Remote Network Support Services for

Progent's online support engineers offer excellent value due to the fact that they have the real-world experience and are equipped with the sophisticated technology necessary to resolve most network issues quickly. This lowers direct expenses since solutions require fewer billable minutes. Remote support also avoids the cost of dispatching an engineer to your location. Your organization benefits even more with incidental costs by reducing or eliminating system downtime and associated losses stemming from business discontinuity, upset customers and vendors, idle employees, and de-focused executives.

Progent's billing model for online support is designed to stretch your IT service dollar. Progent charges on a per-minute basis for telephone-based consulting, so you are invoiced exclusively for the support that you actually get. Unlike many remote support firms, Progent requires no initialization charge or minimum payments. Progent's per-minute billing unit and clean model for pricing eliminate scenarios where quick solutions manage to turn into large bills. Progent's skill at disposing of technical issues quickly translates into your company saving cash.

Progent's Online Service Tools
Through years of experience, Progent has fine tuned an array of optimized technologies and field-tested methodologies which permit the maximum level of efficiency for remote engineering help and repair for small company IT networks. Progent offers secure VPN support for VPN gateways from a variety of popular companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, Netscreen and Watchguard. Secure VPN access enables the engineers of Progent's remote service group to communicate with your environment remotely without violating system security.

Progent's advanced technical support reporting application maintains thorough histories describing the service that Progent's customers have been provided. Progent's staff engineers have the benefit of the records of support delivered to each customer by any Progent consultant. This history of anomalies and resolutions is organized as a conveniently exploitable support database that allows Progent's remote support professionals to communicate their experiences with the whole team to ensure that the value of Progent's technical support grows over time. Progent's high-level accreditations and close partnerships with key technology companies including Cisco and Microsoft make available additional vast technical support databases and to manufacturers' internal product engineers so that Progent's remote consulting engineers can come up with the most efficient solutions in the least time.

Phone-based support services Offered by Progent to companies in St. Paul and throughout the state of Minnesota include:

• Certified Microsoft Windows Expertise
  Progent's Microsoft-qualified remote support professionals can deliver computer troubleshooting and consulting help for the complete line of Microsoft server and business application products. Progent is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner network support company and can offer your organization the expertise of support engineers who can assist to configure, support and administer the entire family of Microsoft Servers such as Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, SQL Server, Microsoft ISA Server 2006, Microsoft BizTalk Server, Microsoft Commerce Server, Microsoft Content Management Server, Small Business Server, Exchange 2007 Server, Application Center, SharePoint Server 2007, Virtual Server, and Operations Manager 2007 and 2005.

• Talk to a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) for High-level Network Problem Solving
  The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert certification is the top accreditation for networking engineers, and certifies an individual's networking knowledge at the expert level. Cisco qualified CCIEs can handle even the most complex challenges associated with network infrastructure planning, deployment, maintenance, protection, and repair. CCIEs operate with the highest priority with Cisco System's internal support staff in analyzing problems with IOS network management utilities and coming up with alternate approaches or identifying software patches. CCIEs offer excellent value since their deep expertise permits them to find solutions for the most intractable problems quickly. In typical cases, less experienced service providers can wrestle for many hours or days with the same tasks that a CCIE can resolve in minutes.

  Few consulting firms make CCIEs accessible to help small and medium sized businesses. Progent offers fast telephone contact with a Cisco Systems authorized CCIE so you can receive timely assistance for severe network issues that are crippling business efficiency but are outside the scope of your regular network service personnel. Progent's Cisco CCIE engineers can tie into your computer system by means of sophisticated remote troubleshooting tools in order to provide quick, safe, and economical analysis and remediation.

• CISSP, ISSAP, and CISM Certified Network Security Engineers
  Progent's certified CISSP, ISSAP, and CISM network security engineers can provide a variety of system protection services to enhance the defenses of your Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux network against assaults or help your business to recuperate rapidly following a serious breach. Security services offered by Progent include: comprehensive network security evaluation utilizing utilities such as GFI LANguard, NMAP Port Scanner, and products from Metasploit and Nikto; fast cleanup after virus and worm attacks; setting up firewalls; establishing secure techniques for off-site and mobile communication; defending your messaging system against spam and DHA attacks; and managing 24x7 network monitoring.

• UNIX/Linux, Sun Solaris, and Apple Mac OS X Support Services
  Progent's UNIX, Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X phone-based consulting services cover a wide spectrum of computer technologies including system architecture, email solutions, system and process security, UNIX/Linux and Windows coexistence, virtual server products for server hardware economization and simplified management, and migration from legacy systems to Microsoft Windows or Linux-based solutions. Progent's group-based approach to solving technical issues promotes fast escalation, if necessary, to engineers with task-relevant experience to handle challenging situations. This accelerates repair of critical problems, reduces lost productivity, and cuts support costs.

