Commercial Real Estate and Technology Infrastructure: Don't Overlook IT

As it turns out, it's a tenant's market for commercial real estate in Miami. The combination of a 20% vacancy rate, 1.2 Million square feet of new construction within the Central Business District, and an unemployment rate still above 10% translates into users of office space wielding more power than at any time in recent history. For us as IT consultants, this means we're seeing a lot more of our clients move office space, and as a result, either leaving behind or inheriting IT infrastructure.

This is a topic I've been meaning to address for quite some time, but it really came to the forefront again last week after helping a client determine the value of IT assets before signing a lease. Far too often during lease negotiation I find that the value of IT assets are overlooked when the brokers get to the table. Whether you're a tenant or a commercial real estate agent about to perform a transaction, here are a few things you should look for:‍

Cabling Infrastructure (Network Wiring)

‍A well wired office with properly labeled network jacks (at least two per jack) is a the foundation for a stable IT infrastructure. If you're in an older building, look out for wiring that may have been installed 15 or more years ago, as it may consist of retired CAT3 cable standard and will need to be replaced. Also, keep in mind that it's common for landlords to request the removal of the previous tenant's wiring, so this may be a portion of the lease you may wish to negotiate if you feel confident in the wiring as it is.

‍Network Equipment

‍Switches, routers, wireless access points and network equipment racks go hand in hand with that well wired office. Unless you have equipment to bring along, these items are simply a must have and will save you the money and hassle of having a vendor redo the work. We prefer to see a well ventilated dedicated room that can be safely locked in order to maintain the physical security of networked systems.

Voice Communications

‍If you're lucky the previous tenant may have left a phone system in place that you can use. If you're even luckier, they might leave a modern VoIP system packed full with features. A few years ago we had a client (law firm) move into a space with a very capable Avaya voice over IP (VoIP) phone system and over a dozen phones. Since we were asked to inventory which IT assets we could re-use ahead of time, our client was able to acquire the system and phones at a reasonable price.

If possible, avoid hanging on to an old analog or digital phone system that is not IP capable. The newer the system, the more likely it will have modern features like voicemail to e-mail, find me/follow me, and integration with contact management and instant messaging applications.

That's all I have for now, but if you're involved in a lease transaction where IT infrastructure is involved and not quite sure what to make of it, feel free to reach out to us and we'll help you figure it out.

‍Many thanks go out to Miami commercial real estate brokers Jason Carter of CresaPartners and Elizabeth Santos of CB Richard Ellis for providing their perspective as tenant reps on this post.

‍If you are looking for a commercial real estate, pay attention to security hardware. Check out http://www.kwikeylocksmithservices.com/guide-to-home-security-hardware/ to learn more.