ISE 2026: Where Workplace Technology Is Really Heading

Across three days of meetings with vendors spanning sensing, booking, analytics, and building automation ecosystems, one theme emerged consistently. Organisations are no longer looking for more tools. They are looking for clarity, connection, and outcomes. The conversation has moved firmly toward connected platforms, meaningful data, and automation that genuinely improves how buildings operate. Here is what stood out.

Measure

From scattered data to a single source of truth

Measurement remains the foundation of any smart workplace strategy, and ISE 2026 reinforced a critical point. The real value is not in collecting more data, but in connecting what already exists. We saw strong progress from vendors such as PointGrab and bGrid, with sensing becoming more accurate and adaptable. Organisations can now understand occupancy, comfort levels, and utilisation in real time, yet the biggest challenge remains fragmentation. It is still common for occupancy data to sit in one system, environmental sensors in another, bookings elsewhere, and building performance on a platform accessible only to estates teams. Multiply this across regions and the picture becomes even more inconsistent.

When data is scattered, insight becomes difficult. Dashboards conflict, decisions become localised, and there is no coherent understanding of workplace performance at an organisational level. Increasingly, organisations are pushing for what has been missing for years: a single source of truth. When these data streams converge into one model, patterns emerge, making it clear which spaces carry demand, where comfort drops, where energy is wasted, and where processes need rethinking. This foundation is critical, because once data is trusted, the next challenge becomes managing it in a way that feels coherent across the entire organisation.

Manage

Ecosystems, integrations, and building a coherent experience

With reliable data in place, the industry’s focus has shifted to managing the workplace through connected, user-friendly ecosystems. One of the clearest themes at ISE 2026 was that the market is dividing into two paths, and most enterprises will ultimately sit somewhere in the middle.

Path 1 - Unified ecosystems

We are seeing continued consolidation. HubStar and Spica in 2025. Witco and SharingCloud in 2024. Eptura’s formation in 2022. These unified platforms appeal to global organisations seeking simplicity and standardisation across regions.

Path 2 - Best-in-breed integration

At the same time, modular stacks are thriving. GoBright’s latest integrations with Cisco, PointGrab, and bGrid, or AppSpace's wide range of hardware and software partners (such as XY Sense or VergeSense)  show how specialised platforms can combine into highly flexible workplace ecosystems.

In reality, most organisations operate a hybrid of both models, and the determining factor is no longer the feature set but the quality of integration. Smooth user journeys depend on shared identity layers, consistent behaviour across regions, and data flowing cleanly between platforms. This is where friction becomes most visible, with many global companies still running regionally inconsistent setups in which identical rooms behave differently because underlying systems do not communicate effectively, creating frustration that end users feel even if they struggle to articulate it. Partners such as proAV now play a critical role not only in vendor selection but in designing, deploying, and supporting ecosystems that feel unified regardless of how many technologies sit behind them, enabling organisations to move confidently from insight to action once the integration layer is stable.

Use

Turning platforms into outcomes through automation

Having strong data and well-connected platforms is important, but it is not the destination. The real shift happens in how organisations use these systems day to day, and this is where many strategies stall. Many companies now have rich data flows and capable workplace platforms, yet behaviours remain unchanged. Automations stay switched off, dashboards are reviewed without follow-through, and meeting rooms continue to operate on fixed schedules rather than real demand.

The most interesting progress at ISE 2026 was in the automation layer. Integrations between platforms such as GoBright, PointGrab, and Utelogy are now enabling genuinely intelligent workflows, where rooms release automatically when no one arrives, environmental settings adjust based on real occupancy rather than fixed assumptions, and service requests are triggered without manual intervention. The most significant sustainability gains emerge when tenant workplace systems connect directly into building management systems. Platforms such as KODE Labs and MobiusFlow enable HVAC, lighting, and ventilation to respond to real usage instead of rigid timetables, representing one of the most practical and impactful ways for large estates to deliver measurable ESG improvements.

Achieving this, however, requires more than technology. It demands coordination between IT, estates, landlords, and FM teams, along with a clear operational model for how automations are governed. The organisations making the greatest progress treat automation as a core component of workplace strategy, not an optional layer added after deployment.

The Bigger Picture

Hybrid working patterns have stabilised, bringing clarity around how office spaces are actually used. Many organisations are carrying unnecessary real estate costs, struggling to justify underused space, or operating buildings that are not aligned with occupancy demand. 

At the same time:

• Energy costs remain unpredictable.
• ESG reporting requirements are tightening.
• Employees expect intuitive workplace experiences.
• Leadership teams want data-backed decisions

The technologies showcased demonstrate the market is mature enough to address these challenges holistically, not through isolated tools, but through ecosystems that measure, manage, and optimise workplace performance continuously.

What This Means for Organisations in 2026

Here are the principles that separate a workplace filled with disconnected tools from one that genuinely performs:

• Stop buying point solutions. Start architecting ecosystems.
• Choose platforms that integrate natively with identity, sensing, booking, and building systems.
• Invest in data governance early. Clean, connected data is the foundation for every meaningful outcome.
• Treat automation as the end goal, not an optional extra. This is where the return on investment is realised.
• Connect IT and FM strategies. The most successful organisations are breaking down the operational silos that historically slowed progress.

Closing Thoughts

A high-performing workplace is not defined by how many tools an organisation buys. It is defined by how consistently those tools are used to automate, optimise, and improve performance over time. The message at ISE 2026 was clear: measure well, integrate well, and use well. Everything else is noise.