The new page offers a comprehensive range of technical materials, including publications, standards, guidelines and research papers, all developed by ASHRAE’s renowned experts. These resources address various aspects of data center design and operation, such as cooling, power distribution, energy efficiency and thermal management. ASHRAE’s goal is to empower professionals with the knowledge needed to optimize data center performance and make informed decisions.

2024-25 ASHRAE President M. Dennis Knight, P.E., BEMP, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, remarked:

With the rapid growth of digital infrastructure, the demand for cloud computing, AI and big data continues to soar. Efficient cooling systems are essential to cutting operational costs and reducing environmental impact. ASHRAE understands the unique challenges of data center cooling and is proud to offer this platform, providing professionals with the latest industry knowledge and resources in one place.

Key highlights of the Data Center Resources page include:

• ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9 Datacom Encyclopedia: A collection of essential knowledge about important datacom topics such as facility design considerations, ITE design considerations, environmental guidelines, cooling technologies, energy efficiency in a central hub and more (Annual subscription fee required for access)
• Data Center Standards and Guidance: Foundational guidance such as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 90.4-2022, Energy Standard for Data Centers and ASHRAE Standard 127-2020, Methods of Testing for Rating Air-Conditioning Units Serving Data Center (DC) and Other Information Technology Equipment, as well as new resources, such as updated data center chapters from the ASHRAE Handbook
• ASHRAE Datacom Series: A staple in the data center industry for nearly two decades; provides comprehensive treatment of data center cooling and related subjects

In addition to technical resources, the page offers links to relevant ASHRAE conferences, events, and professional development opportunities. By connecting professionals with industry experts and fostering knowledge exchange, ASHRAE aims to facilitate continuous learning and professional development within the data center community.

For more information about ASHRAE’s new Data Center Resource Page, visit ASHRAE.

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In coming to the Middle East, WiredScore will support the real estate community across the region. The company is already working with key players in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. In creating technologically enabled buildings that meet global standards, WiredScore says it will help fulfil the countries’ long-term strategic ambitions to enable a smarter, better-connected built environment.

WiredScore offers two certifications: WiredScore and SmartScore. The WiredScore certification is the global digital connectivity rating scheme, while the SmartScore certification delivers an industry definition for smart buildings and provides a framework to implement them. As an organization, WiredScore is closely aligned with international real estate bodies, including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

WiredScore partners in the Middle East

WiredScore is already working with some of the biggest names in the region’s real estate industry, including leading landlord Brookfield Properties, which is the first in the region to have secured WiredScore and SmartScore Platinum Certification, the highest certification available, for ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai. It is also working with Msheireb Properties, which has committed several buildings within the Msheireb Downtown Doha smart city to SmartScore Certification.

The company is also partnering with more than 50 individuals from best-in-class consultancy firms across the region, including JLL, Siemens, Knight Frank, AESG, IT-Serve, Ramboll, OrionTEK Innovations, and WME, as part of its Accredited Professional (AP) Program. The program, which has 1,000 APs globally, educates and trains individuals to work as an extension of the WiredScore team to assess and improve the digital connectivity and smart capabilities of a building.

Speaking on the launch in the region, John Hilliard, Middle East Lead at WiredScore, commented:

The Middle East is an incredibly dynamic market. Its visionary government strategies tackle the key issues of our time with an unparalleled pace of innovation. The region is committed to integrating leading practice into the heart of its real estate industry, and we’ve seen this in the priorities raised within the national visions as well as the ESG-led initiatives that are being driven across the private sector.

WiredScore has certified over 800 million square feet of prime real estate, impacting more than eight million people across 36 countries. In addition to certifying individual buildings and districts, the company has partnered with authorities in London, New York, Paris, Berlin, and other global cities to set standards for digital connectivity in global commercial centers. Data shows that technologically enabled buildings uplift rental value in commercial real estate by 10 – 15%, alongside enabling energy savings of up to 25%.

Hilliard continued:

WiredScore’s certifications, designed to create a common framework around the integration of in-building technology and smart features in both new and existing assets for the benefit, are well suited to bolster the region’s sustainable development. We look forward to working in close partnership with the real estate community to augment the long-term growth of the Middle East’s construction and real-estate sectors and support the development of smart, well-connected buildings that serve both people and planet.

Rob Devereux, chief executive officer at ICD Brookfield Place, commented:

At ICD Brookfield Place, we are committed to setting the pace and delivering an exceptional end-user experience to our tenants. We are extremely proud to be the first building in MENA to achieve WiredScore and SmartScore Platinum, reinforcing ICD Brookfield Place as one of the most digitally advanced buildings in the world.

Digital connectivity a top priority for Gulf workers

In research conducted ahead of its market entry, WiredScore found that 98% of workers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar believe the quality of the internet connection in their office is highly important to perform their daily tasks. Over four out of five office workers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai stated that internet quality was paramount for the productivity of their work, while over 70% of workers in Qatar stated they would be unable to work without internet. Across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, around eight out of ten workers felt their office had been positively impacted by technology following the pandemic.

