Appspace Ends the "AI Bolt-On" Era with Native Workplace Intelligence

This new approach replaces generic chatbots with intelligent, persona-driven automation that gets work done in real time.

SAN DIEGO, March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- While the tech industry continues to layer generic chatbots onto existing systems, Appspace is shifting the power of AI from custom development to customer configuration. Today, at the Gartner^® Digital Workplace Summit, Appspace, the leading workplace experience platform, launched the Custom Assistants Framework, the first native workplace AI engine designed to transform proprietary company data into intelligent, connected actions.

In practice, that means teams can configure a working assistant in under 30 minutes.

"We are moving past the era of chat and into the era of agency," says Thomas Philippart de Foy, Chief Design Officer at Appspace. "Our customers do not need another dashboard; they need an engine that anchors digital workflows within the physical and digital office. By making AI native to our core platform, we are giving organizations the power to solve their own specific business problems in minutes, not months."

Building on the recent launch of Appspace Intelligence Assistants, the framework provides the foundation for creating bespoke workplace AI from the ground up. This shifts the strategy to a customer-led creation platform, allowing teams to build tailored workplace solutions in a fraction of the time it takes in traditional approaches. The Custom Assistants Framework scales exponentially as the AI curve goes vertical, extending Appspace's lead in the workplace experience category it has defined.

AI as native DNA, not a layered-on feature
The Custom Assistants Framework is woven into the native DNA of the Appspace platform. This level of context allows assistants to move beyond insight and into immediate action across the workplace. Unlike standalone bots that lack physical or cultural context, Appspace assistants use platform insights to understand the context of the workplace. This includes knowing who is in the building, what they are viewing on digital signage, what content they are consuming in the intranet, their role, projects, and what they need in real time.

The MCP competitive edge
At the heart of this framework is the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard backed by Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and others. This broad adoption is a competitive advantage that gives organizations the flexibility to connect Appspace with the systems they already use without locking into a single ecosystem. MCP acts as the integration layer that links Appspace data with enterprise tools such as Workday, ServiceNow, and Jira, enabling assistants to take action, not just surface information.

Whether supporting employees, facilities teams, or IT, MCP allows assistants to trigger real-world workflows directly within everyday touchpoints, turning fragmented signals into coordinated action across the workplace. This allows assistants to move seamlessly from insight to action across the systems companies already rely on.

Empowering workplace personas
Appspace designed this framework to simplify the workday by putting powerful, role-specific automation directly into the hands of the people who need it most. Instead of relying on manual processes or disconnected tools, teams can use tailored assistants to solve everyday challenges instantaneously.

For example, HR leaders can launch a 'Policy Pilot' to give employees instant and personal answers instead of waiting for manual support. A director in London and an associate in New York can each ask the same question about benefits and immediately receive the specific rules that apply to their exact role and location.

Likewise, facility operators can use a 'Smart Floor Concierge' to gather feedback and act on occupancy data. The assistant identifies low-traffic days to proactively close unused floors, update digital signage to reroute employees, and trigger a reduced cleaning ticket in ServiceNow.

Even individual team members benefit from a more seamless office experience through a 'Workplace Navigator' that manages their entire day upon arrival in the office. This assistant instantly confirms their desk reservation, guides them to meetings, and surfaces everything they need for the day in real time. 

These examples represent the next phase of the workplace experience category. By reducing development time from months to minutes, these applications provide immediate real-world value while laying a foundation for continuous workplace innovation. This framework is the engine for how the workplace experience category scales in the age of AI, where work is no longer assisted, but orchestrated.

Appspace will demonstrate the Custom Assistants Framework during the Gartner Digital Workplace Summit. Attendees can see firsthand how to turn their data into action.

About Appspace
Appspace is the workplace experience platform that keeps everyone in the know. Empower your entire workforce with a single platform for employee communications, digital signage, space reservation, visitor management, and more. Join the more than 170 Fortune 500 companies who rely on Appspace every day. Learn more at www.appspace.com.

SOURCE Appspace, Inc.