Self-storage security is an entity that has evolved considerably since its birth over 30 years ago. The last 10 years have proven an exciting time with rapid advancements in technology and brisk growth of the industry. In the early years of self-storage, security meant a sturdy fence, a few yard lights, and a gate that would be manually locked every evening and manually unlocked in the morning. That has quickly changed. As self-storage began to grow and become accepted, it became apparent that there was a need for a higher level of security as criminals also became aware of the industry. The problem was that neither the access control nor the burglar alarm industries had a solution that would support the nuances of a self-storage facility operation, much less work together as one system. Fortunately, the idea of a system specialized for self-storage was born. The first systems were expensive, complex to program, and not very friendly for the installer, operator, or end-user. Most access devices such as keypads gave little or no feedback to the customer. If a keypad had a display, it was usually difficult to read during the day and not illuminated for night use. This was acceptable because there was nothing to compare it to. In fact, the idea of having an automatic gate and an alarm contact on your door was considered a radical concept on the cutting edge. Cameras were later introduced as a marketing tool. During business hours, they really looked impressive, but rarely were those systems useful at night. The areas the cameras were monitoring would slowly become etched into the tube’s surface causing a “memory” effect, which meant that you would only see what the camera had been focused on for the last few months and not actual real-time video from its field of focus. Click Here to Read More…]]>