Modern Coworking for Clockwise Workspaces with UniFi

Background

Clockwise Workspace is a European leader of coworking solutions with locations in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands and has plans to expand further their number of spaces across Europe. Many of its buildings are historic and iconic with members ranging from small creative start-ups to some of the largest companies in the world. Clockwise sets itself apart by offering a high degree of flexibility and a technology-first experience.

One of Clockwise’s most prestigious locations in the Edward Pavilion in the Royal Albert Docks, Liverpool was due for a technology refresh. With expansion plans on the horizon increasing its number of sites nearly three-fold, Clockwise sought to use Edward Pavilion as an opportunity to evaluate a new IT solution.

Business Objectives

Having previously relied on highly licenced network equipment, Clockwise were keen to:

• Find a modern enterprise-grade network solution – to provide high-capacity, high-redundancy WiFi coverage for its members, guests and event participants, segmented into separate VLANS behind a single SSID
• Adopt a true multi-site toolset – using full cloud management and deep analytics to enable Clockwise and their IT partner to manage services and to provide deep analytics on how services are being used
• Match their technology selection heritage building needs – matching aesthetics and meeting UK Legislation for protected listed buildings
• Plan for future physical security needs – including securing and automating their sites with a surveillance and digital-first, programmable physical access control
• Integrate the chosen solution with their CRM – enabling centre staff to member interaction with the network
• Define a blueprint for all future sites – to define a modern standard for all Clockwise sites

To address this challenge Wymo, a coworking specialist technology service provider, has helped develop, deliver, and support Clockwise’s tech blueprint.

Clockwise chose to adopt UniFi as part of its core technology strategy to help deliver its ambitious expansion plans and to ensure best in class service to its members across multiple countries with full visibility and manageability remotely.

Why UniFi

Ubiquiti’s UniFi Enterprise range was selected as a core building block in Clockwise’s new tech strategy. It was selected on its ability to scale and handle large numbers of users at a site level, whilst being able to be centrally managed and ability to deliver operational simplicity at a global level completely license free. The robustness of the Enterprise range with its deep feature set helps ensure fast and ultra reliable services to multiple companies simultaneously whilst keeping them segmented from each other.

Deployment & Results

Core Network Infrastructure

Clockwise’s immediate requirement was to refresh the infrastructure in the Edward Pavilion in the historic Albert Dock in Liverpool. With UniFi Enterprise identified as the preferred solution and procured, the Wymo and Clockwise teams installed, configured, and tested the new infrastructure and decommissioned the existing infrastructure in the space of a single weekend with minimal disruption to coworking members.

Performance and Redundancy

As uptime is critical, the design incorporated the full redundancy capabilities of the UniFi Enterprise range with UniFi WAN Switching to distribute the dual Internet circuits to both Enterprise Fortress Gateways configured in Shadow Mode.

By leveraging MC-LAG, Clockwise is able to use every port in the switching infrastructure without having blocked links due to STP. Dual-homed connections to the Enterprise Fortress Gateways and down to the Enterprise Campus 24 switches ensure that maximum performance is achieved whilst providing the level of redundancy required. This same logic applied to the Enterprise 7 Access Points giving 10Gbps bandwidth to the AP with a redundant backup link

Phase 2 - Updating to Modern Physical Security

Following the success of the initial network infrastructure refresh, Clockwise pursued the opportunity to install UniFi for their physical security needs. Including:

UniFi Access in Clockwise Old Town Hall, Bromley, UK

At Clockwise Old Town Hall in Bromley, Wymo designed a UniFi Access upgrade that improves visitor and member arrivals while respecting the constraints of a historic listed building. The site includes one gate intercom and four two-way intercoms, all managed by the same reception team, so the solution needed to make access control simpler, faster and more professional.

The design works alongside the existing access-control system while introducing G3 Intercoms for two-way video/audio, remote release and flexible access methods including card, fob, mobile, Touch Pass, PIN and facial-recognition workflows.

The Ubiquiti UTP G3 Touch Enterprise Phone gives reception a dedicated device to see, speak to and release visitors from the desk, helping the front-of-house team respond faster during busy periods without juggling separate handsets or screens.

The G3 Reader supports a cleaner member access journey with modern credential options, while Wymo’s survey-led installation approach reflects the specialist skill needed to work in a historic listed building: planning discreet cabling, PoE delivery and mounting locations carefully so the technology improves the service without compromising the building’s fabric or aesthetic.

For Clockwise, the result is a better front-of-house service today and a scalable UniFi Access blueprint for future sites.

UniFi Access in Clockwise Bremen, Germany and Clockwise The Hague, Netherlands

To extend Clockwise’s technology-first workspace strategy into video security, Wymo deployed UniFi Protect using Ubiquiti G6 Dome cameras, UniFi Network Video Recorders and UDM Pro Max appliances. This gave Clockwise a modern, cloud-manageable surveillance platform that could be administered centrally while keeping video data stored locally on-site.

The G6 Dome cameras provide discreet, high-quality coverage suited to premium coworking environments, while the UniFi NVRs deliver resilient local recording capacity for each building. By using UDM Pro Max gateways as part of the site architecture, Wymo ensured that each deployment could be securely managed through the UniFi platform without creating a fragmented, site-by-site security model.

For Clockwise, the outcome is a single pane of glass for video security across multiple locations. Authorised teams can monitor camera availability, review footage, manage permissions and support sites remotely, while retaining local control of recorded video data. This creates a repeatable blueprint for future Clockwise locations, combining operational simplicity, estate-wide visibility and robust on-site storage

Automation and Scaling

Unlike traditional corporate environments, coworking must securely support hundreds of organisations, thousands of devices, and constantly changing user populations across shared infrastructure.

Using a combination of UniFi Fabrics and integrations built with Wymo around UniFi APIs, Clockwise was able to provide the operational scaling they need to manage the experience so that each member had a unique and personal experience encompassing the infrastructure including private network segments based on their identity, shared camera access and alarm managing for cameras that covered the member’s suites, and a seamless physical access experience.

Looking Ahead

With UniFi, Clockwise achieves their ambition of delivering a best-in-class member experience with a technology-first approach establishing Clockwise as the thought leader for the market.

Having demonstrated the core UniFi portfolio in deployment across 4 initial sites, Clockwise continued programme of works includes:

• Setting UniFi as the standard for infrastructure renewal in their remaining 14 existing sites
• Building with UniFi for their 32 new sites across Europe
• Deepening the integration between UniFi and their member management platform to provide even more value to members
• Deploying UniFi next-generation Access products to their hotel brand, Brama, in Bromley, UK