OpenTech Alliance Inc., developer of the INSOMNIAC line of self-storage kiosks, has released detailed kiosk-usage numbers for 2008, providing insight into how consumers use and benefit from self-service tools. As of Jan. 1, 2008, 196 of the company's kiosks were in use across the country. Another 155 came online during the period ending Dec. 31. 
 
During 2008, customers used the kiosks to rent 8,938 storage units, make 76,260 payments and purchase 5,014 locks, representing a total of $8,709,980 in self-service transactions.
 
The statistics show that 45 percent of moves-ins and payments took place outside of office hours. More than 50 percent of kiosk use took place while rental offices were open, demonstrating consumer comfort with self-serve technology. In 2008, INSOMNIAC kiosks rented 249 units and collected $254,155 in rental fees during the country’s 11 major holidays.
 
Credit cards were the preferred method of payments at the kiosk, with 51 percent of transactions paid for using this method. The balance of the transactions was paid with cash (31 percent) and check (18 percent).

OpenTech is creating a detailed white paper on kiosk use that is available upon request. 

To date, self-storage owners have purchased more than 450 INSOMNIAC kiosks, and OpenTech has exceeded the $15 million mark in rental fees collected by its kiosks at self-storage facilities across North America. For more information, visit www.opentechalliance.com.