Derrick Chen doesn't have to think long when asked why building owners and managers should start using his firm's new commercial real estate management web portals. "Why spend thousands of dollars and hours a year on updating a tenant handbook when you can do it in minutes at a fraction of the cost and accomplish much more?" reasoned Chen, CEO of New York City-based Workspeed Management LLC.

There are other, more compelling reasons as well, Chen adds. But at a time when almost all companies are doing more with less, Chen acknowledges that saving time and money is a potentially significant driver of sales.

Workspeed is a 10-year-old firm specializing in web and wireless applications designed to optimize real estate enterprise performance. As Chen explains, the company wants to help clients "do a more efficient and effective job by giving tenants, property management, building staff and vendors easy access and visibility through a flexible central system fully integrated with existing accounting software."

In simple terms, that means giving industry pros the technology to simplify and optimize tasks including service requests, preventative maintenance, security management and lease management. The company says Workspeed Commercial "automates and streamlines commercial property management and helps commercial real estate owners identify new revenue streams as well as demonstrate excellence in tenant satisfaction to compete in today's highly competitive commercial leasing market."

Less than two months ago, the company launched its newest commercial real estate product, its commercial real estate management web portals. Known as Workspeed InfoCenter, it is intended to help property managers communicate and collaborate with current and prospective tenants. The application allows prospective tenants to view public property attributes and leasing opportunities and gives current tenants password-protected access to a wide range of property information.

Just this week, Dallas-based Behringer Harvard, an existing Workspeed client, announced it is installing the InfoCenter application at 16 properties. Behringer Harvard already uses Workspeed’s Service Request, Preventative Maintenance and Visitor Management modules at selected properties. Gerald Oliver, senior vice president of property management at Behringer Harvard, says property-specific web portals will enhance the firm's ability to communicate with current occupants and make it easier to connect with prospective tenants.

Through the property specific web portal, tenants can interact with a digital property handbook, receive real-time announcements, view and download documents and even access concierge services. It lets property managers and building owners "create engaging experiences, strengthen their property brand, collaborate with tenants and staff more efficiently and ultimately to drive down the cost of operations," Chen says. The product centralizes tenant communication, Chen continues, and potentially reduces the time and expense of editing, printing and delivering tenant updates and documents.