Jasco Electronics : Are You Maximising The Potential Of Your Building’s Rooftop?

02 February 2017

When contemplating the task of managing a business property, the rooftop is not often considered. However, rooftops are becoming part of the landlords contributing revenue base, yet managing the tenants, including Telecommunication companies and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), can be a challenge. These rooftop tenants continually seek to expand their networks, creating complexity. Landlords, developers, asset managers and managing agents are typically appointing experts in this specialised field to assist them in professionally managing their rooftops nationally. Many of them are turning to Jasco's Rooftop Solutions, a professional service offering from the Jasco Property Technology Management (PTM) division that enables property owners to leverage their existing rooftops to enhance alternate revenue streams.

Mark Swemmer, who heads up Jasco's PTM division says, 'Technology is constantly changing and there is continuous demand for rooftop space due to the increased network capacities that consumers require for multiple devices and higher bandwidth requirements. Telecommunication providers and ISPs continually expand their networks to service the needs of a growing and more demanding subscriber base.'

Managing rooftops can be complex and more property companies are finding it necessary to address this issue at a high level, as rooftops can become crowded and hazardous if they are not monitored and managed as tenants move in or out, or renew their agreements. Processes are required to plan, approve and manage all installations, ensuring standardisation and that the necessary documentation remains up to date.

Swemmer adds, 'A managed rooftop solution from Jasco PTM can assist organisations address these issues and make the most of their rooftops. For example, rooftops can earn landlords anything from R5,000 to R200,000 a month, contributing to their revenue.'

The rooftop challenge

When it comes to managing rooftops, there are multiple aspects to consider, from access control to optimal space utilisation, understanding the technical issues or impacts of the equipment installed, providing authorisation to installation teams, ensuring health and safety regulations are met, and managing lease agreements.

'Landlords and property managers are typically not telecommunication or technology infrastructure experts and do not have the time or core skills required to manage the often-complex rooftop tenant landscape of their buildings. As a result, we find multiple third-parties, including property management companies and building managers, with different agendas and capabilities contributing to rooftop management. When this occurs, risk factors can grow exponentially,' says Paul Divall, MD of Intelligent Technologies at The Jasco Group.

'Without oversight and active management of policies and guidelines, it becomes difficult to identify who owns what equipment, why it's up there and if it's aligned to health and safety requirements. Rooftops could become labyrinths of masts, antennas, satellite dishes, security cameras, transceivers and more, and serious issues such as exposed cabling that could be a fire hazard can be overlooked. Unfortunately, ignorance does not excuse liability.'

'An outsourced rooftop management service can identify areas of risk and provide recommendations to resolve them. Jasco Rooftop Solutions does more.'

Spell out the benefits

With interests across the Information Technology, Telecommunications, Security and Facility Management (FM) sectors, Jasco PTM has designed a complete managed rooftop service that enables organisations and property owners to avail of a professional management service and standardise rooftop installations across their entire national property portfolio.

Jasco Rooftop Solutions has three service offerings: audit, professional advice, and active management.

A comprehensive on-site rooftop audit will accurately establish the quantity and type of equipment located on each rooftop and professional advice is offered based on the findings of the audit report. This includes technical recommendations as well as identifying potential revenue streams. The active management offering is a full service solution that allows property owners to outsource the entire rooftop management function of their facility, enabling them to optimise their rooftop real estate while focusing on their core business.

Active management includes lease management, with lease renewal notifications and on-going benchmarking. It also includes design, review and acceptance for all new and existing installation requests, standardisation of authorisation and access control procedures, and a single point of contact between landlord and tenants. In addition, this service offers complete asset tracking, including labelling, naming and numbering of all rooftop equipment and the creation and on-going management of a full equipment database.

Jasco currently manages more than 650 properties across South Africa, and is in the process of finalising contracts to bring a further 1300 properties into its management portfolio. Key customers include Redefine Properties, Vukile Property Fund, Emira Property Fund.

Click here to read the article in Asset Magazine