OpenTech Alliance Acquires TXTCollector SMS

By David Delony
Contributing Writer

OpenTech Alliance, a provider of technology services to self-storage businesses, has announced that it has signed an agreement with Hub Media Marketing to acquire the company’s TXTCollector SMS software.

This software sends text-messages to remind customers with past-due rents to pay up.

“Our strategy is to grow our company through internal development, acquisition and partnerships. TXTCollector has a rapidly growing user base because it does not require any manager intervention. It is easily customizable and, in many ways, performs better than a collections agency,” said Robert Chiti, OpenTech president and CEO. “We are excited to add it to our platform and integrate it with the rest of our services. We feel it will be a solid foundation from which to develop new SMS services outside of just collections for the self-storage industry."

OpenTech said that SMS messages had higher response rates and that self-storage customers found them less intrusive that automated “robocalls” reminding them to pay.

The company is introducing some new changes to an industry that many people take for granted. OpenTech’s flagship product is its INSOMNIAC kiosks, which are similar to ATMs. These devices let customers take care of the details of renting storage spaces and are so named because they operate 24/7.

In addition to SMS and the kiosks, the company also provides online and call center services for self-storage companies. While the self-storage industry might seem an unlikely one for advanced technology, as comedian George Carlin put it, people still need “a place for their stuff,” and OpenTech seems to have had a lot of success selling solutions to those in the business of providing a place for people’s stuff.

TXTCollector is the second major acquisition that OpenTech has made this year. The company acquired USStoragesearch.com earlier this year, an online directory of self-storage companies. OpenTech is transitioning its customer base to its Live! XpressRes service.

The Phoenix-based company also opened a call center in Dayton, Ohio to serve customers on the East Coast.