CHICAGO—As reported yesterday in GlobeSt.com, the Willis Tower just earned Platinum Wired Certification, the highest rating of the international internet connectivity standard developed by New York-based WiredScore. In doing so, the iconic tower became the fourth Chicago office building to receive the best-in-class platinum award, a sign that the standard, already adopted by hundreds of buildings in New York, is spreading out across the US.

Arie Barendrecht, chief executive officer and co-founder of WiredScore, tells GlobeSt.com that the owners of the 110-story Willis mastered both the technical and managerial aspects of internet connectivity, both prerequisites for achieving platinum status.

“They have a nearly unparalleled level of internet service provider options for their tenants,” he says. “It's in the top 1% of the country.” Managers work seamlessly with 13 providers, and the buildings' pipes and cables can handle the traffic without the systems getting clogged or messy. “The infrastructure of the building is immaculate.”

Procuring such an array of providers makes tenants' lives much easier, he adds, by giving them options and making their businesses more productive. “They have the power to actually negotiate a lower price,” for example, and can be confident that when they first occupy a space, there will be a provider that can have their office “up and running on the day they need it.”

One of these certifications also eases the lives of brokers and landlords. “More tenants are asking brokers about connectivity,” Barendrecht says, and seeing a widely-recognized certification such as WiredScore gives comfort and assurance.

Barendrecht also explains that platinum or gold certifications are not just for massive, recently-built towers. Small office buildings have been certified platinum, and one of the four Chicago properties to receive platinum so far is the Chicago Board of Trade Building, which was constructed in the 1920s. Infrastructure counts for just 25% of a building's score, and the rest has to do with factors any landlord can control, such as securing a diverse array of providers and having written agreements that govern their work with tenants.

WiredScore now provides certifications for about 750 buildings globally, including about 300 in New York. Furthermore, by the end of the year, the firm plans to release a set of guidelines for architects and designers of new buildings on how to achieve the highest levels of connectivity. Barendrecht says they will use Chicago's 150 N. Riverside, a platinum recipient and one of city's new class A towers, as a prime example.

“There has never been a roadmap for developers to follow,” he says, “and we hope to change that.”

Instant Insights /

Wired Certifications Spread Across US, Globe

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