Speaking about the research, Hilliard stated:

Office workers in the region are highly confident in their landlords’ commitment to integrating smart technologies into the heart of office buildings. WiredScore will support the entire real estate ecosystem — developers, landlords, asset managers, and investors — in ensuring their commercial real estate matches tenants’ smart technology aspirations.

Wiredscore also recently announced the first certifications in Sweden and Singapore as well as the launch of the firm’s new Asia headquarters in Singapore in March 2022, as part of its global expansion.

Find out more about WiredScore and SmartScore certifications at WiredScore.

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A decade ago, the idea of a building being hacked may have seemed like science fiction. But, as technology has allowed commercial properties to operate more smoothly and efficiently, it also has left them vulnerable to cyberattacks— attacks that can cause physical damage.

Dashboards and servers often need to be accessed by multiple users off-site and individual devices may not be considered sensitive, so they are not necessarily designed to be difficult to access. Building systems—such as those controlling lighting and security—were once kept in “silos,” but, as the industry has moved towards higher levels of integration and efficiency, they now are more likely to be networked together through the Internet of Things (IoT). As a result, hackers can use these connected devices to access critical systems.

Talk to the experts on cybersecurity, and over and over again you’ll hear the same thing: The commercial real estate industry is nowhere near secure. Buildings may be ready for a wide range of emergency situations—everything from fires to active shooters—but they simply are not prepared for cyberattacks.

“An important part of our job is to minimize risk for our clients; the cost of fully securing a building against a cyberattack may seem high because the risk of an attack seems low,” says Trish Moosbrugger, a San Francisco-based real estate manager for CBRE. Implementing a comprehensive cybersecurity plan into a building can range in cost from a few thousand dollars to as much as $100,000, leading many building owners to decide that the risk of a cyberattack is not enough to justify the cost.

“But,” Moosbrugger warns, “we may be grossly miscalculating the risk.” Cyberattacks on commercial buildings are rarely in the news, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t happening. A property’s elevators may be easily taken over by ransomware, for example. In such an instance, the property team resolves the issue by either employing the services of an outside vendor or paying the ransom to the hacker (or both). Then, elevator controls are turned back over to the property team and the attack is never made public. Because everyone involved typically signs a non-disclosure agreement, word never gets out about the attack.

In another spine-chilling possibility, building systems all over the world could be remotely monitored by hackers at this very moment. Unless you’re looking for it, you may never know this is happening…until the hackers decide to act.

Online Learning

If you simply don’t know if your building is protected against a cyberattack, then it probably isn’t. Building systems are complex and cybersecurity is still an emerging field; the average IT department is unlikely to have the necessary expertise. “General IT professionals are not the same as cybersecurity professionals,” says Luciano Cedrone, vice president of National Security for Brookfield and based in Toronto. “I’d strongly encourage property managers to seek out cybersecurity professionals to assess and develop a secure cyber environment for their buildings.”

This is exactly what Moosbrugger decided to do, though she initially felt a little at sea. Like most property managers, she knows at least a little bit about a lot of topics, but cybersecurity was a new area for her and her team. “We have long-standing relationships with most of our vendors, and if I need expert advice then I know who to ask for assistance,” she explains. “But with cybersecurity, I felt like I was starting from scratch.”

Many property professionals may put off beginning this process for that reason. Moosbrugger had a simple solution, however: She decided to let vendors do some of the work for her. She invited potential vendors to speak with her team and asked if they would be willing to collaborate on developing a scope of work that included best practices for them to present to their building owners and to use to solicit bids.

One vendor took her up on it, and he was enthusiastic. “It was clear to us that educating people in our industry about the need for these protections was a personal passion of his, and he was happy to empower us in the process—whether or not we ended up using his services,” she recalls. After receiving bids on the project, Moosbrugger ended up choosing the vendor who helped them create the scope of work. “A lot of vendors will come and give you a sales pitch and a brochure,” she says. “I don’t need a brochure; I want someone who will teach me about the technology because I’m going to have to talk to my client, my staff and other key vendors about it.”

Harry Koujaian, principal engineer of Technical Support for Siemens’ Building Technologies division, backs this up: “Cybersecurity vendors must be educators.” This is partly because simple user error can create huge security gaps. “Quite a bit of technology you might use in a building has a default name and password and users aren’t automatically prompted to change it,” he explains. “It’s very easy for those outside the building to find out what the default password is and access it.” Having a password-protected system won’t help if the password is easy to guess.

Maintaining a secure building also requires strong communication among the stakeholders. For example, if a new vendor needs access to a building’s systems, it must be made aware of the security protocols, others on the team need to know about the change to the building and the cybersecurity vendor must be notified to ensure the system remains secure.

