Today’s pace of technological change can be so rapid it becomes incredibly difficult to plan for the next innovation or tech revolution. This is especially true in the world of commercial real estate, where developers have to think in terms of a building lifecycle that extends into many decades.
The notion of constructing a datacentre, office, hospital or hotel today that is fit for the technologies of tomorrow is mind-blowing given that nobody really knows what connectivity and in-building technologies we will be talking about in 15-20 years’ time. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t take steps to head off obsolescence.
Overcoming obsolescence
The truth is, while modern connectivity and IoT technologies will transform an old ‘dumb’ building today, one day they will eventually become obsolete. There will be a better, cheaper and/or more efficient alternative, or maybe even entirely different way of doing things altogether.
While obsolescence in the form of physical building deterioration or aesthetic fashions changing is outside of our control, we can deal with functional obsolescence (e.g. your datacentre no longer being fit for purpose because everyone else’s got smarter) by putting the right technology infrastructure in place.
If you want to ensure your buildings will remain fully flexible and aspirational for the next 10-15 years, having the right infrastructure is absolutely crucial. Don’t underestimate the significance of what might seem trivial e.g. the ability to anticipate the needs and abilities of future technologies through the way the cabling is configured.
Building for the future
The fact is, designing a future-proof network is very difficult, but absolutely necessary. Sustaining intelligent building systems over time depends on having a plan for migrating to new systems in the future. Planning for the future is a bit of guessing game but losing may result in an expensive retrofit in five years’ time to bring your building back up to standard.
The key to winning this game is not the ability to see into the future. It is preparing, as best as possible.
One of the most effective ways for developers of new build projects to deal with future proofing is to think about the technology delivery plan much earlier in the building design cycle. Technology needs to be at the heart of the building design process not an afterthought.
The other most effective way is LMG’s ‘all-in-one’ deployment model. Unlike traditional siloed models, our seamless converged service incorporates design, install, ongoing management, reporting, quoting and billing. Never one to fall into a ‘set it and forget it’ mindset we ensure your solutions are adequately scalable and futureproof. And we aim to keep you at the cutting-edge with our OPEX/aaS delivery model that ensures you’re always able to access the latest technology throughout your estate’s entire lifecycle.
If you want a building with a technology infrastructure that’s fit for the future, why not give us a call?