5 min read
A mid-sized care group operating residential and supported living services from a central headquarters, with care homes across the region connecting back to HQ for shared systems, reporting, and administration. The headquarters housed the senior leadership team, finance, HR, compliance, and central operations - all dependent on reliable network connectivity.
Service: Managed IT Care sub-sector: Residential, supported living
The headquarters was running enterprise-grade networking equipment from a legacy vendor. While the hardware was capable, the licensing model had become increasingly expensive. Annual subscription fees for management dashboards, security features, and firmware updates were adding tens of thousands of pounds to the IT budget every year, and the cost was rising with each renewal.
The equipment was also more complex than the organisation needed. Features designed for multinational enterprises with thousands of access points were being paid for by a care group with a single headquarters building. The IT team spent disproportionate time navigating an over-engineered management interface when all they needed was reliable connectivity, clear visibility of what was on the network, and straightforward troubleshooting tools.
Network visibility was poor despite the premium price tag. When connectivity issues arose - a video call dropping during a safeguarding review, a compliance upload timing out - the IT team had limited insight into what was happening at the network level. Diagnosing problems meant logging into multiple interfaces and interpreting data that was designed for network engineers, not generalist IT staff in a care organisation.
For a care provider, the network isn't just infrastructure. It underpins everything from electronic care records to medication management systems to the communication tools that keep dispersed teams connected. Paying a premium for complexity rather than reliability was the wrong trade-off.
We carried out a full network assessment of the headquarters, mapping every switch, access point, and router, and documenting the traffic patterns across the building. The goal was to right-size the infrastructure: provide the performance and visibility the organisation actually needed, without the licensing overhead it didn't.
We designed and deployed a complete Ubiquiti UniFi solution. UniFi access points replaced the existing wireless infrastructure, providing consistent coverage across every floor including meeting rooms, communal areas, and the spaces where care coordination happens daily. UniFi switches replaced the managed switches at the core and edge of the network, with Power over Ethernet simplifying the cabling for access points and IP phones.
The UniFi Network Controller was deployed to provide a single management dashboard for the entire network. Unlike the previous system, which charged annual fees for its management platform, UniFi's controller software is included at no additional cost. The IT team gained real-time visibility of every connected device, bandwidth usage by application, and network health metrics - all from one screen.
We configured VLANs to segment traffic appropriately: corporate systems on one network, guest access on another, and IoT devices isolated from both. Network policies were set to prioritise business-critical traffic, ensuring that care management systems and video conferencing took precedence over background updates and general browsing.
The switchover was planned for a weekend to minimise disruption. The existing network was documented in full, the new equipment was pre-configured and tested, and the cutover was completed in a single session. Staff arrived on Monday morning to faster, more reliable connectivity without any changes to their workflow.
The headquarters now runs on a modern, fully managed network with real-time analytics and complete device visibility. The IT team can see exactly what is connected, how much bandwidth each device is using, and where any issues are occurring - from a single dashboard that takes minutes to learn rather than days.
Annual licensing costs for the network management platform were eliminated entirely. The savings from removing recurring subscription fees, combined with the lower hardware cost, represented a significant reduction in the networking line of the IT budget. Those funds were redirected to frontline technology improvements across the care homes.
Network reliability improved noticeably. The access points provide stronger, more consistent wireless coverage across the building, and the VLAN segmentation means that a guest device or IoT sensor can never impact the performance of care-critical systems. When issues do occur, the IT team can diagnose and resolve them in minutes rather than hours.
The deployment also established a replicable model. The same Ubiquiti architecture can be extended to the care group's regional sites as their existing networking equipment reaches end of life, providing a consistent, cost-effective network estate across the organisation.
Enterprise networking replaced with Ubiquiti UniFi · Annual licensing costs eliminated · Real-time network analytics and device visibility · Single management dashboard for all network infrastructure · Zero downtime during switchover
Related service: Managed IT
The network that connects every system, every call, and every care record at headquarters now works better and costs less. The savings are being reinvested where they belong: in the technology that frontline care teams use every day.