A Safety Net

But what, exactly, do cybersecurity vendors do? In 2013, the Obama administration issued an executive order directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create a cybersecurity framework for companies to study. The resulting framework is designed to offer strategies for determining what security gaps exist and how to close them.

“It was originally designed more towards the nation’s critical infrastructure, but can be applied to any system,” explains Koujaian. The framework is freely available online at www.nist.gov/cyberframework and is broken into five steps: identify, protect, detect, respond and recover. A cybersecurity expert will assess what assets need to be protected and predict potential threats, check for vulnerabilities and have a plan in place for bringing systems back online quickly if they do go down. While man-made attacks are usually the focus for these plans, cybersecurity can encompass natural disasters as well and should be a critical part of any resiliency effort.

“I think the industry is generally exposed and poorly prepared, partly because there’s still a lack of awareness and understanding, but also because by its nature, cybersecurity is a game of catch-up,” says Cedrone. “We don’t know what the next vulnerability is until it’s detected; at which point, the question really becomes how quickly and effectively are you able to mitigate the threat.”

Each building faces a different set of threats, based on such factors as location and the types of tenants who occupy it. A law firm may be more likely to have its email hacked for private information on mergers and acquisitions, whereas a healthcare tenant’s database containing valuable medical information might be a target. Some organizations will automatically have higher security requirements, such as any tenant that does work with the U.S. Department of Defense. These systems all are likely to be secured, but because IoT technology often is easy to access remotely, hackers can use it to gain access to other systems within a building—putting tenants at much greater risk.

An Ever-Changing Threat

Having consistent internal protocols and remaining vigilant can create a more secure smart building. “What worked yesterday becomes vulnerable today,” warns Cedrone. “At a strategic level, a framework that provides consistent governance and response to cyberthreats should still be reviewed at least annually, if not more often, depending on the level of risk and the threat environment.”

CBRE’s Moosbrugger agrees that these threats should never be far from your mind. “Cybersecurity is a living, breathing thing,” she says. “It’s as much an active process as posting a security guard at the front desk to screen people as they come in.”

And, as with physical threats, property professionals may want to consider sharing what they know with their peers and with appropriate law enforcement agencies. Just as you might send out an alert about an attempted break-in or a building scam, sharing knowledge about cyberattacks can make the industry much safer.

The post Can you hack it? Protecting connected buildings appeared first on FMLink.

This past July, there was what the local news media in New York City reported as a volcano-like pipe explosion in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. Fear of asbestos and other toxins flooding the air, as well as disruptions to building systems, kept local businesses and homes shuttered for days.

“We heard people on TV saying they didn’t know what to do, that they had no contact with authorities and didn’t know when they would be able to return to the area,” says Louis Trimboli, who co-chairs BOMA/New York’s Emergency Preparedness Committee. Avoiding this sort of confusion is something the committee is hard at work trying to prevent. “It’s part of crisis communication, making sure your tenants are safe and informed when disaster strikes,” he adds.

It’s a responsibility that seems to be growing, according to Trimboli, who also is senior real estate manager for CBRE, overseeing the 600,000-square-foot 825 Third Avenue in Manhattan. “When I started out in this business,” he notes, “we had garden-variety robberies or fires to deal with. Now, we have to concern ourselves with active shooters, suicide bombers, white powder in the mailroom and all sorts of things we never even thought of.”

A Double-Edged Sword

A rock-solid communications program has to address all of these outside threats. It also has to take into account the modern nature of communications, which has changed since

Trimboli first started his career. When access to social media is as near as the smartphone in one’s pocket, information—including false information—can travel quickly. “Awhile back,” Trimboli recalls, “a train was pulling into a subway station on the Upper West Side and struck a tool a workman had left behind. It hit the third rail and created a huge pop and spark. The train came to a halt and people began running off the train.

“Within a few seconds, someone on the train began texting that it was a bomb,” he continues. “The first responders hadn’t even gotten there yet.” When people are frightened and don’t know what’s happening, they often assume the worst.

“If there’s a communication vacuum, it will be filled,” says P. Marc Fischer, BOMA Fellow, CCIM, CPM, LEED Green Associate, RPA, president and CEO of InspiRE Commercial Real Estate Services in Baltimore. And, as the aforementioned story indicates, it won’t always be filled by the most reliable voices. “In the absence of clear information coming from an authoritative source, Twitter begins to fill the void with information that might—or might not—be factual,” cautions Fischer.

So, what is a property manager—caught between easing the fears of a shaken tenancy and communicating proper, accurate information—to do? An emergency preparedness strategy is crucial, and communication figures heavily into that equation.

But, so much of communication hinges on the nature of the event, the pre-emergency training of tenants and the ability of a property manager to get out in front of social media. These are all variables at work that could threaten to disrupt any preset protocol. As a result, each event also must be met with a healthy dose of common sense and an ability to think on one’s feet. And, often, it isn’t so much what you say as what you don’t say.

