KBS, one of the largest owners of premier commercial real estate in the U.S., announced that Northland Center, a two-building, 492,514 square-foot Class A office park, has become the first-ever property to achieve Wired Certification in the Bloomington, Minnesota market. The asset was awarded Wired Certified Gold status by WiredScore, indicating that it meets the international standard for cutting-edge internet connectivity in office buildings. Northland Center becomes one of only eight buildings in the state of Minnesota to receive this certifcation.
This distinction underscores KBS’ ongoing focus on innovation and technology within its portfolio of assets, according to Rod Richerson, regional president, Western United States for KBS. “We understand that connectivity is a key demand driver for today’s most prominent office tenants,” says Richerson. “By achieving this first-ever Wired Certification in Bloomington, we continue to demonstrate our position as a forward-looking owner with assets that are held to the very highest of standards.”
With this new designation, KBS now holds 32 Wired Certified assets nationwide.
Properties achieve Wired Certification by meeting WiredScore’s criteria in three categories: connectivity, infrastructure, and readiness. Wired Certified Gold indicates that a property offers access to multiple high-quality Internet service providers as well as in-place infrastructure measures that ensure connectivity sources are protected, redundant, and prepared for the needs of current and future tenants.
“Exceptional connectivity is a must have among office users,” says Giovanni Cordoves, a senior vice president for KBS and asset manager of Northland Center. “By achieving this certification, Northland Center is even more well-positioned to deliver the productive, connected workplace today’s tenants require for stability and growth.”
Northland Center earned its Wired Gold Certification by offering the following attributes:
* Three high-speed fiber providers, which allow tenants to sign up for primary and back-up Internet connections while also delivering negotiating leverage for monthly service fees.
* Redundant infrastructure in the form of multiple telecommunications points of entry, enabling tenants to arrange for physically diverse Internet service to mitigate the risk of downtime.
* Implementation of proper security and protection measures to ensure telecommunications equipment and cabling cannot be disrupted.
* Capacity within the infrastructure to accommodate emerging technologies and/or connectivity-related requests from tenants.
* All documentation in place with telecommunications providers to ensure a smooth installation and set-up process for new tenants.
* Public WiFi available in all common areas.
“KBS stands out as an innovator in the greater Twin Cities office market and clearly demonstrates a commitment to upholding best-in-class connectivity standards,” says Arie Barendrecht, CEO & Founder of WiredScore. “In pursuing Wired Certification, the Northland Center property underwent a comprehensive certification process that evaluated its digital infrastructure and ability to deliver a seamless connectivity experience, ensuring that its tenants are able to stay online and maintain productivity levels at all times.”
In addition to Northland Center, KBS owns Wired Certified assets in the Washington D.C. metro area, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and California. Of these buildings, two are Platinum Certified, 14 are Gold Certified, 15 are Silver Certified, and one is Wired Certified. Additional technology-oriented amenities at some KBS properties include EV car-charging stations, energy-management systems, golf simulators, media rooms, outdoor TV areas, security systems, smartphone apps, touchscreen directories, TV lounges and TV viewing rooms.
“Technology is among our top considerations as we acquire and operate best-in-class assets in the epicenter of growth markets,” says Cordoves. “As a leader, we will sustain our focus on connectivity while continuing to deliver the most innovative amenities, services, and workplace designs in the industry.”
For more information on Wired Certification or to find Wired Certified buildings, visit: http://wiredscore.com/.
For more information on KBS, please visit www.kbs.com.\
The following Youtube video from riserSAFE describes 5 quick tips for commercial buildings preparing for a WiredScore site assessment.