What is desk.ly Connect?

desk.ly Connect is software sensor technology that automates desk bookings and check-ins. As soon as a device is connected to a monitor or docking station at a workstation, Connect detects the usage, creates a booking and checks it in. Actual utilisation is recorded down to workstation level and shown in analytics dashboards and utilisation heatmaps in your admin area.

What is the difference between booking data and actual office usage?

Booking data shows intent, not real usage. Forgotten bookings, missed check-ins and spontaneous seat changes leave gaps, and some employees never book at all because they have a fixed desk they do not use every day. That results in incomplete data and incorrect conclusions. desk.ly Connect closes the gap by recording every use automatically.

What is the difference between software sensor technology and hardware sensors?

Software sensor technology uses your existing equipment as the sensor, hardware sensors require additional devices. desk.ly Connect works with the monitors and docking stations already at the workstation, so there is no investment in new hardware and no inconvenient maintenance. Implementation is fast for the same reason, and usage is recorded at workstation level.

How does desk.ly Connect differ from Wifi-based check-in?

Wifi-based solutions only record whether someone is in the office, not where they are sitting. desk.ly Connect records the specific desk in use, which makes precise analyses and accurate derivations possible. It also removes the manual step: employees can forget to book or check in, Connect recognises every use without any manual effort.

Is desk.ly Connect employee monitoring?

No. desk.ly Connect is designed to support, not to control. Detection is purely client-side and GDPR-compliant, and what is recorded is the use of a workstation, not employee behaviour on the device. desk.ly is ISO 27001 certified, development and hosting take place in Germany, and a data processing agreement is available on request.

What does desk.ly Connect cost?

desk.ly Connect is an add-on to the Corporate, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus packages, priced on request. No extra hardware cost applies because Connect uses your existing equipment. Base packages start at 1.65 euros per user per month for Corporate and 2.75 euros for Enterprise. desk.ly is free of charge for up to 15 users, for as long as you like.

desk.ly Connect

The most reliable way to measure office utilization

desk.ly Connect is the most reliable way to measure your office utilization: software sensor technology automatically creates bookings and check-ins the moment a desk is used. It closes the data gaps left by forgotten check-ins and delivers workstation-level usage data – all without expensive extra hardware.

Book a demo

desk.ly Connect automates workplace bookings and check-ins to close the gap left by incomplete office utilization data.

Problem of incomplete data

Bookings only represent part of the office use

Companies need meaningful usage data in order to make informed decisions about office space. Relying solely on employee bookings results in incomplete data, as not everyone always uses the booking reliably. Some never book because they have a fixed space, but don't use it every day. This leads to incomplete data and often incorrect deductions.

A diagram shows that bookings alone only reflect intended office use, not actual workplace utilization.

The solution: software sensor technology

Every use is recorded

desk.ly Connect automatically detects workplace usage as soon as a laptop is connected to a monitor or docking station.

1. Connect laptop at the workstation

The software sensor system detects space utilization as soon as a device is connected to a monitor or docking station.

2. Automatically booked & checked in

desk.ly Connect automatically creates a booking and checks it in – without any manual effort – so that your office attendance is always up to date.

desk.ly Connect evaluates workplace usage with pinpoint accuracy, delivering data for precise analytics.

3. Evaluate usage with pinpoint accuracy

Utilization is reliably recorded and can be evaluated right down to workstation level - for precise analyses and accurate derivations.

Best in Class Analytics

Captures everything for maximum clarity

The automation gives you an up to 100% accurate data picture of your office utilization. Booking shuffles, forgotten check-ins, spontaneous seat changes - desk.ly Connect simply doesn't miss a thing. You can see all the data in clear analytics dashboards and utilization heatmaps in your admin area.

Learn more about analytics

GDPR-compliant

Everything recorded for maximum data precision

You receive an up to 100% accurate data picture of your office utilization. Booking shuffles, forgotten check-ins, spontaneous seat changes - desk.ly Connect simply doesn't miss a thing.
Discover the difference in a before-and-after comparison:

Without desk.ly Connect

With desk.ly Connect

How it works

Every use recorded precisely

desk.ly Connect automaticallybooks free seats when employees connect their laptop to a docking station or monitor on site. This offers many advantages:

Booking in just two clicks

desk.ly analyzes your booking behavior and suggests jobs based on it.

Finding the right place

Store characteristics and always find the right job with the filter function.

Book directly in Microsoft Teams

Book your desired place directly in MS Teams and synchronize your booking with Outlook.

All advantages at a glance

No expensive hardware, no lengthy setup

desk.ly Connect automates check-in or automaticallybooks free seats when employees connect their laptop to a docking station or monitor on site. This offers many advantages:

Precise data

Unlike WLAN-based solutions, desk.ly Connect not only records whether someone is in the office, but also where they are sitting.

No expensive hardware

desk.ly Connect uses software sensor technology in conjunction with your existing equipment - no need to invest in new hardware or inconvenient maintenance.

Maximum reliability

Employees can forget about booking or checking in a seat - desk.ly Connect recognizes every use without any manual effort.

Data security

desk.ly Connect is designed to support, not control. Detection is therefore purely client-side and of course GDPR-compliant.

Increases usability desk.ly Connect takes the check-in and even the booking off the employees' hands, which further increases the acceptance of desk sharing.

Fast implementation

Thanks to the absence of expensive hardware, desk.ly Connect is ready for use in a short time and requires no inconvenient maintenance.

Frequently asked questions & answers

What is a workstation booking system?

A workstation booking system is a software solution that can be used to flexibly book and manage workstations, parking spaces or other resources in the company. Instead of a fixed allocation - as we know it from traditional office concepts - this system enables desk sharing. Employees can decide for themselves when and where they want to work in the office. This ensures greater flexibility, better space utilization and supports hybrid working models.

How do you implement a workplace booking system in your company?

The successful implementation of a workplace booking system requires a digital tool such as desk.ly, which displays the office space visually and enables the central management of all resources. In addition to workstations, this also includes meeting rooms and parking spaces. Employees can book these resources independently - an important prerequisite for functioning desk sharing and flexible workplace models.

Can I use desk.ly free of charge?

You can test desk.ly with up to 15 users free of charge for as long as you like. All functions of the desk.ly Enterprise package are available to you.

More about this on ourpricing page →

Is using desk.ly as a workplace booking system complicated?

The desk.ly workplace booking system is very easy to use and can be used immediately without any training. At any time and with any device.

Can desk.ly be easily integrated into other systems?

We provide over 25 integrations and are constantly working on further integrations. For example, you can connect desk.ly with Azure AD, Google Workspace or typical HR systems such as Personio and Workday in just a few clicks.

What is a desk sharing workplace?

A desk sharing workstation, also known as a shared desk or hot desk, is not just assigned to one permanent employee. The flexible workstation is available to every employee in the company and can be booked via desk sharing software.

Is my data safe with desk.ly?

The security of your data is important to us: desk.ly is hosted on German servers and meets all European data protection requirements. You are also welcome to request our current order agreement contract (AVV) from us.

The most reliable way to measure office utilization

Over 1,000 companies worldwide rely on desk.ly

Bookings only represent part of the office use

Every use is recorded

How desk.ly Connect delivers maximum data precision

Captures everything for maximum clarity

Everything recorded for maximum data precision