Technology has always been at the center of operations for owners of multiple-dwelling units (MDUs). What that technology looks like today, though, is quite different than it was even 10 years ago.

Strong internet connectivity and a robust network backbone are critical parts of the operation of any MDU. Not only do residents require it for most of what they do on a day-to-day basis, it’s also next to impossible to run an efficient property without it.

To this point, property owners realize the importance of properly planning for network upgrades and considering them on the same level as other infrastructure. In addition to helping to sketch out room in an operating budget for the cost of the technology, it aids in identifying when these investments might need to be made.

Not only can providing a sufficient network for your property and residents be a significant upfront cost, it also requires investments on an ongoing basis to repair, replace and upgrade.

With all this in mind, two questions many MDU owners might have are, “How long does this technology last?” and “Are there better alternatives?”

We’ll dive into those questions below.

How Long Will My Technology Last? The quick answer to this question is: It depends. Sure, that’s non-committal and rather unhelpful, but it’s true.

How long your technology will last depends on a number of factors, including:

· What type of technology is it?

· How old is it?

· What is its typical life cycle?

· What is it being used for?

· Can it handle significant expansion?

As an MDU owner, you can find out a lot of the basic information about your technology by conducting a network assessment. This will help you understand where you stand now, whether your technology can handle both current and future demands, and when you might need an upgrade.

Then, you can look out for the signs that tech infrastructure is out of date as you operate the business. The challenge to this, of course, is that it still won’t give you a definitive idea of when you might need to upgrade your systems.

Network technology changes very rapidly, as do the needs of the software that runs on it and the people who use that software. This often means that technology today doesn’t last nearly as long as it used to.

Recent studies have shown that the typical life expectancy of hardware today is roughly 3-5 years, while typical software has a life expectancy of about 6-8 years.

This certainly isn’t a very long time, especially considering it doesn’t take into consideration necessary costs for incremental repairs and upgrades. Luckily, there are other options.

Managed Technology Provides a New Alternative A major alternative that has emerged recently is managed technology. Instead of purchasing all the hardware and software you need to operate your network, for instance, you choose a subscription-based service — allowing an outside provider to handle everything for you.

Managed WiFi is one of the most common examples of this for MDUs. With WiFi as a Service (or WaaS), a technology company provides all the equipment necessary for you to offer a robust internet network for your residents as well as your back-end operations.

The technology company provides the full survey of your property — rather than you completing it on your own — and makes suggestions as to what your property would need. Then, they provide options on how you can get what you need, without having to worry about actually purchasing anything.

The Managed WiFi company will set up the physical infrastructure on your property as well as the data backbone that runs it all. They can help you manage the network remotely from the cloud or show your employees how to manage it.

Managed technology removes much of the burden of providing technology services off your back and puts it in the hands of dedicated, experienced companies that specialize in these services.

Benefits of WaaS Much like its cousin SaaS (or Software as a Service), WaaS provides many benefits to MDU owners, including:

· Security: Managed networks are inherently safer because your network security is in the hands of your technology provider rather than your own employees. These companies know best practices of not just setting up networks but maintaining them.

· Scalable: WaaS provides the easy ability to scale. Since they are based in the cloud, it’s much easier to increase service to handle the growth of your property. When you own the equipment, by contrast, you have to invest in significant projects to scale.

· Easy Management: Tenant turnover is a breeze with WaaS. WiFi service is always on; all you have to do is add and remove users during move-in/move-out, which not only makes onboarding easy but more secure, too.

· Extended Life: Managed WiFi networks last longer than non-managed networks. The main reason is the technology provider will constantly maintain and improve the network, installing firmware updates and security patches when necessary.

· Less Upfront Cost: If you’re designing and building your own network, you’ll have to fork over the money it takes to get it rolled out. There’s significantly less upfront capital required for Managed WiFI.

· Reliability: WaaS networks are reliable because they are constantly managed. You don’t have to worry about troubleshooting them on-site if you experience issues, which reduces downtime and frustrations.

Trust Elauwit with Your Managed WiFi Needs Network technology is essential for any MDU property, but it can be quite expensive, too. This is especially true if you own all the hardware and software that keeps your property running.

In addition to the huge upfront cost of doing so, there are ongoing costs related to maintenance, repairs and incremental upgrades. This is why many MDU property owners today are opting for managed technology services such as WaaS.

Elauwit, a boutique national telecom service company, is a leader in the Managed WiFI space. Our professionals can help walk you through all the benefits and how it would work at your property.