Key Takeaways
- Unified nearly 500 cameras into a single platform without replacing functional devices
- Reduced upfront modernization costs by approximately 80 percent
- Enabled future expansion at roughly 50 percent lower cost versus legacy platforms
- Standardized the entire property on UniFi for networking, video, and future access control
- Created a scalable, repeatable model for multi property rollout
- Established Helix as an ongoing managed infrastructure partner
The Challenge:
A Fragmented and Aging Security System
When Joint Management evaluated the physical security environment at Georgia King, the issues were familiar. Over time, surveillance systems had grown organically, with different vendors deployed at different points and infrastructure decisions made in isolation. The result was a fragmented, aging environment that was expensive to maintain and difficult to operate.
Nearly half of the cameras were offline or unreliable. Multiple video platforms—including Avigilon and Hanwha Wisenet—were in use, each requiring separate servers, software, and workflows. Network and cabling inconsistencies made troubleshooting difficult, and staff were forced to use multiple applications to access cameras across the property. Expanding or improving the system would have required significant capital investment in new cameras, servers, and ongoing licensing.
The Approach:
Phased Modernization Instead of Rip and Replace
Joint Management engaged Helix Systems to assess the environment and recommend a path forward. A traditional rip-and-replace approach would have meant replacing nearly 500 cameras at once, driving massive upfront costs while failing to address the underlying infrastructure problems.
Instead, Helix recommended a phased modernization strategy built around the UniFi ecosystem. The objective was to establish a stable, unified foundation that could support current operations while allowing the system to scale efficiently across future properties.
The Solution:
Unified Network and Video Platform
Helix began by stabilizing the foundation. Teams spent multiple days onsite diagnosing cabling issues and removing mismatched and failing network hardware. The entire network was standardized on UniFi switching and wireless infrastructure, dramatically improving reliability and visibility. Cameras that had previously been offline could now be restored and accurately inventoried.
With a stable network in place, Helix consolidated video operations by deploying UniFi NVR infrastructure and ingesting existing Avigilon and Hanwha camera feeds into UniFi Protect using ONVIF. This created a single, centralized video platform without requiring immediate replacement of functioning legacy cameras. Property staff could now access all cameras through one application, while aging on-prem servers were eliminated in favor of a modern, cost-effective architecture.
The Outcome:
Lower Costs, Simpler Operations, and a Scalable Blueprint
Today, Georgia King operates entirely on UniFi infrastructure, with surveillance, networking, and office connectivity unified under a single ecosystem. The system is easier to manage, more reliable, and significantly less expensive to expand. By avoiding a full rip and replace, Joint Management reduced upfront costs by approximately 80 percent, with future expansion and replacement costs expected to be roughly 50 percent lower due to lower camera costs and the absence of per-camera licensing.
Helix Systems continues to serve as the managed infrastructure partner, proactively monitoring system health and resolving issues remotely or onsite. The next phase will extend the same UniFi approach to access control, further unifying physical security under a single platform. Georgia King now serves as a repeatable blueprint, allowing Joint Management to modernize additional properties using the same phased, cost-efficient model.