First Responders, Last Word

“The key is to get the right information to the right people at the right time,” explains Fischer. He ought to know. In addition to his career in property management, Fischer is a veteran volunteer firefighter and paramedic in Howard County, Maryland—and he also is the public information officer (PIO) for the county’s Department of Fire and Rescue Services. “The challenge for a property manager is that the information the tenants need will be different from what the public needs and different from what the owner needs. Ideally, you should have methods to communicate quickly, effectively and simultaneously with all of those parties,” he says.

And then, you add in first responders. “As the property manager, you may be privy to information from the fire or police department, but you may not be able to release that information to anyone,” notes Fischer, adding that first responders are the ultimate authority—even though tenants and even the press may turn to the building manager for answers.

It has been Fischer’s experience that most reporters are sincerely interested in getting out the right story. But, with limited air time and a quickly moving news cycle, a two-minute interview with a property manager may turn into a two-second sound bite that may or may not be the message that the property manager intended.

Thankfully, such communication is largely out of the hands of the property manager. “In all honesty, my hands are full in any crisis,” says Trimboli. “I can’t also be in front of the building talking to the media. And, why would I want to when I have a great team at 200 Park [CBRE’s headquarters] who do media relations for a living?”

He advises that even a simple message, such as, “At this time, we are monitoring the situation and we will keep you apprised when we have further information,” can go far to relieve the anxiety that is part and parcel of any building crisis.

In the case of the subway incident, Trimboli explains: “When the city posted the correct news, I took that whole message and sent it out to my tenants. In the end, you have to say something. But, you can’t speculate.”

Like CBRE, Liberty Property Trust has an ironclad corporate communications protocol. “Liberty has a very clear policy that all media requests be directed to our corporate office,” says Joseph M. Reilly, a general manager with Liberty Property Trust who manages four buildings in Washington, D.C., totaling to roughly 900,000 square feet. “A mistake some property managers make is to think they need to be their own emergency broadcasting service,” he says. But, as Reilly points out, in a place like the nation’s capital, “there are so many great professional resources that already exist.”

Reilly divides crises into two camps: municipal and building-specific. For the former, “I always recommend that my tenants subscribe to local services that are better equipped to push this information than I am.” He cites AlertDC, an early-alert app managed by the District of Columbia’s Homeland Security and the Emergency Management Agency, as well as a number of similar call-to-action sites run by the various business improvement districts (BIDs).

“I have three buildings in the Golden Triangle BID and one in the Downtown BID,” Reilly explains. “The Golden Triangle, in particular, is amazing with the alerts they push out, and they do a great job updating all contact information. So, whenever there’s a gas leak or a Metro station is closed, I’m quick to know because I’m getting alerts—and I’m getting them as soon as my tenants do.”

When a crisis is building-specific, good old common sense comes into play. If it’s a gas leak, there are authorities to help manage the event. If an elevator is out, the determination is what communication method to use. “It comes down to the type of event,” says Reilly. “Do we have to go through the phone list or is an email to everyone okay? Do we need to go suite-to-suite?” As always, the content—and the proper authorities—dictate the message.

“The property manager’s role is to interface with the authorities,” notes Reilly. For instance, “We won’t necessarily dump the building just because we smell natural gas. We’ll check with the police and the gas company. We might actually be safer in the building. We don’t make that call. We seek out the proper authorities and respond to their direction.”

That doesn’t mean the property team fades into the background. “It’s important for the property manager to liaise with the incident commander and, in larger situations, the PIO, and make yourself available,” Fischer adds. “In the case of an active shooter or building fire, having the chief engineer and property manager there with drawings and an understanding of building systems can help first responders mitigate the situation. And, in many cases, the property manager can work with the PIOs as a conduit for getting information out—especially if your company has the embargo that all communication has to go through the corporate office.”

Tenants: A First Line of Defense

In a best-case scenario, tenants—aware, alert and apprised— are the best defense against confusion or threats to life and limb. (The problem is that no crisis, whatever the situation, is a best-case scenario.) Tenant-chosen fire wardens are assumed to be all three of the above characteristics. And, one can only hope the building occupants they lead weren’t fully asleep during building management’s periodic emergency drill sessions.

“There needs to be planning, naturally, a checklist of sorts, so everybody knows what they’re supposed to do,” says Fischer. “But, a lot of times, people put systems and procedures in place without providing the necessary training. Then, there’s the apathy. People have to take the drills and preparation seriously. Even after 9/11, I was amazed how many people didn’t evacuate the building after a fire alarm.” Ironically, there is a good news/bad news dynamic at work here. As Fischer points out, nine times out of 10, it’s a false alarm or the potential emergency doesn’t amount to anything. And this, of course, can diminish the sense of urgency.

But, that doesn’t relieve the manager from any moral responsibility. “Tenant organizations pick certain people as fire wardens for specific reasons,” adds Reilly. “Hopefully, they take it seriously. Regardless, we have the responsibility to ensure they are prepared.”

