A New Tool to Keep Companies Connected
Now more than ever, our modern offices serve as information hubs for in-person, hybrid, and remote employees. Our communications, our business tools, and our deliverables to clients are largely dependent upon digital connectivity. We may take these systems for granted until they stop working, but then what?
David Loy AIA, CDT, LEED AP // Vice President | Principal
Building Infrastructure
A 2016 report1 by the Ponemon Institute attempted to quantify the financial impacts of internet downtime for companies, finding that the average cost of an unplanned internet outage to be nearly $9,000 per minute when considering detection, restoration, lost revenue, missed deadlines, business disruptions, additional overtime, and other factors. This staggering figure underscores the fact that reliable connectivity is a driving force for corporate tenants in selecting future office spaces. Building owners who can document an investment in reliable connectivity and technology infrastructure offer measurable value that translates directly into higher rental rates and lower vacancy rates for tenants.
Measuring Connectivity
Connectivity is something that companies can’t see and touch, but they no longer have to guess at whether a prospective office space can support their technology needs. Enter WiredScore, a third-party certification program that allows brokers and tenants to evaluate a building’s technology capabilities before signing a lease. WiredScore, founded in 2014 in New York, measures the “quality and resilience of connectivity” and provides a score that benchmarks systems against those of other buildings. The certification evaluates mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity, redundancy, telecommunications capabilities, riser condition and capacity, and other infrastructure impacting continuous operations.
LS3P Vice President and Principal David Loy sees WiredScore as an asset to building owners. “Developers and building owners are utilizing the Building Certification Program to quickly differentiate themselves from their competition. A quick search on the WiredScore website will graphically reveal the Certification Level and location of an existing property,” he explains. “After the initial program development in NYC, WiredScore took their program and rating system to similar existing overseas cities that were comparable to NYC as they began to expand what is becoming a global standard for cities and building owners.”
WiredScore provides a resource which helps building owners create, quantify, and improve connectivity for their properties. For brokers and tenants, WiredScore offers information in an easy-to-digest format for quick comparison across properties.
Details might include primary and backup fiber internet providers, whether these systems operate on opposite sides of the street in the event of a construction disruption, strength of Wi-Fi in building common areas, and details on Digital Antenna Systems. These elements help companies plan for resilience, boost mobility and productivity, and safeguard against expensive unplanned outages.
Is it Worth It?
New or existing buildings can be WiredScore certified at four levels: certified, silver, gold, and platinum. Each certification comes with a two-year contract and assistance with consulting, marketing, and future-proofing. Aside from the investments of infrastructure and equipment, the certification and contract come at an additional cost. The return on investment, however, is measurable according to a study conducted by Moody’s Analytics, CRE, and WiredScore. Properties in New York command a 2.7% premium over non-certified competitors, even at the lowest level of certification, and occupancy in WiredScore buildings is 3.8% lower than that of their peers.2 WiredScore certification is a significant market differentiator not only for new and existing Class A buildings, but also for Class B and C buildings looking for opportunities to attract tenants in a competitive market.
Loy finds the certification process to be well within reach. “Many of the current scoring points are best practices that we have been employing in our recent projects, so certification at one of the four levels is definitely achievable. Other points can be achieved with minor additions or modifications to the program. With a few modifications we are finding that currently achieving a platinum certification level is not out of reach on our new projects with forethought.”
Leveling Up
For building owners who want to take their technological capabilities one step further, WiredScore introduced a new program in 2021: SmartScore, designed to optimize smart building capabilities for efficiency and sustainability. SmartScore evaluates building systems which improve the user experience, create operational efficiencies to reduce energy use, improve cybersecurity, and maximize function throughout a building’s lifecycle.
The SmartScore building certification is also aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED v4; teams will still have to submit separately for both certification programs, but they may be able to harness compounding benefits from one initial investment in building consultants and smart building design elements.
Owners should note, however, that certification at any level must be renewed every two years. As Loy explains, “technology continues to advance and change. This means that if our clients want to retain their certification, they must keep up to date with requirements that are not yet known.”
Rapid Market Adoption
In just under a decade, WiredScore has expanded its reach from one city to regions worldwide including Europe, Canada, Asia, and the Middle East. More than 8 million people now work in over 800 million square feet of WiredScore certified buildings, and owners, brokers, and tenants are increasingly aware of its benefits. Unlike LEED certification or WalkScore – other common tools for comparing commercial real estate investments – WiredScore is the only score that can be directly linked to productivity. In our “always online” society, downtime at work can be a frustrating and costly problem. Arming tenants with verifiable, measurable connectivity criteria up front is an investment that can yield substantial dividends over the life of a lease.
Meet the Contributer
LS3P Principal David Loy leads our Charlotte Enterprise Studio that has delivered some of the firm’s most complex projects that require large integrated A/E-Owner-Contractor teams. As an LS3P leader, he possesses analytical and artistic qualities essential for designing facilities as well as leadership qualities for resourcefulness and good decision making.
David excels at helping his clients navigate the design and construction process. He believes that it is an honor and privilege to be invited into a client’s world to help them solve problems, be a part of the solution, and help them to realize their vision, and he strives to build successful relationships that result in a winning, teamworkbased building experience. David’s diverse portfolio includes academic projects, large-scale corporate campuses, high-rise construction, and healthcare projects for major medical systems.
1 https://www.vertiv.com/globalassets/documents/reports/2016-cost-of-data-center-outages-11-11_51190_1.pdf
2 https://wiredscore.com/blog/2022/12/07/digital-connectivity-impact-office/