News

OpenTech Alliance open for business

October 29, 2003

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- OpenTech Alliance Inc. has ended its nine-month "quiet mode" and released information about its self-service kiosks for the self-storage industry.

OpenTech is a new kind of company in the self-storage industry, and from conception, the company's business model is meant to encourage cooperation within the industry instead of competition. Key to this strategy, according to a news release, is its flagship product, Insomniac, a vendor-neutral self-service kiosk.

"OpenTech is defining a new standard for how vendors in the self-storage industry can work together to simplify the life of a self-storage operator," said Robert Chiti, OpenTech's chief executive officer.

"Our technology is built from the ground up to seamlessly integrate with multiple property management software systems so customers can choose which vendor or vendors work best for them."

Last month, OpenTech sent invitations to the leading property management software vendors asking them to join OpenTech in creating this open self-service solution. OpenTech is now working with developers from most of these companies to ensure new tenant rentals and payments processed through the Insomniac kiosk will flow seamlessly into their customers' property management databases, the release said.

Diane Gibson, owner of Cox's Armored Mini Storage Management, said, "I applaud OpenTech and the other vendors that are working with them for promoting cooperation within the industry. This should make it easier to install self-service kiosks at existing facilities since you won't have to change the management software that is already running the property."

OpenTech will formally announcing its partner program next week, the release added.