“You still need to be as sure as possible that the tenants understand the basics,” says Trimboli. These include such obvious things as “listening to the announcements, knowing what stairwells lead to the lobby floor or not propping a door open during a fire.

“We talk about communication systems and emergency management plans,” he continues, “but you have to elevate the awareness of the people who are going to execute those plans. At the very least, if I get a good turnout on all my tenant floors for all the drills, I know my folks have a very good chance of surviving whatever happens.”

When all is said and done, crisis planning and communication is, quite literally, no accident. And sometimes, at the end of his day, “driving home from work and looking back at the Manhattan skyline, it hits me that its survival and the safety of the people in those buildings don’t happen by luck,” Trimboli says. “There are a lot of good people across various trades—the managers, the operating engineers, the security staff, the first responders—working very hard to keep it that way.”

The post Communicating in a crisis appeared first on FMLink.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Publisher Andrea Klee pointed out:

Our survey demonstrates electrical contractors’ fast-changing roles in design and specification, their high influence in brand selection and growth outside of traditional electrical work.

The Profile attributes the rise in lighting work to the rapid growth of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and related control systems, and LED technology becoming the standard option for new and replacement lighting installations.

Indicative of the findings, the 2018 National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Show will launch its first Lighting and Controls Theater September 29-October 2 in Philadelphia.

Additional key findings in types of work performed and sources of revenue include:

• Across the residential and commercial, industrial and institutional (CII) sectors, 93 percent of firms worked on traditional power and lighting, 91 percent on lighting, and 86 percent on traditional power.
• LED lighting and ballasts/LED drivers showed significant increases as lamps and lighting controls declined.
• Just 33 percent of firms’ revenue came from new construction, as the industry faces a critical skilled labor shortage.
• Low-voltage work remains high: with integrated systems, 63 percent both specify and install lighting — more than twice those who just install equipment.
• Communications systems/connectivity: data centers increased as fiber optics or networking decreased.
• 74 percent report a high or medium influence on electrical designs and specifications.
• 73 percent report receiving incomplete plans and specifications in 2017.
• Availability is still the No. 1 reason for original brand selections and substitutions, followed by price.
• Sustainability: electrical vehicle charging increased, while cogeneration and geothermal posted small but significant declines.
• Automation/control systems: 72 percent work on some aspect, and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) controls declined.
• Growing work areas include: pre-assembly/prefabrication of electrical components, HVAC mechanical, water utilities/waste water treatment plants, electrical maintenance/service/repair.

The full 2018 Profile of the Electrical Contractor report with a highlights video is available on the magazine’s website.

The post How is the role of the electrical contractor changing with today’s technology? appeared first on FMLink.

The study, The Right Technologies Unlock the Potential of the Digital Workplace: Digital Workplace Study Reveals Tangible Benefits, but Organizations Must Prepare for Data Security Risks, reveals both the business and human benefits of more digitally driven workplaces, and how companies that are less technologically advanced are at risk of falling behind the competition and not attracting top talent. It also notes that companies must be vigilant, as more digital-savvy employees are taking greater risks with data and information security.

Key themes and findings

The study of 7,000 employees across 15 countries revealed a clear chasm in employee performance and sentiment between more advanced digital workplaces and those that employ digital technology to a lesser degree. A number of key themes emerged:

• Beyond productivity, digital tools unlock human benefits: “Digital Revolutionaries” — employees identified as those who work in fully enabled digital workplaces where new workplace technologies are in widespread use — were 51% more likely to have strong job satisfaction, and 43% more likely to be positive about their work-life balance than “Digital Laggards” — those who have less access to workplace technology. The Revolutionary employees were also 60% more likely to say they are motivated at work, and 91% more likely to praise their company’s vision.
• Digital working also supports professional development: 65% of Revolutionaries reported they had seen professional development and growth through the use of digital technology, compared to just 31% of Laggards. With a digital workplace, 72% of Revolutionaries reported a higher ability to adopt new work skills as compared to 58% of Laggards.
• Productivity gains from digital technology quantified: 73% of Digital Revolutionaries reported a positive impact to their productivity, and 70% cited improved collaboration thanks to digital technologies, vs. 55% of Laggards.
• Continued advancements in digital technology and automation pave the way for better workplace experiences: While automation can be perceived as a threat to job security, Aruba research found that there was widespread enthusiasm for it. 71% of respondents said they would welcome a fully automated workplace in the future, allowing organizations to build smarter, more effective working environments.

Joseph White, director of Workplace Strategy, Design and Management, Herman Miller, commented:

No matter the industry, we’re seeing a move toward human-centric places as enterprises strive to meet rapidly changing expectations of how people want to work. This depends upon combining advances in technology — which includes furnishings — with the cognitive sciences to help people engage with work in new ways. This will not only mean singular, premium experiences for individuals, but also the opportunity for organizations to attract and retain the best talent.

