Survey: Web Access Key for Workers, Decision Makers

NEW YORK CITY—The days when ease of the CEO's commute was the deciding factor in office location are receding further into the past, judging by a newly released survey from WiredScore. The survey found that 78% of office workers ranked access to reliable internet connection as the most important factor in selecting office space and doing business, while office location decision makers rank it as more important than transportation, leasing options, management, amenities, views and environmental sustainability.

Furthermore, 97% of the approximately 450 office workers and office location decision-makers surveyed consider high-speed, reliable internet connectivity a critical factor in choosing their office space. Yet not all respondents were on the same page, or computer screen: office workers consider reliable connectivity “critical” to doing business by a factor of more than 2 to 1 over office location decision makers, 78% to 31%.

The lower priority that decision makers assign to connectivity goes hand in hand with a lack of information. According to WiredScore, less than half of all location decision makers surveyed said they receive detailed information on connectivity services prior to signing their office lease, while more than 25% receive no guidance at all.

Building-level connectivity issues can affect productivity. Survey respondents said internet outages and slowness disrupt business at least once a month on average, and more than twice a week for one in four respondents. Sixty-one percent of office workers acknowledged that they stop working and waste time when the internet goes down.

Arie Barendrecht, CEO and co-founder of WiredScore, says the survey is intended to make “landlords, brokers and all businesses more aware of the role Internet connectivity infrastructure plays in their lives. There is a major lack of information and transparency in this space, and WiredScore is proud to bridge the gap, resulting in better information and ultimately improved Internet connectivity in offices.”

Conducted during the first quarter of 2015, the WiredScore survey was analyzed by Robust Insight Ltd., an independent market research consultancy. All respondents that work in an office were labeled “office workers,” while those who had personally helped their company search for office space were called “location decision makers.”

GlobeSt.com reported earlier this month that WiredScore is the only provider of a standardized rating system designed to identify, evaluate and certify commercial buildings with the fastest and most reliable Internet connections. Launched in 2013 as WiredNYC by the Bloomberg administration in partnership with New York City Economic Development Corp., WiredScore has since certified more than 325 properties totaling in excess of 155 million square feet of office space in 30 cities.