Smart Solutions to Secure Self Storage 

As well as providing the security solution, Mitchell explains how the Protege platform provides a base that Millennium Technology has built on. “It enables us to add value by innovating new self storage specific cloud technologies through our software solution. ICT provides us with a robust backbone to deliver those to our self storage customers in a cost-effective manner.”

The nature of self storage means a lot of doors to control and wire up, so Millennium Technology developed a tool using the Protege GX SOAP Web Service – an API for custom integration – which has led to time savings of around 90% during setup and configuration.

Danie Harmse, Operations Manager at Millennium Technology says, “The legacy self storage systems were designed with specific functionalities in mind, but thanks to the intelligence of ICT, we can develop new solutions. This is one of the things I appreciate about ICT - the ability to create tools that simplify our lives.”

That solution is also driving obvious benefits for Safeguard staff and customers. No longer do staff have to be onsite if a customer has an issue with a PIN. “From a head office point of view, ICT makes it a lot better,” says King. “My general manager and operations manager can make changes and do things that we wouldn't be able to do with the other systems.”

Customers love the system because as soon as they have registered and paid, it only takes a few seconds before they get their PIN and they are ready to go. While staff love the freedom of the Protege Mobile App. Harmse says, “I set them up with the app, then they can open gates and roller doors, turn on lights, and more from their phone while they’re walking around, then just carry on with what they are doing.”

One of the traditional challenges the self storage industry used to face was that a unit alarm would go off in a facility, but there was no way of knowing exactly which unit had raised the alarm given a single zone input. Thanks to ICT’s Armor IP, Safeguard has IP monitoring that delivers pinpoint accuracy and insight, which can be critical if an incident ever occurs.

“With ICT and ArmorIP, if unit C1 is forced open, our monitoring company will call and tell them unit C1 just opened and has an alarm,” explains Harmse. “There’s no need for anyone to log onto the system to check what is happening which makes our customers’ lives easier.”

Millennium Technology has also installed a Protege 4G Cellular Modem as a backup in case of power failure. The modem provides a secondary reporting path so the monitoring company still receives alarms and can react to any incidents such as if the electric fence is cut, keeping Safeguard secure.

An installation like this with almost 300 doors presents plenty of challenges, but the team at Millennium Technology thrives on this.

“We’re problem solvers by nature so challenges are what we deal with every day. If you look around Safeguard here, there's almost 300 doors here to wire in. Trying to do that cost-effectively is always a challenge. But ICT helps us to deliver that by centralizing that solution,” says Mitchell.

This centralization delivers other opportunities for the team from Safeguard. “It means we now don’t have to have a manager onsite,” says King. “That gives us options to use a call center for facilities under 150 units. Being able to open units and gates for particular customers at particular times is something that’s going to be really beneficial for us moving forward.”

The Millennium Technology team takes pride in delivering exceptional solutions to clients in Waikato and beyond. With expertise in Protege GX, they specialize in offering cloud-focused IT and security solutions that cater to the needs of New Zealand businesses.