PhatPipe introduces tenant-centric business model for owners and tenants.

PhatPipe, Inc., a tenant-centric business services provider to the commercial real estate industry, unveiled a unique business model at April's Technology and Real Estate Conference held in Los Angeles. Based in Carlsbad, California, PhatPipe aims at providing an array of technologies, products and services designed to turn landlords into business partners to their tenant base of small- and medium-sized businesses.

These offerings, which include a communications infrastructure, energy services and a money-saving e-marketplace, can lower the cost of operations for tenants by up to 40 percent, enabling owners to improve their overall profitability. PhatPipe has already signed agreements with several REITS, including CenterPoint Properties Trust, EastGroup Properties and others, representing access to more than 200 million square feet.

PhatPipe capitalizes on the ready-made aggregation of tenants to deliver higher-end offerings than would typically be affordable for small- and medium-sized businesses. Through aggregation, tenants gain convenient, economical access to enterprise-level technologies, products and services. At the same time, owners can capture new revenue streams by offering tenants Internet- based services, while also sharing revenue from e-commerce transactions.

According to David Robinson, PhatPipe's founder and CEO, PhatPipe helps owners to bridge the gap between the physical world and the virtual world. "As the Internet continues to revolutionize the world of business, many of today's small- and medium-sized companies are focusing more on their virtual needs than their physical needs. For the first time, PhatPipe is making it possible for commercial real estate owners to meet the demand for both floor space and cyberspace," he said. "In fact, the new revenue streams generated by our offerings may even give a landlord the flexibility to lower rent while still increasing bottom-line profitability."

According to Eric Klein, senior research analyst with the small and medium business communications practice at The Yankee Group, PhatPipe's tenant-centric model benefits both owners and tenants. "Small to medium-sized businesses should not be denied access to leading-edge technologies and services simply because they lack the buying power of Fortune 1000 companies," he said. "By aggregating tenant demand, PhatPipe makes these technologies and services affordable for businesses of all sizes. PhatPipe also allows owners to protect their most valuable assets - their tenant relationships."

PhatPipe provides an RFQ (request for quote) engine, through which users can request quotes on virtually any business product or service. By mid-summer, PhatPipe will offer computer hardware and software, electric power and natural gas, web site hosting, office furniture and industrial racking systems.