Francisco Acoba, managing director for Deloitte Strategy and Operations, noted:

The very nature of the term “workplace” is being transformed, as companies begin to realize that effective space is experience-centric, and must accommodate work styles spanning generations and personality types. This ushers in new processes where IT solutions, building systems and furnishings interact harmoniously with humans to create such spaces. Regardless of your enterprise’s specific situation, when spaces become active participants in the user experience, it benefits the bottom line. After all, workers who feel comfortable in a space get their tasks done. Those who don’t will eventually move on to a more inviting option.

Emerging risks

The study also found that employees are enthusiastic about new technology and have a desire for their employers to provide more. Almost all respondents (93%) thought their workplace would be improved through greater use of technology, while 64% said their company will fall behind the competition if new technology isn’t implemented. The same portion (64%) believe the traditional office will become obsolete due to advances in technology.

• Globally, 69% of respondents said their companies have invested in digital workplace tools in the past year, and interest is growing in a new generation of technologies, including smart building tools that automate temperature controls and lighting (24%), voice-activated and wireless audio/visual (AV) technology (23%), and custom corporate mobile apps (23%).
• Most respondents thought digital technology would result in a more efficient (56%), more collaborative (52%) and more appealing (47%) work environment.

While the benefits of digital workplaces are wide-ranging, the study also revealed that cybersecurity is a challenge for employers.

• Although employees reported higher levels of cybersecurity awareness (52% think about security often or daily), they also admitted to taking more risks with company data and devices, with 70% admitting to risky behaviors such as sharing passwords and devices.
• A quarter (25%) of employees have connected to potentially unsafe open Wi-Fi in the past twelve months, 20% said they use the same password across multiple applications and accounts, and 17% admitted to writing down passwords in order to remember them.

The road forward

These findings indicate that companies must adapt to leverage the benefits of new digital workplace technology while simultaneously minimizing security risks. Aruba recommends that organizations take the following actions:

• Adopt a digital workplace strategy: Information technology (IT) departments need to work with business managers, end-users and other stakeholders to define a roadmap for their digital workplace evolution. This includes moving beyond established technologies to deploying new tools such as smart sensors and customized mobile apps that will create increasingly personalized workplace experiences.
• Build collaborative digital workspaces: Companies need to think about how the digital workplace extends beyond their head office to support remote workers, partners, and customers. IT leaders need to plan for, and invest in, a working environment without borders.
• Incorporate security from the ground up: Companies must architect the digital workplace with security as an integral part of the design, taking into account the role of human error as well as bad actors. To achieve optimum security that can adapt to change and unknowns, IT must look to emerging technologies in networking, cloud computing, AI and machine-learning.

Janice Le, chief marketer for Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, remarked:

The consumerization of the workplace is a very real movement. Employees are consumers, and we bring consumer expectations with us to work. The workplace is getting smarter and, therefore, employees are working smarter.

A new paradigm has started to emerge where smart building technologies are intersecting with the digital workplace to form the Smart Digital Workplace. This is where human-centered design meets the Internet of Things (IoT) and building automation. The Smart Digital Workplace can enable personalized experiences such as connected furniture and smart lighting that adapts to the user. Buildings can go greener by dynamically optimizing energy utilization based on employee patterns. These new use cases not only foster employee productivity but also improve efficiency while putting people at the center.

Le concluded:

This global study indicates that choice, personalization, ease and automation are improving the top line and the bottom line for organizations who are defining the future of work. Our own place of work is a living lab for the Smart Digital Workplace and we are seeing results such as faster hiring and higher offer acceptances. The benefits are tangible and go beyond productivity.

Research methodology

A total of 7,000 employees were interviewed in April and May 2018. The respondents were from organizations of all sizes, across both public and private sectors, with a focus on the industrial, government, retail, healthcare, education, finance, and IT / technology / telecommunications sectors. Interviews were conducted both online and via telephone using a rigorous screening process. Respondents were interviewed in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, United Arab Emirates, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Australia, India, Brazil, Mexico, China and South Korea.

The report, The Right Technologies Unlock the Potential of the Digital Workplace: Digital Workplace Study Reveals Tangible Benefits, but Organizations Must Prepare for Data Security Risks, as well as a report infographic (shown above), are available for free download from the Aruba website. The company delivers IT solutions that empower organizations to serve the latest generation of mobile-savvy users who rely on cloud-based business apps for every aspect of their work and personal lives.

The post How is the digital workplace affecting employees and the workplace of tomorrow? appeared first on FMLink.

The buildings on the outskirts of New York City will connect to the HFN smart-grid platform, allowing for mileage-insensitive cross-connect pricing with access to hundreds of commercial buildings and colocation facilities.

