Commercial Real Estate uses High Performance Wireless to differentiate

In the UK commercial real estate sector, value-adding strategies and technologies are a crucial theme for 2016.

Although UK commercial property investment appears to have peaked, demand for commercial property from investors and end users remains high and is predicted to remain so. However, commercial real estate businesses must find new ways to maintain growth and compete in the marketplace with weaker capital value growth projections from 2017 onwards.

The adoption of digital technology is one area where the commercial real estate sector has been slow to invest, but it offers solid opportunities for landlords and developers to differentiate themselves and increase their competitiveness.

Here, we will explore one technology that offers key benefits for commercial real estate businesses, their investors, and their tenants: high-performance wireless.

The demand for high-performance wireless

As the use of wireless devices has exploded in recent years, it’s no surprise that tenants and visitors are demanding efficient wireless coverage in and around office buildings and retail estates. Last year, 74% of organisations were using or planning to allow employees to bring their devices to work (BYOD). This trend will continue in 2016, with many companies expecting their employees to provide and use their mobile devices for work rather than a company one. It’s no surprise, therefore, that most people in commercial properties (whether for work or leisure) need efficient wireless access. In fact, poor or no coverage can severely impact a property's tenancy or rental value, and it is increasingly becoming an essential element of a commercial lease.

Alongside meeting this demand for wireless coverage, there are other benefits for property owners, managers, and agents. The commercial real estate sector is a highly mobile business with many employees working across various locations on a site. An adequate wireless infrastructure enables property managers and maintenance personnel to access their building management systems (BMS) and tenant support systems wherever they may be in the building on a tablet or other mobile device.

High-performance wireless also negates or reduces the need and expense of installing Category 5/6 (Ethernet) cabling throughout a property, saving tenants and property owners money and time. In some cases, if wireless coverage is effective in remote areas of the premises, such as basements and service areas, there may also be savings to be made on building insurance.

Steps to take to get excellent wireless performance

We recommend a detailed radio frequency (RF) survey and audit to design the required specifications. This will help identify any sources of interference and also provide a view of how radio waves behave within and outside the premises. Building infrastructure, materials, and obstacles can all impact RF radiation, and once this is understood, it is possible to determine the optimum number and placement of wireless access points.

Consideration should also be given to scalability and what future network needs the property may have. If you do not plan to offer full coverage when first implemented, are you likely to want to address extended coverage further down the line? If you provide serviced office space, will your wireless network be able to scale should your tenants’ businesses grow and demand for wireless access increases? Overall, future-proofing is crucial and applying the new .ac wireless standard and iBeacons should be considered during implementation.

You may also want to consider whether there are opportunities to collate data when allowing public access to WiFi on your property. Is there scope to use guest login information to benefit your stakeholders or clients/tenants? Can you add further value for end users, tenants, or investors through your wireless service, for example, through mobile apps?

OryxAlign has a proven track record of delivering indoor and outdoor high-performance wireless infrastructure to the commercial real estate, retail, and hospitality sectors. Read our case study on how we implemented high-performance wireless to enable cashless trading at Camden Lock Markets.

If you want to discuss your wireless requirements, don't hesitate to contact our support team at support@oryxalign.com or call +44 20 7605 7890.