Somerset House set out to transform its historic London estate into a digital hub of the future, delivering fast, secure and seamless connectivity for visitors, staff, tenants and the wider creative community. Welcoming more than 3.4 million visitors annually and providing a home for around 70 micro businesses, the estate needed a modern digital infrastructure capable of supporting a diverse and constantly evolving range of requirements.

The vision was to create a fully connected environment where reliable, high-speed connectivity would underpin everyday operations, enhance the visitor experience and enable businesses to thrive. By harnessing cloud technology and API-driven integration, Somerset House aimed to connect systems and services more effectively, improve flexibility and establish a foundation for smarter, more efficient digital experiences across the estate.

Achieving this ambition meant balancing the demands of a busy cultural destination with the needs of its creative tenants and operational teams. The infrastructure needed to be secure, resilient and scalable, providing the performance to support growing digital demands while remaining adaptable to future innovation. Somerset House’s digital transformation was about more than connectivity; it was about creating an environment where technology could bring people, businesses and experiences together.

The solution centred on Cisco Meraki’s cloud-managed networking platform, combining more than 140 switches, 400 wireless access points and next-generation firewalling across nine resilient data centres. This integrated infrastructure provides fast, secure and reliable connectivity throughout the Somerset House estate, supporting the demands of visitors, staff and resident businesses.

With centralised cloud management, the IT team can monitor network performance, gain visibility into application usage and manage connected devices through a single, intuitive interface from anywhere in the world. Advanced security capabilities help protect the estate’s network, while real-time insights enable the team to identify issues, optimise performance and respond proactively to changing demands.

Designed for resilience and scalability, the platform provides a strong foundation for Somerset House’s digital ambitions, helping minimise disruption and support the growing use of cloud services and connected technologies. By bringing network management, visibility and security together, the solution enables a more agile, efficient and future-ready digital environment.