Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. recently announced its intention to purchase Siren Marine, manufacturer of marine-based IoT (Internet of Things) solutions by its subsidiary Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC). Yamaha expects to complete the purchase before the end of the year.
The announcement follows Yamaha’s minority investment in Siren last March and underscores the company’s commitment to deliver connected products that are easier to use and create greater satisfaction and confidence on the water.
“As we began to work closely with the Siren team, we realized quickly what a great fit Siren is for the Yamaha strategy as we move forward with product development,” said Ben Speciale, President, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “The full acquisition of Siren will allow us to truly integrate our products and deliver an even more exceptional experience for Yamaha customers. In short, we want to be sure that all future Yamaha products are connected because we know that is what our customers want – an integrated, connected boating experience, whether it is on an outboard-powered boat, a personal watercraft or a sport boat.”
The acquisition of Siren and the development of these new “connected” products falls in line with Yamaha’s CASE Strategy.
CASE is an acronym for Connected, Autonomous, Shared/Service and Electrification, and describes the focus areas of deploying the technology in the effort to make boating easier. CASE is Yamaha’s directional theme for future product development, and is also being integrated into current Yamaha products as the company continues to evolve.
Based in Newport, Rhode Island, Siren Marine was established in 2011 by Daniel Harper, a licensed captain, sailor and computer/electronics entrepreneur who led the company until his unexpected death last January. Yamaha chose Siren for the company’s track record of advancing practical applications in marine IoT through thoughtful innovation and sound engineering.
“By joining the Yamaha team, we now have the ability and power to give customers the best Connected Boat experiences on the market,” said Siren Marine CEO Jeffrey Poole. “We look forward to our future as part of the Yamaha family. The products we develop together will deliver unmatched reliability coupled with integrated, innovative power systems propelling the marine industry into the future.”
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Siren products will retain the Siren brand, and development teams will continue to work out of Siren’s headquarters in Newport as well as Yamaha headquarters in Kennesaw. Yamaha and Siren plan to introduce new, co-developed products to consumers in the next 12-24 months.
Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit, based in Kennesaw, Ga., markets and sells marine outboard motors ranging in size from 2.5 to 425 horsepower. It also markets and sells fiberglass, jet-drive sport boats ranging from 19 to 27 feet, and personal watercraft. The unit includes manufacturing divisions of Yamaha Marine Systems Co., Inc., including Kracor of Milwaukee (rotational molding), Bennett Marine of Deerfield Beach, Fla. (trim tabs), and Yamaha Marine Precision Propellers of Indianapolis (stainless steel propellers). Yamaha Marine Group is a division of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., based in Cypress, Calif.
Based in Newport, Rhode Island, Siren Marine is the industry leader in smart boat technology – allowing boaters to stay connected to their boats anywhere, anytime. The company’s vision is to transform the modern boating experience and lead the way to a fully-connected marine industry through innovative IoT Connected Boat technology. Siren Marine provides safety, security and smart boat monitoring so boaters can remotely track their boats' battery level, bilge activity, temperature, location and more. Siren Marine also puts actionable data at the fingertips of industry stakeholders (OEMs, boat builders, electronics, digital switching manufacturers and other marine businesses) connecting them to customers and their boats like never before, providing a better boating experience and peace of mind.
