Given that great connectivity is a prerequisite that supports the experiences tenants are looking for, it is impacting office leasing. A survey of office leasing decision makers we conducted last year, The Value of Connectivity, reported that 91% of leasing decision makers say that lack of reliable connectivity would impact their leasing decision. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense: would you sign a 5-10 year lease if you didn't have confidence that your business would be successful there?

GlobeSt.com: How does poor connectivity impact productivity in an office?

Barendrecht: Today, we expect to be connected wherever we go, at home, during our commutes, and at the office; we can even access the Internet in-flight. Losing connectivity is frustrating in any of those situations, but it is critically important in an office setting where connectivity is directly tied to productivity and, ultimately, profitability.

There's an incredible demand for bandwidth in an office setting. Consider the day-to-day activities that depend on having reliable access to the internet: you need to answer emails in real time, video conference with contacts across the country, and collaborate on documents hosted on the cloud like Google Pages. When the Internet fails, productivity halts and employees report increased stress, frustration, and distraction as a result.

It's a dramatic example, but a neuroscience study measuring user reactions to poor network performance found that website delays resulted in a heart rate increase comparable to the spike you might experience when watching a horror movie. Environments that are regularly triggering stress or frustration are not healthy or conducive to productivity.

GlobeSt.com: What should building owners do to create quality digital infrastructures in an office building that is flexible for future technology advances?

Barendrecht: The first step is for owners and developers to understand that connectivity is just as important as electricity, HVAC, and other utilities. It is the responsibility of the owner, not the tenant, to provide access to these crucial utilities and build out the necessary infrastructure to support that service. That proactive mentality ensures your organization will be able to adapt to whatever innovations impact the office sector next.

Every building is different, but ensuring you are looking to the future and the patterns of the industry is important. People are more connected than ever, so planning for more telecom room space, more fiber, more mobile coverage is crucial. The WiredScore team can provide the exact technical recommendations and strategic improvements that should be made to future-proof any asset.

GlobeSt.com: What is a Wired Score and Wired Certification, and why is it becoming an important benchmark in office leasing?

Barendrecht: WiredScore is the operator of Wired Certification, the international rating system for connectivity in commercial office buildings. We make it easy for tenants to select office space that meetings their critical technology needs, while allowing owners and developers to better understand, improve, and promote the connectivity in their buildings.

Across Southern California, adoption of Wired Certification is steadily increasing. In Los Angeles, Brookfield Properties has achieved Wired Certification for the majority of their portfolio, including The Gas Company Tower, Bank of America Plaza, Wells Fargo Center, and 777 Tower downtown. EQ Office is another leading adopter of Wired Certification in the US, certifying the Howard Hughes Center on the Westside. In San Diego, The Park and First Allied Plaza are some of the first office properties to achieve Wired Certification. These are prime examples of CRE leaders that have integrated connectivity into their tenant-focused strategies.