Boston Properties' Big Guns Set Net Strategy

Interview... Robert Burke, Executive Vice President of Operations at Boston Properties, oversees technology initiatives for Boston Properties, a REIT and development company that owns over 35 million square feet of prime office, industrial and hotel properties nationwide. Burke, an 18-year veteran based in Washington, DC, responded to three e-mailed questions on July 31, 2000.

Circo: How will Boston Properties leverage its position as a member of the Office Technology Consortium?

Burke: Boston Properties believes that by collaborating with the twelve other leading commercial real estate companies in the Consortium -- Brookfield, CarrAmerica, Crescent Real Estate Equities, Duke-Weeks Realty, Highwoods Realty, Hines, Mack-Cali, Oxford Properties, Prentiss Properties Trust, Shorenstein Company, TrizecHahn and Voranado Realty Trust) -- will identify the best online business opportunities to reduce costs, improve operations, streamline services, enhance tenant satisfaction and create shareholder value. The initial areas of focus of the Office Technology Consortium are online leasing and procurement.

Circo: What web sites and resources are you considering to streamline your operations?

Burke: Boston Properties is utilizing an Internet-based system for work orders and service requests that connects tenants to property management at individual buildings. This system has speeded response time and improved customer and operating efficiency. This system is linked to the Company's centralized financial control, accounting and billing functions. It has the capacity to add portal and e-commerce applications. We have also selected Bidcom to provide a central hub on the Internet for use in managing multiple building projects during the development process to reduce risks, shorten cycle time, drive down costs and achieve aggressive completion schedules.

Circo: Who within your organization leads the charge to adopt new Internet-based technologies?

Burke: Boston Properties has established an internal working group headed by the me as the COO that includes the CEO, CIO and the heads of functional divisions, such as marketing and leasing, construction management, and property management, to consider and adopt new Internet based technologies.

--Eileen / ecirco@pikenet.com