How Owners, Architects and Contractors Can Partner With Tech Providers to Raise the Standards of Connected Properties
By Don Jensen | Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Developers need to future proof their buildings. The pandemic has left an indelible mark on how and where we work, play and live—a recent NMHC survey showed that over 91% of apartment residents say high-speed internet is an important factor when considering an apartment with nearly 75% stating that Wi-Fi should be pre-installed. According to that same survey, an additional 69% of residents indicated that community Wi-Fi ranked as an important amenity.
Meeting the increasing requirements of a more demanding and technology-hungry tenant pool has become table stakes in the quest for occupancy, and many owner/developers are still playing catch up to this new reality. By relying on legacy know-how that has been developed over the past 15 to 20 years, some are finding themselves ill-equipped in the race to develop and open today’s smart buildings. An example that illustrates how the current process may be splintered can be found in how the proptech platforms are purchased or “bought out” by the general contractor. A developer may have different vendors for low voltage, bulk Wi-Fi, security cameras and access control, but these four systems typically have a requirement to “interoperate” or function in unison, which can be challenging if you have four different companies installing them.
When planning technologies for a new property, developers can benefit from partnering with an experienced technology build/design provider that offers consulting, design and budgeting guidance from early in the project, but also provides uniform project accountability and scope alignment for all services deployed.