Your team uses AI to write texts, summarise meetings and analyse data. People are on video calls all day and almost everything is in the cloud. That asks more of an office than a few years ago. Not of the floor or the ceiling, but of the network.
An AI-proof office is one where all this runs smoothly, even if you do more in a few years' time. Below are ten tips to check this before you sign.
What does AI ask of an office?
Most AI tools do not run on your laptop, but in the cloud. You send questions, files and sometimes images back and forth. That means:
- more traffic in the other direction. You upload more than you used to;
- response time matters. With live translation or an AI assistant in a video call, you notice every delay;
- more devices. Laptops, phones, screens in meeting rooms, sensors;
- more attention to security. More business information travels over the line.
Some organisations also run AI themselves, on powerful computers or their own server. These need extra power, cooling and space.
10 tips for tenants
1. Start with your own use
Which AI tools do you use now, and what do you expect in two or three years? How many people are on video calls at the same time? Do you work with large files? With those answers you know what to ask of a building.
2. Ask about the connection
Is there fibre, and how far does it run? Is the connection symmetrical, so as fast up as down? For AI and the cloud, uploading matters just as much as downloading. Also read: fibre in a commercial building.
3. Ask about a second connection
If everything is in the cloud, your work stops as soon as the connection drops. A backup connection or a second line via a different route prevents that. More in preventing internet outages at the office.
4. Look at the cabling
Modern access points need a fast cable. CAT6A is the standard for new offices. If there is still CAT5e, the cable slows down the WiFi. See also: CAT6 or CAT6A.
5. Have the WiFi measured at a busy time
WiFi that works during a quiet viewing says little. Ask whether a WiFi survey has been done, preferably when the building was full. Newer standards such as WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 cope much better with many devices at once.
6. Pay attention to response time
Speed is not just megabits. Latency is the time data needs to travel there and back. With video calls and live AI applications, you notice high latency immediately.
7. Check there is room to grow
Is there space in the patch cabinet? Is the technical room cool enough for extra equipment? Do you want to run AI on your own hardware? Then also ask about power and cooling.
8. Ask for your own shielded network
In a multi-tenant building you should not be on the same network as your neighbours or the building systems. Ask how that is arranged. See network segmentation and cybersecurity in smart buildings.
9. Record who arranges and pays for what
Who manages the WiFi? Who pays for an upgrade if you need more capacity? That differs per building. The IT Demarcation List puts it in black and white. Include it in the negotiation, not afterwards.
10. Ask about the IT-Label
Does the building have an IT-Label? Then many of these questions have already been answered independently. For an organisation that works a lot with AI and the cloud, the higher levels such as IT2, IT1 and IT1+ are of interest. No label yet? Then a pre-inspection can help, before you sign.
Take it to every viewing
Want all these questions on paper? Download our free checklist with 14 questions. Still looking for a suitable building? On RE-SEARCH you will find offices and other commercial property. Take the checklist to every viewing.
Tip: bring your laptop to the viewing and take the free speed test on the spot.