How Tech Has Influenced Arris Group's CRE

You'd think after seeing its employee roster jump from 2,000 to 6,500, Arris Group would need more space. (And more coffee and a more sophisticated birthday calendar.) It did. But not for people, says Arris' Tom Williams one of the headliners for our first annual Creative Space and Tech Summit (register here).

Tom spent some time with us reflecting on the changes of Arris's corporate real estate holdings post-merger with Motorola. (Life after marriage, it's always different.) The Atlanta-based cable equipment maker says the increase in space had less to do with employee headcount and more to do with tech: “We've seen a substantial amount of space that's needed for data centers and general network facilities,” Tom tells us.

Back in 2010, Arris renewed its HQ space at 3871 Lakefield Dr in Suwanee (which we reported here). Since then, Arris has spent millions upgrading its space, including a lab room where 20,000 modems are stored, Tom says. (Don't spill anything in there.) But given Arris' global footprint, what the company is finding is it's easier to have employees telecommute than show up to a central office. And technology is making that an easier option. “We're finding a lot more people are comfortable, and management is comfortable, with more and more people working from home. They're not doing what you think they're gonna do, which is puttering around the house more. In fact, they're online more. Even as I travel, I look like I'm sitting in my office.” Hear more at our Creative Office Summit and register here.