How it works
IT installs the agent on company laptops, usually through the same device management tools used for other software. The agent signs in with the employee's company identity and runs in the background.
When the laptop joins a network the organization has registered as an office network, the agent records presence and checks the person in. If they have a desk booking, the booking is confirmed; if not, some systems create a booking so the visit still counts. More precise versions read internal network signals to place a person on a floor and can tell an office connection from a VPN session at home.
Because it needs no hardware, a presence agent gives the same coverage at every site. Its limits are devices and consent: people without a company laptop, or with the laptop closed, are not detected, and in some countries employee representatives must be consulted before it is introduced.
How to measure it
- Track agent coverage: the share of office-based employees with the agent installed and signed in, by site.
- Compare agent check-ins with badge entries for the same days to find coverage gaps.
- Check how many check-ins come from the agent versus manual check-in, to see whether reports still depend on people remembering.
Benchmarks
Wavex reported saving £20K+ by using automated check-in instead of a sensor deployment.
Kadence customer story: Wavex
Common mistakes
- Rolling out without telling employees what is collected and why. Trust is harder to rebuild than to keep.
- Registering guest or public Wi-Fi as an office network, which checks in people who are only nearby.
- Assuming full coverage. People in mobile-only roles or on shared devices need another way to check in.
How Kadence helps
The Kadence Agent is a desktop app that checks people in automatically when it detects them on the office network, with no sensors needed. Enhanced Network Detection adds floor-level, VPN-aware presence, Agent Auto Login signs the agent in with Entra or Okta (silently on Windows with Entra), and Automatic Bookings records people who arrive without a booking. Employees can use incognito mode to hide their location from colleagues.
Workplace occupancy · WorkOps · Wavex customer story
Frequently asked questions
How does a desktop presence agent detect office presence?
It checks which network the laptop is connected to. When that network matches one the organization registered as an office network, the agent records presence and checks the person in. More precise versions use internal network signals to place people on a floor and to ignore VPN sessions from home.
Is a desktop presence agent employee monitoring?
It records whether a person is in the office, not what they do on their laptop. A well-designed agent does not track keystrokes, screens or application activity. Organizations should still tell employees what is collected and why, set data retention limits and, where required, consult employee representatives.
Do you need sensors if you use a presence agent?
Not for attendance and floor-level occupancy. The agent covers every site without hardware. Sensors still add detail where it matters, such as how many people are in a meeting room, and their data can be combined with agent data.
What happens if someone does not have the agent installed?
The agent cannot detect them. Other check-in methods cover the gap: a kiosk or QR code, a room display, badge data or the mobile app. Tracking agent coverage by site shows where those gaps are.
Related terms
- Presence data (sensorless occupancy) The record of who was actually in the building and when, from signals you already have: network, badges and check-ins.
- Desk check-in Confirming that you are at the desk or room you booked, by app, QR code, badge or Wi-Fi presence, so unused bookings can be released.
- Multi-source occupancy (unified occupancy model) One occupancy picture built by combining Wi-Fi, badge, sensor and booking data, so no single source has to be complete or perfect.
- Works council An elected employee body, common in Germany, the Netherlands and the Nordics, that must be consulted before attendance tracking starts.
- Office attendance rate The share of employees, or of expected office days, that people actually spend in the office, measured from presence data.
- Employee monitoring vs occupancy data Employee monitoring tracks what individuals do; occupancy data measures how spaces are used. Workplace planning needs only the second.
Kadence editorial team · Last reviewed