Corrigo will continue to provide wireless services to commercial real estate players such as building owners and property managers as part of the agreement, while Realeum will supply a Web-based platform for these services. The alliance is one of several moves toward expansion by Corrigo in recent months. In September, it acquired Columbus, Ohio-based computer firm Invata International, and in October it allied with Louisville, KY-based technology provider ElectricStreets.

The Corrigo-Realeum agreement represents a growing movement toward creating online networks within commercial real-estate communities, particularly on the behalf of multifamily property owners. One growing trend to stem from this movement is the wiring of apartment communities. By connecting tenants and landlords with easily accessible online networks, companies such as Corrigo say they are seeking to streamline the tenant-landlord relationship. Such networks allow tenants to pay rent, place maintenance requests, and even communicate with their neighbors without leaving the comfort and privacy of their keyboards.