in 2011, and we have been growing and leading the Connected Boat category ever since. We were awarded the Connected Boat trademark two years ago. We literally own this space. The last two years, we have grown more than 250 percent year over year and are on track to double the growth rate in 2020. We are 25 full-time employees today, with another 20 or so contractors that are essentially 100 percent dedicated to Siren Marine during the intense scaling period.

Q: Where are your target markets and what are your plans for the coming year?

A: Currently, Siren is used exclusively in the marine market. Sales and distribution channels include boat builders and other original equipment manufacturers, consumer direct, fleet operators (rental and service providers like Tow Boat US), big retail (West Marine, Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas), independent dealers and installers, and marine distributors such as CWR. The market segments include center consoles, bass boats, trawlers, sailboats, cruising boats, lake boats, etc. Essentially, any boat with a motor and a battery is a candidate for our system. In the coming year, we will be expanding into straight IoT applications. Boats are hard. Everything else (space and deep sea excluded) is easy. We are doing generators now, and plan to expand into recreational vehicles and other non-marine applications.

Q: A newly approved state economic development plan says Rhode Islands major new focus should be the emerging blue economy -- meaning any economic activity linked to the ocean. What would you like to see the state do to boost that blue economy?

A: The state of Rhode Island has been an incredible advocate and supporter of Siren Marine. We have benefited from hiring programs, expansion programs, and grants to partner with local universities to develop technologies within our sensor space. Rhode Island is great for early-stage and startup companies. I think to boost the blue economy, its essential that the state work to position itself as a hub for this emerging market. Rhode Island has a proud maritime history and a core of incredibly innovative companies that promise a bright future. The key is marketing those capabilities to the greater region, nation, and the globe.

Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com

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Newport company brings the Internet of Things to boats - The Boston Globe