SpareFoot.com, an online marketplace of self-storage facilities, has joined the INSOMNIAC Self Storage Network (ISSN), an open reservations network that allows any third-party marketing company to communicate securely in real time with several self-storage management software systems.
Created by OpenTech Alliance Inc., ISSN is designed to allow self-storage operators to leverage the marketing efforts of third-party companies. All facility and unit data is obtained from each facilitys property-management system at the time of the search. When the consumer has selected his unit, the data is immediately stored in the software.
Sparefoot, which offers consumers a comparison-shopping experience encompassing more than 5,000 self-storage facilities nationwide, can now leverage the ISSN reservation-to-rental confirmation function, which simplifies the reconciliation process.
Due to the volume of reservations SpareFoot is sending to its clients, the company needed a simpler way to confirm when tenants actually move in to a self-storage facility, according to CEO Chuck Gordon. The partnership with OpenTech will allow SpareFoot to automate the process, and reduce the amount of work facility managers have to do to keep their inventory updated, he said.
SpareFoot operates on a pay-for-performance model, so self-storage operators who list their facilities on the site only pay for leads when a customer actually rents a unit.
Based in Phoenix, OpenTech is also the provider of the INSOMNIAC line of self-storage kiosks and INSOMNIAC Live! call-center services.