eeping our customers’ personal belongings safe across 260-plus locations isn’t just about building trust—it also directly impacts insurance costs. Self-storage facilities are frequent targets for theft, and insurance providers are well aware of the risks.

With premiums rising, we knew it was time to modernize our security strategy and platform. Our goals were clear: reduce insurance costs while delivering stronger peace of mind to our customers. This became especially critical for our StorQuest Express locations that operate 24/7 without on-site staff.

Self-storage presents a unique set of security challenges, and most off-the-shelf solutions are often designed for high-traffic environments like retail or hospitality, not self-storage. As a result, operators are forced to piece together mismatched systems that rarely work in harmony.

Beyond the technology itself, the fragmented approach creates operational blind spots. Teams spend valuable time troubleshooting camera networks, coordinating multiple vendors, and managing inconsistent data streams—all of which pull focus from the guest experience. A single unified system promised to simplify not just monitoring but also day-to-day management, troubleshooting, and reporting.

We wanted a surveillance system that could activate the moment a true threat emerged because building an in-house, 24/7 team would be cost-prohibitive given the relatively low frequency of actual incidents. Third-party monitoring was a better fit and solution for us with the caveat that it would integrate with our on-premise infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the cost of maintaining aging equipment added up. At ISS World Expo, industry peers mentioned spending upwards of $8,000 on hardware replacements alone—not counting labor or the complexity of working with unfamiliar vendors.

We needed a smarter, more scalable solution—one that reduced false alarms, enabled efficient third-party monitoring, and lowered maintenance costs, all while increasing overall site security.

Our search led to cloud-based technologies, specifically the Rhombus platform, which combines smart cameras, environmental sensors, and AI-powered analytics through a unified, remote-access interface. We also implemented a video management system that automatically compiles footage tied to motion events and customer activity, making it easy to review incidents and provide law enforcement with clear documentation when needed.

Equally important was the ability to scale. As new StorQuest locations open nationwide, our teams can deploy plug-and-play cameras and instantly link them to the existing cloud platform, ensuring consistent standards and compliance. The platform’s intuitive dashboard also gives our operations, facilities, and risk management teams an easy-to-share, real-time view of what’s happening across the portfolio.

With this infrastructure in place, we now work with third-party monitoring teams to provide real-time surveillance that activates only when human presence is detected. False alarms from wildlife or weather are virtually eliminated thanks to advanced AI filters.

The impact has been especially meaningful at our StorQuest Express locations. When a guest arrives, an IoT-connected device greets them via an automated message and initiates two-way communication. Our remote customer contact center receives an alert and engages if needed. It can even grant access to specific parts of the self-storage facility through integrated access control.

For potential intruders, the system works differently by broadcasting automated trespassing warnings while alerting our third-party monitoring team, who can immediately contact police and prepare evidence for prosecution.

Since implementing next-gen security, we’ve reduced break-ins by 30 percent and now respond to incidents 90 percent faster. The reputation for secure facilities acts as a strong deterrent, improving both customer peace of mind and our insurance rates.

Operationally, the shift to a subscription-based model has cut maintenance visits by over 50 percent, while Rhombus Relay Lite has extended the life of legacy cameras by enabling cloud connectivity, giving us modern benefits without full system replacements.

We’ve also seen real gains on the customer service front. Our StorQuest contact center team reports efficiency improvements from the integrated access control system and simplified customer interactions in a shared platform.

Perhaps most notably, our teams now operate with greater confidence and transparency with Rhombus’ AI integration. Previously, when looking for specific footage it was like looking for a needle in an ocean and would take hours of time. With Rhombus, real-time alerts and consistent visibility across all facilities are a game changer; they’ve turned what was once a reactive, manual process into a proactive, AI-automated discipline saving countless hours. This shift not only protects StorQuest’s assets but strengthens our brand promise of security, innovation, and reliability by offering tagged, immediately discoverable video clips.

As we continue working with our next-gen systems, we’re beginning to tap into the wealth of data they generate. By analyzing access patterns alongside security alerts, we’re gaining sharper insights into customer behavior and site-specific risks.

We’re also piloting AI-powered video search for faster footage review and testing integrations with alarm monitoring centers to streamline emergency response. Modern security tech isn’t just about protection—it’s a catalyst for smarter operations, lower costs, and elevated customer experiences. It’s helping us build safer facilities while enabling scalable, next-generation business models.