Technology basics of the new office market

Real Estate Weekly, April 26, 2000 by Joseph M. Corey

The information revolution is rapidly changing the way companies do business and nowhere is this more evident than in the commercial real estate field. The explosive growth of telecommunications and the Internet is creating profound changes in the management and leasing of office properties. Today's tenants are looking for properties with the latest technology to handle their growing voice and data needs. In order to remain ahead of the technology curve, property managers/owners and commercial brokers need to know the basic language and terminology of office technology. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

Q: What's a ballpark number for an average cabling job?

A: $5 per square-foot for Cat 5e state-of-the-art cabling system and a basic security package (cameras, card readers, etc.).

Q: What is a site survey and how much does it cost?

A: Basically this is when a qualified business partner visits the site to survey existing situation, it probably runs about one percent of the ball park number Best of all, it should be 100 percent credited towards build out.

Q: How can I find what's available at a particular building?

A: Call the building manager or do a site survey.

Q: What is Backbone Cabling?

A: Backbone Cabling is cabling and connecting hardware that provides interconnections between telecommunications rooms, equipment rooms and entrance facilities.

Q: What is a Cabling System?

A: A Cabling System is a specific system of telecommunications cables, equipment/patch cords, connecting hardware and other components that is supplied as a single entity.

Q: How many categories of cabling are there?

A: Basically there are four:

Voice or Low Speed Data: Category 3 - 100 ohm twisted-pair copper cable for transmissions up to 16 MHz.

High Speed Data: Category 5e - 100 ohm twisted-pair copper for transmissions up to 100 MHz.

Ultra High Speed: Category 6 - 100 ohm twisted-pair copper cable for transmissions up to 250 MHz.

Blazing Speed: Category 7 - Must be shielded cable or fiber to the desk. 100 ohm twisted-pair copper cable for transmissions up to 600 MHZ. Publication of these requirements is pending.

Q: What is Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)?

A: Customer Premises Equipment is equipment residing on customer sites (e.g., PBX systems, key systems, data sets, etc.).

Q: What is Dark Fiber?

A: Dark Fiber is fiber that is not in use and has no light transmitted. Excess fiber installed in anticipation of system expansion; may or may not be terminated.

Q: What is a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)?

A: A Digital Subscriber Line is a type of digital technology designed to use existing (legacy) cabling to support high data transfer rate applications.

Q: What is Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)?

A: Uniterruptible Power Supply is a buffer between utility power or other power source and a load that requires continuous power. It is not always a power conditioner.

Q: What is Fiber Optic Cable?

A: Fiber Optic Cable is a cable containing one or more optical fibers. Other components of the cable usually include the sheath, strength members, and buffer. The purpose of these components is to protect the fiber or fibers from mechanical and environmental damage.

Q: What is a CLEC?

A: A CLEC is an Alternate Service Provider or Competitive Local Exchange Carrier; any telecommunications service provider other than the Incumbent local exchange carrier.

Q: What does Collocation mean?

A: Collocation is the process in which telecommunications service providers locate equipment in the same space. Collocation allows service providers to easily interconnect equipment and/or networks.

Q: What is the Demarcation Point?

A: A Demarcation Point is the point where the public network ends and the building or tenant network begins.

Q: What is a Key System?

A: A key system is a multi-line telephone that allows the user to view and select any line serving the premises.

Q: What is an Internet Service Provider (ISP)?

A: An Internet Service Provider is any provider of Internet connectivity services.

Q: What are Internet Connections?

A: Internet Connections are:

Dial up - Access to the Internet through a high-speed modem by use of a (typically local) dialed number.

ISDN - Digital connection from a computer to the Internet, having four to six times the capacity of a connection through a standard telephone line. May be dial up or dedicated.

T-1- High capacity dedicated circuits for connecting LANs to the Internet.

Q: What is a Local Area Network (LAN)?

A: Local Area Network is a limited-distance network connecting individual computer terminals, typically within a single building.

Q: What are Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)?

A: Plain Old Telephone Service is standard analog telephone lines using a twisted pair of copper wires.

Q: What is Point-of-Presence (POP)?

A: Point-of-Presence is a point where calls, data, or other electronic signals are transferred from one type of network to another.

Q: What is Private Branch Exchange (PBX)?

A: Private Branch Exchange is a system that allows for switching and routing of multiple lines without specific user knowledge or intervention.