Section 6 • Integrating Technology
• Entry security (such as man doors, office entry, loading docks, and/or drive-in parking)
• Elevator and stairs access control • • •
Unit locks Cameras
Building alarms
Smart Entry And Smart Units Hopefully, you already have, or are planning to have, basic security tools in place at your storage facility. But if you’re looking to take it beyond just the bare minimum, or you’re ready to upgrade a few of your basics that are out of date, you’ll want to review the various high-tech security tools in the industry. The list below focuses on security, customer and manager convenience, and marketability:
• Smart storage units • Smart entry access control • Cloud surveillance cameras •
Smart lighting • Automatic door openers
What Are Smart Storage Units? Smart storage units are the latest technology in storage unit locks. Instead of a traditional unit door hasp that is secured by a disc lock or padlock, smart storage units have an electronic smart lock and hasp system that is wireless, cloud-based, and managed with a digital key. Smart storage units allow tenants entry into their unit using a smartphone or a Blue- tooth key fob. Smart storage units offer best-in-class security for storage units. As well as securing the unit door, they also monitor interior unit motion and body heat, so you’d know immediately if someone was sleeping in their unit or break- ing in through the wall. Because of these premium features, owners can also charge a premium rate for smart units.
High-Tech Features:
• Bluetooth mesh technology • LED lights that show lock status (red for armed and green for unarmed)
• Interior unit thermal motion sensors • Infrared heat sensors • Tesla battery technology • Weatherproof
Smart Unit Benefits For Owners Smart storage units can be remotely unlocked by administra- tors, so managers can ready vacant units for new tenants and overlock delinquent units without having to go on site and remove a yellow lock or red lock. Smart storage units also give owners a wealth of on-site data for both security monitor- ing and predictive analytics. All smart storage unit activity is monitored in the app and web portal. Any after-hours access,
54 Self-Storage Almanac 2021
II. Customer Experience And Preferences For Mobile “App-cess” And Smart Technology
For nearly three decades, access control in the self-storage
industry had gone unchanged. Many providers in the space have overlooked customer preference for a contactless rent- al experience with mobile app access to their storage space. Consumer trends toward mobile interactions with business- es have skyrocketed over the past decade, but only recently have self-storage access control and technology providers placed focus on creating mobile technology to help owner- operators capture more online rentals and provide a fully “contactless” move-in experience for customers who rent online. In 2017, the industry was introduced to the first smart entry system complete with Bluetooth enabled unit door locks and entry controllers/keypads that allowed tenants to rent a unit online, receive a text message with an activation code and mobile app link, and once registered allowed ten- ants to enter their units and the facility entry points in real time. Since 2017, many of the industry’s top 100 operators, as well as smaller and first-time operators, have implement- ed smart entry and smart unit locking systems throughout North America and Europe because of the added customer convenience and additional visibility into facility operations that it provides.
Before looking at the industry smart technology and ten-
ant mobile app data from 2020, let’s review the nationwide trends in mobile app and smart phone usage as a whole. Ac- cording to the United States Census Bureau (www.census. gov), there were approximately 328.2 million residents of the United States as of July 1, 2019. Approximately 22 percent of the U.S. population is under the age of 18, and the largest per- centage of the nation’s population (23.5 million) is currently
motion or thermal heat triggers, open unit doors, or other activity will give the site an instant notification. Additionally, smart locks provide better security as they cannot be cut or drilled like traditional padlocks and disc locks.
Smart Unit Benefits For Tenants Tenants enjoy both convenience and exceptional security with smart storage units. They can lock and unlock their smart storage unit using their smartphone or key fob, so there are no codes to remember. Tenants can also share or revoke access to their unit to others (like movers or family members) using digital key sharing.
Smart storage units also give
owners a wealth of on-site data for both security monitoring and predictive analytics.
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