Week 4: From Dumb Pipes to Smart Platforms – Rethinking Building Connectivity in the AI Era
Introduction
Welcome back to our 52-week series exploring how commercial real estate can thrive in a data-driven future. I’m Bill Douglas, CEO of OpticWise and co-author of Peak Property Performance: Game-Changing AI and Digital Strategies for Commercial Real Estate (Fast Company Press, June 2025).
Each week, we break down how CRE leaders can turn digital infrastructure into a performance advantage. This week’s focus: building connectivity — and why basic bandwidth is no longer enough.
The Problem: Bandwidth ≠ Value
In too many properties, connectivity is treated like plumbing — install it and forget it. But both operating systems and tenants today expect far more than a signal. They demand smart, reliable, private, and secure connectivity environments. Yet many buildings still function as ‘dumb pipes’ — offering bandwidth, but no intelligence.
Without visibility, control, or data integration, building owners lose:
– Insight into technology usage
– The ability to troubleshoot or preempt outages
– Opportunities to monetize services
– A foundation for future tech deployment
Connectivity without ownership is just another cost. And in 2025, costs must drive returns.
Smart Platforms: A Better Approach
Instead of handing over connectivity to third-party ISPs, forward-thinking owners are adopting Building-of-Things® (BoT®) strategies. This model transforms buildings into smart, service-oriented hubs. With infrastructure managed and owned by the property, you unlock:
– Self-healing networks and real-time monitoring
– Tenant-dedicated and operations-focused secure networks
– Smart device integration (HVAC, lighting, access, etc)
– Enhanced support, faster resolution, and predictive service
– Recurring digital service revenue streams
More importantly, these capabilities help position the property as a technology-forward destination—something increasingly valued by hybrid tenants and digitally driven organizations.
Peak Property Performance Insight: Connect to Compete
In Peak Property Performance, the ‘Connect’ step in our 5C™ Framework emphasizes the need for cohesive, owner-controlled infrastructure. When buildings are unified digitally, operators can coordinate energy systems, access controls, and tenant platforms through one intelligent backbone. That backbone is connectivity — but not the kind you outsource.
Connectivity becomes the gateway to data collection, automation, and customization. If your network (i.e. digital infrastructure) isn’t built to support AI, edge computing, and system orchestration, you’ve built a bottleneck — not a business asset.
Real-World Example
A 15-property office portfolio transitioned to an owned and managed connectivity model in early 2023. Results in the first two quarters included:
– $14,800/month in added revenue from premium tenant tech services
– 40% fewer tech support incidents
– Improved tenant satisfaction scores across all locations
– Reduced network downtime by 60%
IT costs dropped significantly, and building staff gained visibility into system health, usage trends, and maintenance needs. With more stable networks and integrated controls, the portfolio laid the foundation for future smart building integrations—without costly retrofits.
The portfolio also gained what it had only heard of: data aggregation and control. It was building the foundation for actionable intelligence.
Strategic Outlook
Building connectivity is no longer just about getting tenants online — it’s about defining the digital experience of the property. Whether it’s supporting hybrid work, powering smart energy systems, enabling tenant platforms, or pushing real-time analytics to ownership teams, connectivity is the foundation on which the rest of your smart building stack sits.
Call to Action
Still letting third parties dictate your building’s digital experience?
Book a BoT® Digital Infrastructure Audit with OpticWise and and uncover how your connectivity stack can unlock NOI, tenant loyalty, and long-term competitive advantage.
Next week, we’ll explore what data ownership really means — and why it’s the next CRE power play.
Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR
Andrew Stanton Founder & Editor of 'PROPTECH-X' where his insights, connections, analysis and commentary on proptech and real estate are based on writing 1.3M words annually. Plus meeting 1,000 Proptech founders, critiquing 400 decks and having had 130 clients as CEO of 'PROPTECH-PR', a consultancy for Proptech founders seeking growth and exit strategies. He also acts as an advisory for major global real estate companies on sales, acquisitions, market positioning & operations. With 200K followers & readers, he is the 'Proptech Realestate Influencer.'
- Andrew Stantonhttps://proptech-x.com/author/andrew-stanton/
- Andrew Stantonhttps://proptech-x.com/author/andrew-stanton/
- Andrew Stantonhttps://proptech-x.com/author/andrew-stanton/
- Andrew Stantonhttps://proptech-x.com/author/andrew-stanton/
