Benefit Systems International

Background

Benefit Systems International, part of the Benefit Systems Group, is best known for its innovative MultiSport program, providing employees across Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Turkey with flexible access to fitness and wellness facilities. Their mission is clear: promote active lifestyles, enhance well-being, and help companies build healthier, more engaged teams.

Unlike traditional health insurers, Benefit Systems offers companies MultiSport cards, enabling employees easy access to gyms, swimming pools, and various sports venues. This model rapidly grew in popularity, resulting in a fast-paced expansion across multiple countries.

Growing Pains: Fragmented Networking Infrastructure

Tomasz Piwek, Head of Network at Benefit Systems International, joined the organization to discover a fragmented, outdated network infrastructure across their numerous locations. Each fitness center used different brands and types of networking and CCTV equipment, resulting in inefficient operations, challenging maintenance, and high operational costs.

Business Objectives

Standardization Across 200+ Sites

As Benefit Systems continued expanding, standardizing their networking hardware became essential. They required a consistent, scalable solution that simplified troubleshooting, streamlined training, and improved overall network reliability.

Centralized, Remote Management

Managing hundreds of fitness centers spread across multiple countries posed significant challenges. Benefit Systems needed remote visibility, easy troubleshooting, and streamlined device management from a central location to minimize costly site visits.

Robust, Scalable Infrastructure

Downtime directly impacts member satisfaction, employee productivity, and business reputation. Benefit Systems sought networking infrastructure robust enough to handle daily operations reliably, from guest Wi-Fi to facility security.

Why UniFi?

Scalable, Unified Platform

Tomasz evaluated various options, including Cisco, but quickly found that traditional enterprise solutions came with prohibitively high costs. After colleagues recommended UniFi, Tomasz found an affordable yet powerful solution:

License-Free Cost Savings

Moving to UniFi eliminated recurring licensing costs, providing significant savings compared to traditional enterprise vendors. This allowed Benefit Systems to scale their network confidently without financial constraints.

Standardized Hardware Stack

Each Benefit Systems fitness center follows a consistent blueprint:

• UDM Pro, UDM Pro Max, or UDM SE serving as the central gateway
• USW 24/48-port PoE switches providing reliable wired connectivity
• U6 Pro and U6+ Access Points delivering high-performance Wi-Fi 6 coverage
• G5 Dome Ultra cameras providing comprehensive surveillance coverage
• UniFi Viewport to conveniently display camera feeds on-site

Simplified Management with UniFi Site Manager

Using UniFi Site Manager, Tomasz and his team achieved centralized management across all locations. The platform offered real-time network visibility, easy troubleshooting, and effortless configuration adjustments.

Customized Automation with Python Scripting

To accelerate new location deployments, Benefit Systems engineers developed custom Python scripts to automate device configurations. These scripts enabled rapid and consistent setups at each site, cutting deployment times down to just minutes per location.

Rapid Expansion with Minimal Disruption

In under a year, Benefit Systems migrated ten initial locations to UniFi, with another eight locations added within weeks. They plan to expand to more than 40 additional locations by year-end, ultimately standardizing UniFi equipment across hundreds of fitness centers.

Looking Ahead

Benefit Systems continues exploring additional UniFi solutions, including dedicated NVR setups for larger surveillance deployments. Tomasz also anticipates adopting UniFi Access for integrated door control in the future.

Conclusion

By adopting UniFi Network, Benefit Systems International streamlined network management across multiple countries, simplifying their infrastructure, reducing operational costs, and accelerating site deployments. UniFi's integrated, license-free platform now forms the backbone of their rapidly expanding fitness centers, helping Benefit Systems fulfill its mission of promoting healthier, more active workplaces throughout Europe.