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Workday Launches AI Agent Partner Network

At the Workday DevCon 2025 event held in Las Vegas, Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY) unveiled a transformative new initiative: the Workday Agent Partner Network. This global network aims to develop AI agents that will seamlessly integrate with the Workday Agent System of Record (ASOR), optimizing how organizations manage both human and digital workers.

Collaboration with Industry Leaders

Workday has partnered with a roster of prominent technology companies, including Accenture, Adobe, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Deloitte, Google Cloud, and Microsoft, among others. These collaborations are aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and productivity across various business functions. For organizations navigating this new reality, where AI agents are becoming increasingly integral to workflows, the Workday ASOR functions as a unified platform that manages people, finances, and AI agents together.

Matthew Brandt, Workday's Senior Vice President of Global Partners, emphasized the necessity of such integrations: "As AI agents increasingly collaborate with human workforces, customers are looking to Workday to manage everything on one unified platform they can trust."

The Shift in Workforce Dynamics

Today's workforce is evolving beyond just human employees. AI agents are now playing crucial roles in streamlining operations, facilitating innovative work approaches, and supporting decision-making processes. With the need for reevaluating conventional hiring, management, and performance measurement practices, organizations must adapt to a reality where humans and AI work hand-in-hand. The integration of AI agents will redefine traditional functions, workflows, and even the concept of teamwork itself.

Features of the Workday Agent System of Record

The Workday ASOR introduces capabilities that allow organizations to hire, onboard, assign tasks, and manage AI agents like they do with human employees. This system sets clear parameters for agents’ roles, data accessibility, actions, and performance tracking. This holistic approach ensures both human and AI contributors align with an organization's goals.

For instance, a recruiter looking to expedite the scheduling of interviews can utilize the Paradox Interview Scheduling agent, which operates within the Workday ASOR. This integration streamlines scheduling tasks, sends reminders, and answers candidate queries, enhancing the overall hiring experience.

Introduction of Agent Gateway

Accompanying the launch is the new Agent Gateway, designed to facilitate the connection between various AI agents and the Workday ASOR. It employs shared protocols, such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent Protocol (A2A), allowing seamless inter-agent communication. This innovative gateway enhances collaboration and information exchange, ensuring that AI agents are effective partners across the workflow spectrum.

Customers can access a multitude of AI-driven solutions on the Workday Marketplace, which now hosts agents from the Workday network. Notable agents available include the Financial Audit Agent and Talent Mobility Agent, among others. This marketplace allows businesses to easily discover and deploy necessary AI tools that cater to their specific operational needs.

Illuminate: The Future of AI in Workday

Workday's next-generation AI, known as Illuminate, leverages vast HR and financial datasets to elevate business operations significantly. With an impressive volume of over one trillion transactions processed yearly, Illuminate is designed to enhance decision-making, financial processes, and workforce management. By deeply understanding the context around data, Illuminate provides actionable insights that yield measurable business impact.

Support from Partners

The initiative has garnered positive reactions from collaborative partners. AWS's Swami Sivasubramanian noted, “With Workday's ASOR, organizations will be much better positioned to ethically manage all these agents.” Similarly, executives from Deloitte and KPMG expressed their enthusiasm about collaborating with Workday to empower clients in navigating the complexities of digital employment, advocating for transparency and seamless integration of AI agents in their workflows.

Conclusion

The Workday Agent Partner Network and Agent Gateway represent a significant milestone in the blend of AI technology with human workflows. Emphasizing a future where AI agents coexist with human employees, these developments not only streamline processes but also set the stage for an agile and adaptive workforce. By 2025, early adoptive customers can expect to leverage these capabilities, positioning themselves for success in an increasingly AI-driven business landscape.

To learn more about Workday and explore the new AI agent offerings, visit Workday's website.