WiredScore, the first and only provider of a standardized rating system designed to identify, evaluate and certify commercial buildings with the fastest and most reliable internet connections, has expanded its Wired Certification service to office property owners, asset managers and leasing agents in cities nationwide, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, DC and San Francisco, among other metro areas.
Similar in concept to LEED certification for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, WiredScore evaluates a building's connectivity by examining the number and quality of internet service providers as well as the bandwidth capabilities and reliability of connections that are based on the building's infrastructure. Buildings that meet WiredScore's rigorous standards are awarded a coveted Wired Certification. Launched in 2013 as WiredNYC by the Bloomberg administration in partnership with New York City Economic Development Corp., WiredScore has since certified over 325 properties totaling over 155 million s/f of office space in 30 cities.
Assets in the Boston area include the Innovation and Design Center, the 10/20 Channel Center as well as 1, 2 and 10 Canal Park in Cambridge.
WiredScore is adding over 15 million s/f of new office space certifications per month, and the rate is increasing in 2015.
To date, information on the connectivity of over 700 buildings nationwide has been added to the WiredScore database.
Many of the nation's leading commercial owners have already adopted Wired Certification to promote the technology of their assets including SL Green, Brookfield, Jamestown, Paramount, Beacon Capital, Empire State Realty Trust, Clarion Partners, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust, Columbia Property Trust, Brandywine and Hines. In Boston-Cambridge area, there are 8 Wired Certified buildings.
Wired Certification provides owners, asset managers and leasing brokers with a revolutionary new tool in leasing and marketing of their properties, as well as assures prospective tenants that certified buildings provide the access to the most cutting-edge, high-quality and reliable internet services available.
"Access to fast, reliable and robust internet connectivity has become a vital component of the modern workspace, especially for emerging technology, advertising, media and information technology (TAMI) companies," said Arie Barendrecht, founder and CEO of WiredScore. "For a growing number of these tenants, connectivity can be the deciding factor in selecting office locations. The Wired Certified designation provides not only a distinct marketing advantage for these properties, but also provides owners and asset managers with a thorough examination of their current connectivity status and how to improve it."
The WiredScore evaluation process takes around 60 days, with qualified buildings receiving one of four levels of certification: Platinum, Gold, Silver or Certified. Buildings that meet the standards and earn a Wired Certification benefit instantly though promotion of the building's connectivity as a cutting-edge amenity in WiredScore's database, as well as data syndication through partner publications and websites like CBRE PropertyView and CoStar, the world's largest CRE database. Properties that don't meet minimum certification standards are offered expert recommendations on how to improve connectivity.
"Today's commercial tenants have critical connectivity needs, and if a building doesn't meet their standards or isn't providing clear, detailed information about the connectivity available, they'll go somewhere else," said Barendrecht.