If Your Outboard Could Talk

Outboard manufacturer Yamaha has formed a strategic alliance with Siren Marine, the maker of remote monitoring and control systems for boats. Siren systems use cellular connectivity to provide its data stream, which until now has been used to keep track of things like boat location, bilge water level, and the state of battery charge.

By integrating Siren's tech with Yamaha's motors, you'll now be able to track the status of your engines — as will Yamaha service centers. When it's time for an oil change, a fault code appears, or an anomaly in regular operation occurs, dealers and service centers can act on the alert. Yamaha and Siren say that that, ultimately, this will improve engine reliability and service life. Plus, Yamaha will get data-driven insights, allowing the company to improve product innovation and customer experience. In short, with your outboards becoming part of the "internet of things," they can be monitored by Yamaha just as closely as a Siren system allows you to monitor your boat.

The system is still in the development phase, and no date has been set for a consumer debut, but visit sirenmarine.com or yamahaoutboards.com to learn more.