Companies Change Notion of Business as Usual

DALLAS—Companies are changing the way business gets done, which means maximizing productivity. As the landscape of modern offices continues to evolve, so will the need for future-ready technology that offers the wireless connectivity reliability that businesses demand in the growing digital world.

In the second of a two-part exclusive, Scott Willis, CEO and president of Dallas-based Zinwave, recently discussed how the demand for connectivity in the workplace impacts commercial real estate.

GlobeS.com: What is the advantage for a building owner or manager to install a Distributed Antenna System/DAS solution as opposed to tenants individually supporting their own means for connectivity? How can an owner or manager pass that cost on to tenants?

Willis: When businesses need to upgrade office space, strong connectivity is a key must-have. In today’s growing digital age, companies must have the agility to adopt new technologies rapidly and expect their buildings to allow for the expansion. What does this mean for building owners and managers? Ubiquity, cost and convenience. When a DAS solution is installed throughout a building, every tenant gets access to the same reliable connection that can handle high volumes of coverage and capacity. In terms of cost, owners and managers can approach connectivity and DAS the same way they approach other utilities like electricity, water or phone systems. The location is designed to manage these utilities as a single system rather than expecting a tenant to install service. The difference is that with connectivity, the building owner or manager can monetize the DAS cost as an amenity. Under this arrangement, tenants receive ubiquitous coverage, the building owner or manager can install a DAS at an extremely low cost and monetize the investment, and it’s a convenient, optimized approach for solving for the coverage demand.

Case in point, the booming office real estate landscape of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With 100 million square feet of new builds underway, the market is becoming increasingly competitive to draw in tenants. If competing properties are in the same business district, location is off the board as a selling point for building owners. Potential new tenants may be touring every building on the block and, for some, connectivity will become the deciding factor. A property where the owner or manager has already provided a DAS solution will have an advantage in this market. When prospective tenants see a location that has solved mobile connectivity, they have peace of mind that they can scale IoT technology at a rate that Wi-Fi will not be able to support because it has limited bandwidth.

GlobeSt.com: How does connectivity factor into the increased demand for flexible workspaces?

Willis: In real estate, the layout of flexible workspaces begins as early as the architectural design phase for a potential office building. Regardless of whether it’s a new build, tenants are looking for spaces embracing the collaboration and huddle space approaches to drive employee creativity and productivity. CREs can get a leg up on the competition by providing this connectivity, but need to find a cost-effective way to do so. Serving multiple tenants means CREs will have to accommodate a variety of cellular carriers. That’s why it’s essential to make sure adding or removing carrier support from the in-building network can be done via software updates to be as cost effective as possible.

GlobeSt.com: How has the world of mobility changed in terms of device usage and connectivity?

Willis: The modern smartphone has changed the way people live and work. Phones are no longer used just for calls, but also to communicate via text, video chat and apps. In addition, smartphones and tablets have made access to the Internet easier than ever, with the ability look up information, check personal and work email, and perform other tasks at the tap of a button. Our research shows cell phones are preferred by 63% of respondents for daily communication, coming second to only email. The increase in device usage has untethered the workforce and made reliable wireless connectivity a must.

GlobeSt.com: How have connectivity needs changed because of BYOD, IoT and 5G? 

Willis: The bring-your-own-device/BYOD trend accelerated the evolution towards a more highly mobile workplace. As consumers embraced all they could do with their smartphones in their personal lives, they realized the advantages the devices could give them in the office. Therefore, it’s in an employer’s interest to ensure cellular connectivity that employees are bringing to work.

Internet of Things/IoT has only been around for a short time, but it will continue to evolve and grow. 5G networks will enable connectivity like never before in business applications. These IoT applications will become more advanced, and either create demand for 5G networks or have new opportunities driven by the availability of 5G technology. In either case, the ability to run an IoT network on 5G technology will become a requisite for CRE survival.