Specific advantages for the REIT’s tenants include:

• Full access to local/national WAN and data center footprint
• Smart grid protection via fully meshed redundant network
• Lowest latency connection to critical financial data centers’ hubs
• Underground fiber network with lit 100G, dark and passive services available
• Tenants’ ability to buy dark fiber to-from New York City

The locations include:

• 101 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ
• 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ
• 185 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ
• 34 Exchange Place, Jersey City, NJ (Harborside Plaza 1)
• 140 E Ridgewood Ave, Paramus, NJ
• 15 E Midland Ave, Paramus, NJ
• 461 From Rd, Paramus, NJ
• 650 From Rd, Paramus, NJ

Jeff Robator, HFN vice president of Operations, commented:

Technology and network solutions powering today’s tech-focused enterprises are growing at an exponential rate. Accessing the latest in fiber network via our smart grid technology supports all tenants’ data requirements whether public IP, private network, low-latency, SDN or direct connect cloud services. HFN purpose-builds any bandwidth scenario to optimize today and future proof tomorrow. The builds extend our presence into our client’s offices, enabling tenants to outperform through networks and eliminating their barriers for growth.

Catering to the evolving needs of modern tenants, the client partnered with HFN to provide state-of-the-art facilities and access to the best connectivity and communications services available. Deploying turnkey solutions for customized fiber network solutions, the REIT is now able to offer a significant connectivity advantage across all properties and upgrade every touchpoint of the tenant experience, says HFN.

Paramus, NJ-based Hudson Fiber Network (HFN) fully owns and operates the HFN Northeast Network connecting over 90 locations of the busiest traffic hubs in New York and New Jersey and onto its national WAN spanning the top 16 markets in the US. The HFN suite of purpose-built solutions enables clients with increased network efficiency and lower overall networking expenditures. Services include Gigabit Ethernet, optical wave solutions and IP connectivity (10 MB through 100 Gig), and are delivered in and between key US and global metropolitan markets.

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Overall, North American markets account for over 60 percent of the nearly 400 megawatts (MW) currently under construction globally, with Las Vegas/Reno (40 MW), Toronto (39 MW), Chicago (34 MW), Dallas/Fort Worth (22 MW) and Northern Virginia (22 MW) leading the pack. Despite many US occupiers looking to expand their global footprint in 2017, the US and Canada were responsible for 363.5 MW of new inventory last year.

This year, continued cloud leasing and growing interest from international occupiers will be among the key drivers for the data center market, predicts JLL.

Mark Bauer, managing director and Data Center Solutions co-lead, JLL, stated:

2016 was the year of the cloud, 2017 was the year of international exploration beyond US borders, and 2018 will be the year of foreign interest. Not only are international companies accelerating efforts to reach the North American masses, but pent-up demand still persists in some US and Canadian markets. While both 2016 and 2017 were banner years for the industry, the market should remain strong in 2018.

Following a year defined by expanding global footprints, strong cloud leasing and record levels of M&A activity, JLL identifies these five trends as shaping the data center industry in 2018 and beyond:

1. Industry mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are here to stay. Last year, M&A and consolidation resulted in 48 deals, and nearly $20 billion (larger than 2015 and 2016 combined) changing hands. This trend will remain in 2018 and many years ahead as several major players continue expanding scale and expertise.
2. Gateway to the cloud: Add-on services are on the rise. The data center industry continues to mature — and enterprises are looking outward. In 2018 and beyond, users will consistently seek add-on services and outsource data center expertise as hybrid models, such as hybrid architecture with local cloud or extensions to hyperscale providers, become the norm.
3. Foreign interest in the US will pick up speed. Foreign data center companies are expanding their global footprints, and the US is a premier location. As international enterprises aim to reach the masses, expect a jump in interest and activity in both primary and secondary North American data center markets.
4. Continued growth of complexity, users, data center solutions and facilities. Data centers have become exponentially more complex in recent years — that’s no surprise. Yet this applies to every facet of the business: facilities, hardware, user requirements and solutions. Expect a jump in the industry’s need for remote monitoring, cloud-based management and customized deliverables.​
5. Living on the “edge:” The need to be near end-users will impact real estate strategy. Consumers are more connected now than ever before, and speed is of the essence. Therefore, data center users have an urgent need to be near end-users. “Edge” markets, such as Atlanta, Los Angeles and Phoenix, began to see an uptick in absorption over the second half of 2017, a trend that should continue through 2018.

Bo Bond, managing director and Data Center Solutions co-lead, JLL, remarked:

Incredible recent M&A activity is both leading and causing the significant uptick in data center facility and network complexity. Far beyond 2018, both operators and occupiers will be dedicated to innovations such as optimized IT functionality. This uptick in innovation should play out across the global M&A stage as key data center players strive to stay ahead of the game.

​For more insights on data center industry performance for 2017 and the outlook for 2018, download JLL’s 2018 Data Center Outlook.

