DHI Telecom celebrated the grand opening of its new corporate
headquarters in Houston on Friday, April 26, 2019, a milestone for this
rising star in wireless technology, adding to Houston’s surging number
of IT headquarters and Fortune 500 corporations, second only to New York
City. The grand opening was a black-tie affair with cocktails, dinner,
dancing, toasts, fireworks, and a reading of a special proclamation from
Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner. The keynote speech was from James A.
Wynn Jr., Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit. Judge Wynn is a long-time friend of Wallace Davis, CEO of DHI
Telecom. They met serving in the military.
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Digital illustration of the entrance to DHI Telecom’s new international headquarters. – Jackson & Ryan Architects
The state-of-the-art, 41,000-square-foot building is over 90% complete,
with the finishing touches and final team move-in planned for mid-May.
The facility is on five acres at 9251 Park South View near the
convergence of highways 288, 610, 69, and 45.
Jackson & Ryan Architects is the firm that designed the Houston HQ using
the tilt-wall method, which accelerates construction by erecting the
wall panels and attaching the roof first, creating a protected shell
that enables trades to begin work much sooner than traditional building
methods, which dramatically speeds up the construction timeline.
Tilt-wall buildings offer additional savings on heating, air
conditioning, safety, and maintenance. Concrete’s thermal mass makes it
an excellent insulator on its own. Extra insulation in the walls and on
the roof, thermal-break windows, and an advanced HVAC system not only
meet but, exceed LEED specifications for green sustainability and energy
efficiency. Two Tesla charging stations are planned for the parking lot.
Black-tinted glass with an e-coating lets natural light in while it
reflects 94% of the radiant heat. The AC is a cutting-edge chilled-water
system. Office partitions have firestop technology and extra insulation,
creating a fire- and sound-barrier. The building has natural gas
generators that automatically switch on in the event of a power failure.
The IT network is supported with a robust Dell Virtualization rack
server center.
The entrance projects innovative technology with an LED lighting design
illustrating the company’s key brands, DHI Telecom and IQSTC.
“The exterior building design is a conventional two-story form, but with
a rhythm of large-scale windows and raised masses of glass to enhance
the entries. The interiors are designed to promote flexibility. Open
work stations surround the central building core. The large windows
allow daylight to penetrate to the core, enhancing and uniting the
staff’s sense unity,” said Jeff Ryan, Principal for Jackson & Ryan
Architects.
When complete, there will be duel fiber-optic networks, which will
provide business continuity for 24/7 operations in the Global
Collaboration Center. The room looks like a modern-day NASA control
center, with two digital display screens, 4 ft. 10 in. x 27 ft. wide and
4 ft. 10 in. x 19 ft. wide.
Collaboration hubs are placed within departments. TruTouch digital
screens enable two-way, real-time teamwork, with electronic whiteboards
and video conferencing. Additional screens throughout the building are
high-definition 4K A/V over IP, supported by cloud-based controls that
will be used for news and corporate communications campaigns.
“We were in a 10,000 sq. ft. building in 2011. I said there is no way we
will outgrow this space. Time and progress marched on, and we filled
three offices in the Heights in 2018. Now, 100 of our Houston employees
can work together under one roof and communicate with colleagues in
Afghanistan,” Wallace Davis DHI CEO stated.
The company employs approximately 300 people worldwide. Outside of
Texas, employees and contractors are in the U.K., Africa, Afghanistan,
Belgium, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Romania, and the UAE.
“We could have picked anywhere in the world for our headquarters, we
decided on Houston for its diverse, educated workforce, and business
climate. Houston is home to 25 Fortune 500 companies. We just might be
number 26 someday soon,” said Jalal Al-Jaff, CEO of IQSTC.
In 2007, DHI Telecom and sister company IQSTC Communications were
founded based on the understanding of how important it is for our U.S.
military stationed abroad to be able to talk to their loved ones back
home. The founders knew because they were once in their boots. The
startup competed against hundreds of companies and on October 26, 2010,
was awarded a long-term DoD contract under the Army & Air Force Exchange
Service, Advanced Telecom Division concession, and later, Space and
Naval Warfare Systems Command internet supplier. In 2017, DHI introduced
Sapphire Mobile Hotspots. The pocket-sized devices connect laptops,
tablets, or smartphones to a secure Wi-Fi signal, with coverage 130+
countries with CloudSIM technology. In Q3 2018, DHI acquired
London-based Tep Wireless which immediately broadened the market to
include global business and leisure travelers.
DHI Sapphire and Tep Wireless devices have been awarded by Corporate
Vision Magazine’s 2019 Telecom Awards for Best Military
Telecommunications Providers and Most Innovative Travel Gadget.
For more information, visit dhitelecom.com, sapphirego.com or
tepwireless.com.
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