CHICAGO—Nine notable buildings in Chicago, including the Willis Tower, the Chicago Board of Trade Building, and 150 N. Riverside, have achieved Wired Certification, the international standard developed by WiredScore that distinguishes best-in-class Internet connectivity in office buildings. The New York-based WiredScore has now expanded to 30 cities and hits Chicago just when an increasing number of tech firms are looking for spaces in the CBD and landlords need ways to differentiate their buildings from the competition.

“These tech firms have needs greater than just knowing who the carrier is,” Phil Kanfer, national director of business development at WiredScore, tells GlobeSt.com. Internet connectivity is now “one of the top three things in a tenant's office search,” and this certification process allows tenants and brokers to identify the buildings that have most capacity. “Our goal is to create transparency.”

The Chicago towers that achieved certification also includes 1 S. Wacker, which received a gold rating, while the CBOT building and 150 N. Riverside were both awarded the top platinum certification. WiredScore developed the standards in conjunction with industry leaders from companies such as Google and Cisco. It has certified nearly 200 million rentable square feet and more than 400 buildings nationally.

Owners begin the process by visiting WiredScore's website and filling out a free, confidential survey on their building's capabilities, says Kanfer. WiredScore then audits the survey and conducts a walk-through of the property in which it inspects equipment and evaluates the technical services provided. Finally, the company issues a full audit report and submits it to the owners, who can comment and potentially receive a higher certification, especially if they are planning upgrades.

As reported in GlobeSt.com, GlenStar Properties LLC bought the CBOT building in 2012 and made a lot of upgrades, including to its technology infrastructure, and has already succeeded in attracting a host of new tenants that include software, engineering, public relations and data center firms. And its new platinum certification should allow the owners to continue filling out its expanding tenant roster.

“Infrastructure-wise, the building is pretty flawless,” says Kanfer, with multiple riser locations and a choice for tenants of ten carriers, a diversity that WiredScore found unique. “It's a tremendous positive for the building and its tenants,” who due to the “fierce competition” among providers can get lower prices.

“Our goal is to be wherever there are commercial buildings,” he adds, “and spread the message about transparency throughout the country.”

The certified buildings and their ratings are:

150 N. Riverside: Platinum
CBOT Building: Platinum

330 N. Wabash Ave.: Gold
1 S. Wacker: Gold
180 N. LaSalle: Gold
515 N. State St.: Gold
300 S. Wacker: Silver
737 N. Michigan Ave.: Silver
Willis Tower: Pending Final Rating

Instant Insights /

Nine Buildings Achieve Best-in-ClassInternet Connectivity

Related Stories

Recommended For You