JLL points out that its global Data Center Solutions team has delivered customized data center services and strategies to many of the world’s largest corporations. JLL says the team understands the technical elements that are crucial to facilities and helps companies determine the best IT and data center strategy for their business objectives.

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Cisco’s Digital Building Solution, enabled by Cisco and its partner ecosystem, seeks to further enhance the efficiency of building control systems and to create an environment that delivers a truly engaging user experience. Within this framework, Superior Essex PowerWise 4-pair Power-over-Ethernet (4PPoE) products are used to connect the new Cisco Catalyst Digital Building Series Switches to all of the Internet protocol (IP) communications, control, and lighting devices in a building.

Will Bryan, vice president of Technology and Market Development for Superior Essex, stated:

The office building complex and the future home of the Marriott Autograph Hotel is a great example of what the Digital Building represents and the variety of benefits it can offer to facilities managers and to end-users. From converged building automation and data gathering down to individual customization of each room, what this solution offers in terms of efficiency, optimization and user experience is unparalleled.

The office building complex and the future Marriott Autograph Hotel project used the Superior Essex PowerWise 1 Gigabit 4PPoE cable. Utilizing 22 AWG copper conductors, PowerWise 1G 4PPoE cable delivers 60 Watts of power to PoE-enabled devices with 97% power efficiency and 100 Watts of power at 88% power efficiency, while also supporting 1 Gigabit data transmission. In spaces with hundreds of PoE devices, this greatly improved power efficiency can yield an energy savings of thousands of kilowatt hours per year, which translates to thousands of dollars in saved utility costs.

Additionally, PowerWise 1G 4PPoE cable maintains the lowest temperature rise in large cable bundles, ensuring reliable power and data transmission in high-density installations and further improving system energy efficiency. Superior Essex also provided its single-mode simplex optical fiber cables to enable the GPON network, which supports the networking functions within the buildings.

Farukh Aslam, owner of Sinclair Holdings, commented:

As I was working on the technology behind PoE LED lighting, I was inquiring about which type of cable to use to connect the lights to the UPOE switch.  I was very happy to connect with Superior Essex and to utilize their 1 Gig PowerWise cable with 22 AWG conductors to maximize the power efficiency delivered to the lights and any PoE application.

For more information on the Cisco Digital Building Solution or on the PowerWise enabling products from Superior Essex, visit the respective Web sites.

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The report offers an exhaustive analysis of the global building cable management systems market regarding revenue and developing market trends, with an up-to-date analysis and forecasts for various market sections and all geographical regions. Technavio projects the market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around nine percent during the calculated period 2017 to 2021.

Technavio research analysts classify the market based on the product type:

The top three revenue-contributing product segments for the global building cable management systems market are discussed below:

• Cable trays: Cable trays are units or assemblies of units, and associated fittings in the form of a rigid structural system, and these are used for securely fastening or supporting cables and raceways in buildings. These trays are uniquely designed to act as a bridging mechanism that allows wires and cables to spread over a longer distance. These products also have the functionality to support the structural infrastructure of a building’s electricity cables.
• Raceways: The increasing adoption of raceways in office buildings and residential apartments for concealing wires or cables will fuel the growth of this market segment. Raceways are channels that allow safe passage of wires and cables, and it prevents any damage to the overall network. These systems also ensure the safety of incumbents from loose or open-ended cables without any cover and provide the flexibility to use them on walls, desks, floors, and ceilings.
• Boxes, ducts, and racks and enclosures: The widespread applications of boxes, ducts, racks and enclosures in supporting a large volume of cable network infrastructure will increase its demand in the global market. These systems find specific applications of organizing, pulling, and separating cables in a building.  These products are commonly used in offices and workplaces to provide a complete cable management solution.

Bharath Kanniappan, a lead analyst at Technavio for research on Automation, stated:

The different raw materials that are used to manufacture cables trays include steel, aluminum, and fiber-reinforced plastics. The ladder is the most popular type of cable tray available in the market, and its advantages are excellent ventilation and drainage, affordability, and convenience in use. The extensive use of cable trays to replace conduit systems will help in the growth of this market segment during the estimated period.

Top retailers

The top retailers functioning in the global building cable management systems market are: Eaton, Legrand, Niedax Group, Schneider Electric and Thomas & Betts.

Other prominent sellers are: Allied Tube & Conduit, Alpha Wire, Armorcast, Atkore International, Chatsworth Products, CommScope, Dana, Deca Cables, Domtech, General Cable, Hammond Manufacturing, Kripson Electricals, Lapp Group, Leoni, Leviton, Marco Cable Management, Metsec Cable Management, Netfloor USA, Oglaend System, Optical Cable Corporation, Panduit, TE Connectivity, and TransDelta International Industries.

A more comprehensive breakdown is available in the Technavio report, Global Building Cable Management Systems Market 2017-2021. Readers can request a free sample of this report or ask an analyst to find out more. Technavio also customizes reports by other regions and precise sectors upon request.

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