RentPlus, the self-storage management software application produced by Hi-Tech Smart Systems Inc., has been acquired by Centershift Inc., provider of STORE self-storage management software.

The companies long-term plan is to convert RentPlus users to Centershift software and retire RentPlus. For now, Hi-Tech will continue to provide support for RentPlus customers. Hi-Tech and Centershift have created a comprehensive migration process that includes the overnight conversion of data, financial incentives, and learning resources such as employee training, special documentation and informational webinars. Hi-Tech is preparing details regarding the migration for its customers and will soon send a letter outlining the process.

Regarding reasons for the sale, Hi-Tech President Michael Richards said it mostly has to do with ensuring his customers have a software system that will best meet the needs and demands of 21st-century self-storage operators. I believe that only a centralized data model is viable in the long run, mostly because you now need to access that data from a variety of locations and devices, not just the PC sitting in the office, Richards wrote in an e-mail announcement.

With centralized data, a software company is no longer just that. We have to also become an information technology company in order to provide the security, reliability and redundancy that hosting customer data requires. Further, as a centralized system grows, the volume of transactions quickly escalates into the millions, further increasing the demands and responsibilities of the hosting company. This is a great challenge for small software companies, as we generally do not have the resources or capital to invest in the hardware, software and personnel to adequately meet those responsibilities, Richards said.

Based in Salt Lake City, Centershift provides Internet-based management software to the self-storage industry. The company provides management software to two self-storage real estate investment trusts as well as many large ownership and management companies. The centralized database model of the Centershift STORE applications was designed specifically for seamless integration with call centers, websites, corporate offices and other business systems.