WiredScore CEO Arie Barendrecht says that it was through his own observations in his home city of New York that he realized a few years ago how important a reliable network connection is for businesses. A survey by his company found that commercial tenants will pay more for an office with superior connectivity.
He created WiredScore to provide Wired Certification for commercial buildings to show prospective tenants and buyers the level of internet stability and speed in the building. With co-founder and majority stakeholder Jared Kushner (who was reported to have sold his shares in October 2017), Barendrecht set out to put his ideas into action.
He says most new connections (wires, cables) are hidden behind the walls of commercial buildings. This can make it tricky to know which lines are active and which are not. Additionally, internet connectivity and speeds can vary greatly from one building to the next.
With no uniform standards for builders to follow regarding what sort of internet connection to install in a new property, there are discrepancies from one building to the next, even on the same street. An older building may have superior stability and speed in its connection compared to its new neighbour, depending on how it is wired.
The WiredScore company developed a manual of suggestions and solutions for new and existing buildings to offer a unified system of certification for network connectivity. Customers of the business can have their building evaluated based on specific criteria and suggestions outlined in the manual. They will then receive a WiredScore Certification or be given suggestions as to how they can improve their own network structure within the building. Four levels of Wired Certification are offered: WiredCertification, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. Evaluations range between $5,000 and $30,000 per building and upon completion, the certification is good for two years.
WiredScore hopes that by offering their certification product they can create a system like those for energy-efficient and eco-friendly projects known as LEED and BREEAM certifications. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a rating system developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). BREEAM originates from a former U.K. government program that was privatized in 1997 and known as The Building Research Establishment Ltd. All three certification programs contain an advisory committee.
WiredScore Certification is available in the U.K. the U.S. and Canada. According to company literature, it has Wired Certification in over 1,000 properties worldwide* including The Trump Building at 40 Wall St. in New York, The George V Building in Paris, The Caledonian Exchange in Edinburgh and CIBC Square in Toronto.
For property owners or building and development planners, alternatives to a WiredScore assessment and certification might include Intertek Canada, which offers testing and certification of specific electrical and wireless products and buildings worldwide, or Industry Canada Certification.
- Note: This was updated from the original version of this story, which had out-dated information.
Yvonne Dick is a contributing writer for REM with two decades of experience in journalism.
