What is the difference between occupancy sensor and people counter?

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What's tje dofference between an occupancy sensor and a people counter?

This blog is part of our ‘Sensors 101’ series for workplace teams.

While workplace occupancy sensors and people counters are used to collect data on how rooms and spaces around the office are being used, that is essentially where their similarities end. There is a massive disparity of sophistication between the two, with occupancy sensors being the much more favorable option if you want to make more informed decisions about how to optimize your workplace. 

People counters essentially only count humans coming into or out of a particular space – and they are often installed at entry points. While the information that people counters provide may be useful for public spaces, such as for supermarkets, retail stores, movie theatres or even stadiums, it rarely offers more insight than a basic overview of foot traffic. People counters therefore won’t support the vast majority of businesses in their mission to deliver effective, highly engaging and productive workplaces.  

That’s where workplace occupancy sensors come in.

Occupancy sensors, such as XY Sense, are designed to provide a far more in-depth data experience for businesses. With real-time capabilities, decision-makers can get live updates on activity around the office, and then analyze that data to build the most optimized workspace possible. 

To help illuminate what workplace occupancy sensors are capable of, here are some of the things XY Sense sensors can do:

  • Unparalleled accuracy that captures sighting down to 1ft (30cm) and updates every two seconds.

  • Best-in-market sensor range means your office requires 2-3x fewer sensors for an entire floor, reducing the total cost of ownership.

  • Superior analytics – users can monitor live-occupancy views or dive into a library of configurable dashboards on building, floor and desk utilization, meeting-room occupancy analytics, neighborhood balancing, team-space capacity planning and more!

  • More uses cases – rather than being just a people counter or desk monitor, these smart occupancy sensors drive long-term workplace ROI with live data feeds that support use cases as varied as space booking/hoteling, wayfinding and more.

To learn more about XY Sense, download our solution brief or a book a demo with our team.

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