The Leader - March/April 2008 - (Page 10)

real estate i N tHe NeWs telecommuting on the rise real estate treNds also iNclude: sustaiNaBility, reits aNd leed BuildiNGs telecommuting on the rise IDC, a Massachusetts-based research company, forecasts that almost 75 percent of the American work force will be mobile by the end of 2011. Advances in mobile technologies are increasing the number of telecommuting workers both at home and abroad at a time when companies are being pressured to provide work/life balance programs for their staffers. Companies that have remote work options benefit in several ways. Most notably, telecommuting reduces corporate space and leasing requirements for companies. The IDC study is titled “Worldwide Mobile Worker 2007-2011 Forecast and Analysis.” Making data centers lean and Green Growing shareholder concerns over environmental issues and rising energy costs have led IT managers to look for new green strategies for their data centers, according to a report in Insurance Networking News. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in 2007 data centers and computer servers consumed 61 billion kilowatt hours of electricity — the amount of energy needed to power 5.8 million households for a year. Data center energy consumption could reach 100 billion kilowatt hours by 2011, which would require 10 additional power plants. Insurers may want to generate power themselves, through a wind farm or other renewable energy source. Meanwhile, stockholders demand better environmental practices, and executives are concerned about implementing those practices. Policies that reduce the consumption of resources, such as turning off photocopiers at night or having a few large printers instead of small copiers, can save money and have a positive environmental impact. Other policies, such as allowing telecommuting or transitioning to a paperless business model, can have a bigger impact on the environment even though it results in an increase in IT energy usage. ties by the end of this month. The current ban on this new type of REIT will likely be lifted in April if the Financial Services Agency agrees to grant the TSE’s request to eliminate current restrictions that limit REITs’ investment targets to domestic real estate. Japanese Government to approve reits investing in properties outside Japan Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and its Financial Services Agency have decided to permit trading in REITs that invest in overseas properties via the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), according to a report in Japan Today. The plan’s chief aim is to attract more foreign investors to Japan’s REIT sector amid a growing trend in transnational property investment. Another main objective is to help investors spread their risks. The land ministry expects to establish guidelines on how to appraise the value of foreign proper- Hok-designed HsBc Mexico Headquarters Becomes first leed Gold Building in latin america The HSBC Bank Headquarters Tower in Mexico City has become the first project in Latin America to earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold status certification. The HOK-designed building was previously honored with the 2007 National Interiors Award and the top award for Corporate Interior Design from the Mexican Interior Design Association (AMDI). The project served as a pilot for HSBC at a time when its Corporate Real Estate group was rethinking the company’s global workplace standards. For its part, HOK played a key role in helping HSBC increase the density of its Mexican headquarters facility. 2 0 0 8 tHe le ade r 10 MarcH / april

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leader - March/April 2008

The Leader - March/April 2008 Leadership Contents Message from the CEO Real Estate in the News Taking CRM Programs to the Next Level A Commitment to Sustainability GSA’s National 3D-4D-BIM Program Sustainability at ABN-AMRO Getting to the Real Issues in Today’s Competitive Marketplace ManPower Consolidates Real Estate & Project Management with One Provider HP's Renee Leach and Team Como's Robin Harris San Antonio's Mario Hernandez Chicago Workplace, Mid-Atlantic, and Boston The Gold Standard: California Is the State for Innovation Pat Crumley: Education Is a Path to Success Postcards from the Edge Tribune's Stephanie Pater Economic Development in the News A Look Ahead EDP Continues Expansion in Asia-Pacific

The Leader - March/April 2008

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