News on 17 October 2000
Two of the biggest property-focused organisations in the
US, if not the world, are pooling resources to study just what impact
the internet is likely to have on real estate.
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) has teamed up with
the US government General Services Administration, reportedly the world's
largest property owner, under the theme ‘Knowledge and Solutions
Sharing in Pursuit of Enhanced Workplace Performance’.
In addition to sharing existing information, BOMA and the GSA will launch
a series of joint projects examining how the internet is, and will, change
real estate thinking, as well as best practices and techniques for converting
existing ‘old economy’ office space into more productive environments.
The collaboration is intended ultimately to result in guidelines for how
to build the space that enhances productivity, protects health and improves
profitability for both the private and public sectors.
"In a world moving from walls to wires, from tenants to customers,
and from one in which property management professionals simply rent space
to one in which they offer solutions, we recognise the need for joint
research and education. Workplace performance is the only means to properly
benchmark the property management effort, and strategic alliances are
the only cost-effective means to do that," says BOMA.
In recent research the organisation has confirmed that tenants want far
more than just physical space. In one major study, more than 90 percent
of respondents said they also looked for comfortable temperatures, high
quality indoor air, noise control, excellent maintenance services and
prompt management response. In addition, demand for technology infrastructure
is rising steadily.
More information is available on BOMA's website at www.boma.org
