In the internet of things, the “things” are largely functional, but the “internet” still needs some work.
Companies can come up with sensors, displays and other devices so quickly now that connected coffee machines and flower pots are jokes and real products simultaneously. But getting those connected, both to the internet and to each other, is where the real magic is happening.
Sirqul, a Seattle startup founded by Amazon Web Services veteran Robert Frederick, just launched a new set of tools for enterprise developers to build robust IoT applications using AWS. With Sirqul IoT Platform on AWS, the promise is to get those applications up and running in a matter of minutes, but also stick with them throughout a product’s lifecycle.
Frederick, who helped get AWS off the ground and even authored patents for the cloud platform, said this completes an early vision he had for AWS back when he was at Amazon.
“I basically envisioned the AWS Marketplace to be something that would allow this type of seller, like my company, to be able to do [what the Sirqul IoT Platform does],” he said. “I’m very, very, very proud to be able to use something like this for my new business.”
The service eliminates the need to rewrite massive amounts of code as developers move from the testing phase to consumer versions, since Sirqul’s system is built on an AWS backend.
The applications for Sirqul’s system cover just about any device on the market. The company analyzed the most popular apps to find common features like location services, temperature settings and supply levels. It then built those common solutions into its system so developers can build “recipes” of common actions.
“It’s not just storing data in the cloud,” said Frederick, who also serves as Sirqul’s CEO. “The number and breadth of services [Sirqul is offering] are dedicated and primarily useful when you want devices to talk to one another in a connected sort of environment.”
Sirqul’s system is also meant for quick startup and iteration.
The company was founded in 2013 after spinning out of Gripwire. Last year, Sirqul raised $5 million to build out its system of APIs that allow developers to quickly launch apps. The Sirqul IoT platform is available today on the AWS Marketplace.
