If there is one thing the “Internet Age” (if you can call a span of 5 years an “age”) has levied upon us, it’s the sense of urgency in all things. It’s marginally useful for companies to spend time and efforts on a 3-year pro-forma, yet alone a 5-year plan. Some of these companies will outlast their pro-formas, and for those that do, their performance is almost certain to bear no resemblance to their projections. What’s important to take note of is the fact that these companies grow, and for the successful ones, their office space requirements are entirely unpredictable. We can predict, however, their need for more space, which always includes the need for high-speed, dedicated Internet access. Moreover, these needs are spreading to most every business, from the smallest attorneys, to the largest manufacturing companies.
The landlord-ISP partnership
As a property manager, owner, or investor, you can give your leasing agents a competitive edge by offering tenants dedicated Internet access that’s available without waiting four weeks for a telco to install it. How do you do this? While there are many options, for a variety of reasons the most sensible one is to partner with a company that has the technical and business expertise to see it through. What you are looking for is a niche-market Internet Service Provider.
While any ISP can sell to your tenants, one that is focused on providing solutions to multi-tenant space will yield you and your occupants the best service. The equipment, pricing, installation, and service are very different when it comes to providing an Internet connection that can be deployed in minutes. It’s also important to make sure you engage a quality company, with a sound technical and financial background.
A win-win situation
Since this approach is relatively new, there are a variety of models out there. One thing is for sure: the service provider will need to put some amount of equipment in your building. Some models operate simply as a lease on unimproved telephone closet space, with no joint marketing, and no revenue split whatsoever. On the opposite end, some property owners have chosen to install their own equipment and simply buy connectivity from an ISP. While the subsequent models have their advantages and disadvantages, WareNet has worked on a model, which they feel is the most likely to lead to a win-win situation.
Specifically, the service provider installs the necessary equipment (assuming the cost of the equipment and connectivity) at the property. The property management and the service provider work together to pre-sell the existing tenants and prospective new tenants on the services. Once enough commitments are made, the service provider brings up the connection. New tenants are pre-sold by the leasing agents on the additional service available. If necessary, a service provider account representative gets involved to answer any technical or network related questions. In addition to the competitive edge given to the property and leasing agents, the property management company is given a share of the revenue generated on a monthly basis.
For further information contact WareNet, a company with a 5-year track record in providing Internet Solutions, at (949) 417-2300, or visit www.warenet.
