Tripadvisor and Cisco build an office where AI agents sense, reason and act

From static desks to a connected workplace

A decade ago, Tripadvisor's offices followed the prevailing corporate model: rows and clusters of static desks. Chris Benham, director of global services at the travel platform, says the company had "a fundamental rethink". In his words, "The office is no longer about sitting at a dedicated desk to do solitary work." A workplace, he adds, should foster connection and collaboration.

With AI agents becoming a routine part of work, Cisco describes a new model in which agents are woven into a worker's physical surroundings. Tripadvisor has reworked its offices worldwide, cutting its total footprint in half, and is working toward what the article calls a truly intelligent workplace. Examples given include AI agents that book extra meeting spaces for unexpected guests, temperature controls that anticipate stuffy rooms, and systems that spot wasted space and suggest better uses for it.

Sense, reason, act

Michael Dickman, general manager of campus networking at Cisco, describes the model in three steps: sense, reason, act. In his example, a workplace sees that eight people are scheduled in a conference room, reasons that they will make it uncomfortably warm, and adjusts the air temperature a few minutes before they arrive. If the meeting ends early and people leave, the system responds again and reduces energy use.

The same logic can work at larger scale. Utilization data might show that some conference rooms are constantly full while others sit empty, prompting the AI to recommend a new floor plan. "For leaders, the key change is to not only view the network as a provider of secure connectivity but as a sensor for the real world," Dickman says.

Brian Stout, senior vice president of global sales for Cisco Collaboration and Workplace Experiences, says the data comes from collaboration devices, sensors and other connected infrastructure running on a secure AI-powered network. He says more customers now bring both IT and real estate decision-makers to the table, because they can measure, manage and optimize together. Stout also claims Cisco is the only vendor that owns the entire process, from deployment to management, without third-party integrations.

Results at Tripadvisor and Cisco

Tripadvisor has deployed 384 Cisco collaboration endpoints across its global offices. These include room and desk devices, microphones, collaboration boards and precision cameras. The company uses real-time data on occupancy, foot traffic and desk utilization to keep refining its spaces.

Benham points to the staff reaction as a proof point: "In Oxford and London, employees literally walked up to our IT team to give us hugs and pats on the back because the technology just worked."

Cisco reports similar outcomes in its own offices. According to the company, it has transformed more than 30 of its offices in five years, reduced its real estate footprint by 16% and generated more than $100 million in savings through lower energy and facilities costs.

What it means for employers

The pitch is aimed at companies that keep physical offices while much work can be done remotely and want value from every square foot. Cisco argues that employees who come in expect the office to make their day easier, and that data from the network can show leaders how space is really used.

Dickman and Stout say companies built on a secure network infrastructure will be placed to benefit from further AI advances. Benham sums up the goal: "When you design an intelligent workplace around data and human experience, you create an office that truly earns the commute." The savings and footprint figures come from Cisco and Tripadvisor themselves, and the source does not include independent verification.