Is IT-Label the same as an ICT-Label?

Is IT-Label the same as an ICT-Label? It is a logical question. Many people still search using the term ICT, while IT has now become the most widely used term internationally for the same subject. Both terms come up whenever the topic is the digital infrastructure of a building.

In this article we explain what ICT actually means, why the market increasingly speaks of IT, and why there is no substantive difference in practice between an IT-Label and an ICT-Label. The answer helps you move past search terms and focus on what is actually present in a building.

What is ICT?

ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology. The term traditionally covers all technology used to process and share information. Think of:

• computers;
• networks;
• internet;
• telephony;
• communication facilities.

The letter C, for communication, long emphasized that it was not only about data processing but also about transmitting it. In practice, however, these two elements were always considered together.

Why do we increasingly speak of IT today?

In recent years, the term IT has become dominant. Where people used to talk about an ICT department or ICT management, organizations now almost universally use the shorter IT. Some examples you encounter daily:

• IT manager;
• IT department;
• IT specialist;
• IT infrastructure;
• IT management.

This shift is mainly related to international terminology. In English, IT is the standard term, and Dutch real estate and technology professionals have largely adopted it. The meaning has not changed; only the name has become shorter.

It is not about the letter between I and T, but about what is actually present in the meter cupboard, the patch room, and the facade of a building.

Is there a difference between IT-Label and ICT-Label?

The answer is no. In the context of commercial real estate, both terms refer to the same digital infrastructure of a building. It concerns the physical and technical facilities that determine how well a building is connected and prepared for digital use.

Concretely, this includes fiber optic connections in the building, data cabling, the patch room, network facilities, access control, and WiFi coverage within the spaces. Whether you call this ICT infrastructure or IT infrastructure, you are describing exactly the same thing.

Why is it called IT-Label?

IT-Label deliberately chose this name. IT is the most widely used term internationally and aligns with the language of the parties that real estate deals with on a daily basis: IT specialists, software companies, cloud providers, real estate professionals, and international organizations.

For visitors, nothing changes. Anyone searching for ICT-Label, ICT infrastructure, or ICT facilities office ends up at the explanation of the IT-label and finds the same information there. The methodology makes the digital quality of a building visible, regardless of which term you are used to using.

From terminology to delivery level

More important than the choice of name is what is actually measured. The IT-label translates the facilities present into a clear IT delivery level, from PREMIUM to SHELL. This way, you know what a building has to offer digitally, without needing to understand the technology yourself.

What does this mean for your next step?

IT-Label and ICT-Label mean the same thing in practice. The difference lies solely in the terminology used. The IT-label does not assess organizations or software, but makes the digital infrastructure present in commercial real estate visible.

If you want to know how that translation into a delivery level comes about, read how the IT-label works. If you are considering renting or leasing a building, the checklist with points of attention for tenants can help you assess the digital facilities.