Bengaluru-Based Sirena Wants to Bring Affordable IoT to Audio

The Internet of Things might have been a big deal at the recently concluded CES 2016, but in the real world, it's more hypethan reality. In India, the Internet of Things is in most cases just a concept that still needs to get off the ground. But there are a few companies working on setting up local IoT applications, including IT services giant Tech Mahindra, which has established Jumpstart IoT, a program to promote IoT development in collaboration with US-based IoT services provider Aeris Communications.

On a smaller scale there are companies here such as Bengaluru-based startup Sirena Technologies. The young organisation has its hand in a number of upcoming technologies, including robotics and the Internet of Things, focusing on products for education, entertainment and smart homes with a focus on price-sensitive emerging markets such as India.

"Our goal is to bring high-end products in the audio streaming, IoT and robotics spaces, which are fully designed and developed in India, to Indian consumers and students at affordable price points through innovative engineering and an efficient ecosystem," Gurmeet Ahuja, Head - Ecosystem Management, Sirena Technologies, tells Gadgets 360.

Some of its upcoming products explore the growing field of multi-room audio, which is presently one of the most widely used and highly developed applications of IoT-based technologies. The company has developed a range of Wi-Fi speakers that work using LibreSync technology to offer multi-room audio solutions. Using Wi-Fi connectivity, the speakers use a free app to provide multi-room audio that works with a long list of compatible devices and ecosystems, including Android, Apple AirPlay, DLNA, UPnP, andAllShare, among others.

Sirena's multi-room solutions will offer the ability to play the same music across different speakers, to play different music in different rooms, stream audio from devices or through Internet radio services directly, as well as playing locally stored music.

Although there are several services and products abroad that offer these benefits, these solutions are often expensive and priced out of the reach of many potential customers. Bose offers the SoundTouch range of Wi-Fi speakers which offer multi-room support, starting at Rs. 19,013 per speaker for the basic SoundTouch 10, with prices going as high as Rs. 3,31,763 for the SoundTouch 535 speaker package. Other multi-room options such as Sonos are no cheaper, and they have to be imported and set up by specialist dealers.

Sirena wants to enter the market with products priced at under Rs. 10,000, which will be a significant advantage over the competition. It is hoping that competitive pricing - achieved through an online distribution model - will change the norm of expensive multi-room audio.

Another interesting product that Sirena offers is the LED lamp with in-built Wi-Fi speaker. The connected lamps can be controlled through the free app and thanks to the speakers it can provide an elegant home audio solution that doubles up as lighting for your home or office. Lighting colours can be selected from the app, and the lights can be programmed to pulse along with the music being played.

(Also see: The Iota Lite by Cube26 Is an Affordable Smart Bulb)

Here too, price is one way in which an Indian company can stand out against international competition, and Sirena isn't the only company in India to try and take that route. For example, Cube26 has released a smart bulb called the Iota Lite, priced at Rs. 1,899. In contrast, the Philips Hue has similar features (though much more polish), and costs Rs. 16,995 for three bulbs, and the base station to control it.

Multi-room streaming solutions exist for this product range as well. The company is even developing connected robots and Wi-Fi enabled power adapters for home use, but these are still in concept/ prototype phase.

Sirena is in the process of bringing its IoT audio products to the market, and is still deciding on pricing and distribution. However, it won't be long before we see Sirena's IoT home audio and lighting solutions in the market.