July 31, 2019 – Phoenix, AZ. OpenTech Alliance, the leading developer of innovative smart-connected technology solutions for the self storage industry, announced Personal Mini Storage will replace existing access control across all 43 of their self storage locations with INSOMNIAC CIA. Founded by the Shader Brothers in 1982, Personal Mini Storage is Central Florida’s largest family-owned storage operator, with 43 locations in 18 cities, and a Participating Regional Operator of the National Storage Affiliates Trust.
A champion of OpenTech solutions and services for over a decade, Personal Mini Storage was eager to pilot CIA shortly after the access control system was introduced. The first system was installed in November 2018, with 9 facilities now up and running and two more systems on order.
“We’re excited to continue the expansion,” stated Joel Patterson, AVP of Operations at Personal Mini Storage. “So far we’ve really been impressed with the step up in technology and the lightning suppression. The Exclusive Lifetime Warranty is key for us in Florida, with all of the lightning issues we’ve had. It has been known to take out our entire gate system until we can get stuff re-ordered. That was a big deciding factor when coming on board with you guys.”
In addition to CIA’s Exclusive Lifetime Warranty, Personal Mini Storage listed the system’s overall reliability, modern, sleek design and brighter keypad displays as contributing factors in their decision to switch access control providers. In a region renowned for devastating storms, CIA’s ETL listing to Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) 294 for access control and tested ability to withstand surges to 20,000 volts and 10,000 Amps made the system particularly attractive. Another element that’s impressed the team are the ongoing rollouts of new integrations offered to CIA customers through the OpenTech IoE (Internet of Everything).
“All of the integrations you offer with HVAC and Alexa – it’s exciting” stated Patterson. “We’re excited to see what’s coming out next – the fact that you’re investing in a system is great, and a fun thing, to be able to offer additional enhancements to our managers.”
Personal Mini Storage has leveraged technology and automation services to support their continued growth and provide leading resources as a full-service management company. “We’ve done business with OpenTech for years – we had one of the legacy kiosks,” stated Patterson. “Dealing with everyone – from leadership to the entire support team – everyone has been outstanding to work with and a true partner of ours. We use OpenTech for call centers, our 13 kiosks, and our StorageTreasures accounts – and heavily use that at all of our locations. OpenTech always seems to be on the cutting edge, rolling out new stuff that’s functional for the operator that we can really benefit from. We’ve enjoyed doing business with OpenTech, and it’s exciting to see the enhancements as they roll out.”
In addition to CIA, Personal Mini Storage utilizes INSOMNIAC Live! Call Center Solutions, INSOMNIAC Self-Service Kiosks, StorageTreasures online auctions and XpressPay, an automated payment service.
“We love that our operators consider OpenTech a partner,” stated Jon Loftin, VP and IoE Product Owner at OpenTech Alliance. “That’s what we strive for in the development of each new product and ongoing enhancements made to our existing solutions. Like the folks at Personal Mini, all we do is self storage. This shared value has made our technology a perfect fit to support and align with their core business philosophy.”
INSOMNIAC CIA provides operators with centralized reporting and control from the OpenTech IoE Control Center, advanced analytics and predictive maintenance triggers, and a hands-free tenant mobile app to enhance the customer experience. Learn more about INSOMNIAC CIA here, or contact us today with questions.
