Orchestration platforms are set to tame the Wild West of workplace AI

Adam Holtby, Principal Analyst, Workplace Transformation

The rapid advancement of AI capabilities has led to the technology weaving itself into the fabric of the workplace

Adam Holtby, Principal Analyst, Workplace TransformationHowever, with new opportunities and speed come new complexities and security concerns. From officially sanctioned solutions to new AI functionality embedded in the popular workplace solutions employees use daily, organizations are juggling a patchwork of intelligent systems and applications. The challenge is how businesses can maximize the workplace value of AI without letting it spiral into disarray.An emerging set of new workplace AI orchestration capabilities is being developed to address this challenge. These platforms:

Bring structure to AI sprawl

Act as connective tissue between isolated systems

Facilitate seamless cooperation between AI agents

Impose necessary governance over model deployment and application

This is an area that key vendors are investing in, with the likes of ServiceNow, Microsoft, IBM, and Cognigy all announcing AI orchestration capabilities over recent months with the aim of helping businesses to fragmented AI efforts into coordinated enterprise intelligence. But this is not just a vendor movement; new standards including Model Context Protocol (MCP) are helping lay the groundwork for smarter and more integrated AI systems, especially relating to agentic AI. MCP is becoming essential for orchestration platforms aiming to scale AI use across enterprises in a responsible, structured way. These orchestration platforms go beyond basic integration capabilities. They act as connective tissue between isolated systems, facilitate seamless cooperation between AI agents, and impose necessary governance over which models are deployed, how they're applied, and what outcomes they generate. In essence, they help enterprises tame the fragmentation and build a foundation for a smarter, more cohesive approach to how AI is used and managed. In much the same way APIs revolutionized inter-app communication, AI orchestration platforms are set to redefine how AI agents interact - enabling scenarios where, say, a triage bot hands off to a third-party solution agent, all under a single, cohesive, and governed system.Without orchestration, there is a risk that workplace AI remains fragmented and undervalued. With it, organizations can turn scattered solutions and capabilities into a unified intelligence layer that scales across business functions. In today's AI-driven workplace, orchestrating how intelligence flows isn't a luxury - it's a strategic imperative.Three Strategic Imperatives for Vendors in the Workplace AI Race
Workplace AI capabilities span a range of different use cases and value propositions. However, Omdia research has shed light on the common challenges businesses are looking to vendors to help them overcome.Support in understanding ROI
Understanding and reporting on the tangible and monetary value of investment in workplace AI capabilities is a priority for business leaders. They are looking to technology vendors for support. Combining technical solutions with support and professional services will be important.

Source: Omdia’s 2024 Employee Collaboration and Productivity SurveyDifferentiation is vital, especially for new entrants
The workplace AI startup sector has been subject to massive new investment over the past few years, with data from Omdia’s 2025 Digital Workplace Technology Startup Investment Tracker indicating AI startups raised more new investment over the past two years than any other digital workplace technology. Building differentiation in a space that is subject to so much hype and investment is therefore critical.

Source: Digital Workplace Technology Startup Investment Tracker – 2025Build economies of scale by adopting AI licensing approaches and cost structures that facilitate widespread deployment
Democratizing AI capabilities can be aided by vendors offering scalable and flexible licensing models that reduce cost as a barrier to entry. This approach helps reduce barriers to entry around costs, while also delivering equal and widespread access to AI capabilities that strengthen the technologies’ transformative potential.Without proper orchestration, workplace AI risks remaining fragmented and undervalued. Organizations that strategically implement orchestration platforms will be better positioned to harness AI"s full potential as a cohesive cognitive infrastructure layer.

Content in this e-book is derived from four Omdia intelligence services: