Why a label is needed
Almost every business runs on the internet. Video calls, cloud services, security and, increasingly, AI applications. When the connection falters, work stops.
Yet the digital quality of a building has almost never been recorded. A brochure says "fibre available", but that tells you nothing about the cabling on the floors or the WiFi in the meeting room. The IT-Label makes it measurable and comparable.
Six levels
Each level corresponds to a score from 0 to 100 points.
| Label | Points | In short |
|---|---|---|
| IT1+ Premium | 90 to 100 | Fully future-proof. The landlord takes care of everything. |
| IT1 High Performance | 75 to 89 | Ready to use immediately. The tenant only connects their own equipment. |
| IT2 Plug & Play | 60 to 74 | Ready to use immediately. Fibre and cabling are in place. |
| IT3 Ready | 45 to 59 | A good foundation. The tenant still sets up their own IT. |
| IT4 Core | 25 to 44 | The connection reaches the building. That is where it stops. |
| IT5 Shell | 0 to 24 | Shell delivery. Fully transparent about what still needs to be done. |
A low label is not a fail. For a tenant who wants to do their own fit-out, IT4 can be exactly right. What matters is that everyone knows in advance what is in place.
What is measured
The audit looks at what is present in the building, and at how it performs. This is done across six components:
| Connectivity | Type of connection, capacity, redundancy, speed, latency and stability. |
| Infrastructure | Cabling, WiFi, patch and server rooms, network management and backup connections. |
| Performance | The measured performance under actual load, not the specification on paper. |
| Scalability | Whether the infrastructure scales with increasing load and new applications. |
| Integration | Whether building systems work together or stand apart. |
| Smart Building | Climate control, access control, camera security, visitor registration and reservation systems. |
Read more about smart building systems on the Smart Building and IoT page.
How a building gets a label
Through an audit by a certified partner. The owner registers the building and agrees with the partner what will be assessed. The partner assesses the building on site and measures performance under real conditions. The result is a label, with an explanation per component. The owner receives a certificate that is valid for two years.
Why only two years? Because digital technology ages much faster than a building. More about the audit.
Who does what?
In one building the landlord provides everything, including WiFi and management. In another the tenant arranges the entire fit-out. That varies by building and by lease. That is why those agreements are recorded in the IT Demarcation List, so it is clear to both sides.
And the energy label?
The two complement each other. The energy label is about sustainability, the IT-Label about digitalisation. They also overlap: smart climate control based on occupancy counts for both. Read more, including a comparison table, on IT and sustainability.
Questions
What is the IT-Label in one sentence?
An independent label that shows how digitally ready a commercial building is, on a scale from IT1+ (Premium) to IT5 (Shell).
Is the IT-Label mandatory?
No. Owners choose it themselves, to show the digital quality of their building. Tenants use it to compare buildings.
Who issues the IT-Label?
The label is managed by an independent knowledge collective for digital infrastructure in real estate. Audits are carried out by certified partners, such as us.
How long is it valid?
Two years. After improvements you can have the building reassessed sooner.
Does a low label mean a building has failed?
No. The label does not say whether a building is good or bad, only what is in place.
The IT-Label is managed by an independent knowledge collective. IT Label Expert is a certified partner and carries out pre-inspections and audits. The official information is available at it-label.com.