By Cristy Boucher

We do our best not to use telecom jargon in our memos and conversations with our clients and partners, but you’ve probably noticed on occasion we slip up!  In an effort to help you become a true telecom “nerd” like we are, we’re sharing 11 definitions of popular acronyms (we just had to throw an extra in for good measure!).  Always feel free to interject and ask us for any definitions, we are happy to explain and help educate your teams however we can.

“EMA” – abbreviation for Exclusive Marketing Agreement. Exclusive marketing agreements are often in place when there is no competing Service Provider who wants to provide a proposal for Owner consideration. The Owner is agreeing to market only one Service Provider to residents and promote that Service Provider over the other. Additional Service Providers often serve the property and residents can sign up for their services, but only one is being promoted by the on-site team.

“NEMA” – abbreviation for Non-Exclusive Marketing Agreement. These types of agreements allow co-marketing of two or more Service Providers by the Owner. The terms are usually complementary, and terms are coterminous. The Owner has agreed to market two or more Service […]

By Deborah Hoffman

It seems that everybody loves gyms. Tenants love having them in their apartment buildings because on-site, they are a convenient place to work out while watching your favorite show on usually one of the many TVs available to distract and entertain. Owners and Property Managers love gyms because during pre-leasing, they help seal the deal and increase the cap rate of the building.

There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to bring this attractive amenity to market. Knowing the needs of the prospective customers and timing are both important. Knowing the moving parts and Project Management challenges – like wiring infrastructure (Owner and Provider side) and Contractor logistics – are the details that lead to success.

Meeting with the Client and the selected Fitness Vendor is key to understanding the necessary equipment requirements and is the first step to a successful installation. At RealtyCom, we support the Owner in reviewing the various interlocking scopes/logistics required by Audiovisual (AV), Internet Technology (IT), and Low Voltage (LV) Subcontractors. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Assessing needs. Today’s gym is aspirational. It’s equipped with multiple treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and stepmills equipped with screens with pre-programmed and even live routines; some, if not […]
  

By Aaron Nygard

As RealtyCom’s Field Engineer for new construction MDU (multi-dwelling unit) projects in the Northern California region, I manage the telecom infrastructure construction coordination between various service providers. These projects have an average duration of two years, from the time of first engagement with the telecom aspects to the completion of telecom services for the residential units.

One of the challenges that directly impacts these projects is employee turnover (ET) at the organizations I work with. As one can imagine, that kind of ET can have its effect on projects like mine. It’s possible to have one or more of my key construction contacts be part of the employee turnover process.

The notice can be amazingly short – for example, finding out about my contact has moved on when their email bounces back or a message informs me that they are no longer with the company! I have also showed up at a job site and asked to meet my contact, only to be informed that they are no longer employed by the company; and informed on a monthly client call for a particular project that there has been a change in personnel so “please update your contact information.”

According to the […]