  Progent's UNIX/Linux support engineers can provide urgent remote help resolving problems affecting UNIX, Linux, or Solaris systems powered by popular versions of UNIX including:

  • Apple Mac OS X
  • Solaris
  • IBM AIX
  • HP-UX
  • BSD
  • SCO UNIX
  • Silicon Graphics IRIX

Special Support Programs Available from Progent
Progent offers the services of world-class online consulting professionals for contract information technology programs that small companies often request. Billing rates for longer-term development or consulting projects are determined according to the qualifications of the engineers involved. Progent's experience with these special areas of information technology enables clients to complete major projects economically and on schedule. Progent's project-based remote engineering solutions include:

• Help Desk Support
  Progent's Call Center service offerings for small businesses with environments based on Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Apple Mac OS X, UNIX, or Linux technology include full-service Call Center outsourcing, Virtual Helpdesk support services, and Help Desk operations consulting. Progent's Help Desk Call Center outsourcing support services are ideal for small organizations who don't have the money or time to support an in-house Call Center but who need quick response from an effective Call Center with professional phone support as well as the ability to escalate complex problems to advanced engineers.

  Progent’s Virtual Help Desk is designed for bigger businesses and acts as a seamless reinforcement of your current Helpdesk team. Progent's Virtual Help Desk can serve as a an escalation resource to resolve the most difficult technical problems, or be ready in overflow situations when your ordinary service providers are too busy.

  Progent's Help Desk team of veteran network consultants offers your customers in St. Paul or anywhere in the state of Minnesota quick contact with an effective network service resource with substantial background offering phone consulting and online troubleshooting for networks powered by Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Apple Mac, or UNIX/Linux components. Progent's concentration is to earn the Help Desk perception as a solid contributor to company performance, and Progent's goal is to resolve rather than merely record IT issues.

• Applications Support: Education, Customization, and Troubleshooting
  Progent's Applications Consulting Team offers phone-based professional consulting support and training in key application areas that include Enterprise Requirements Planning, Manufacturing Requirements Planning, custom financial systems, and CRM. Progent also can deliver consulting, custom programming, and training for popular Microsoft business applications such as Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Project, MS Office Word, and Excel. To find out more on Progent's expertise, programming, and education services, see Progent's Applications Experts Group.

  Online Network Monitoring Services
  Progent offers companies in St. Paul, or anywhere in the state of Minnesota, online network and server monitoring services centered around Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007, enhanced by Progent for your business so your IT support is proactive and automated. By uncovering looming issues before they evolve into crashes, proactive monitoring can minimize stressful and costly information system crises. Progent can also use system monitoring utilities such as Nagios and MRTG Graphical Traffic Load Monitor to diagnose UNIX/Linux, Sun Solaris, or Apple Mac systems, Microsoft Windows networks, or environments powered by multiple OS platforms.

How Your St. Paul Business Can Contact Progent's Online Service Experts
To get in touch with Progent about emergency remote assistance with Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, or Linux networks, go to Progent's Nationwide Online Support, phone 1-800-993-9400, or e-mail information@progent.com. For small companies and new ventures in St. Paul or throughout the state of Minnesota, Progent's online network support specialists are ready to deliver expert and cost-effective IT help the moment your business has to have it. More than 10 years of offering remote tech support has led to Microsoft Gold Partner certification for Progent's consultants and has allowed Progent to develop world-class troubleshooting capability and to fine tune remote access tools to repair IT problems quickly while eliminating the expense and lost time that comes with on-premise service visits.

Even if your St. Paul company works with a local independent consultant or maintains an in-house IT staff that know how to handle the majority of network issues, Progent’s Microsoft and Cisco certified engineers provide a convenient and seamless remote expansion of your local resources in cases when your regular service personnel either don't have the time or the experience to address sudden network emergencies or particularly complex integration problems.

Benefits of Progent's Network Help for Small Businesses in St. Paul
Progent's online technical help services allow your City# small company to experience the benefits of immediate, enterprise-class network support without the expense of managing an in-house IT organization. Your network will acquire greater strategic worth by becoming increasingly available, efficient, and protected. Advantages to your business include:

• Seamless virtual expansion of your on-site IT resources
  With most small businesses in St. Paul and throughout Minnesota, nearby network support providers, whether made up of freelance consultants or an internal IT staff, can deal with the majority of network issues. On the other hand, serious problems can occur when your regular resources are too busy or unavailable, and some trouble may stem from IT products that is beyond the scope of your local support personnel. In these cases, Progent's online service specialists give you a convenient, fast, and economical way to augment your regular help and to transfer valuable knowledge to increase your ability to handle future issues locally.

• Reduced Reliance on Freelance Service Providers
  For IT support, small organizations often rely on independent freelance consultants. While freelance service people carry smaller internal costs than larger support companies and can often charge lower rates, they are sometimes stretched too thin, making it hard to respond quickly to crisis situations. If an independent consultant is occupied with another customer, ill, on vacation, or in class, the lack of reserve help may require your company to wait for assistance during an IT crisis. As your network expands, system unavailability and problems with vital software are more costly. The money you thought you were saving on an independent can be consumed fast by reduced productivity. Progent offers a ready source of backup service expertise to insure your network is always available.

• Build a Scalable Foundation for Smooth Growth
  New businesses often start with an IT system implemented on a modest budget. Without a scalable infrastructure, slap-dash repairs can get piled on top of a weak foundation. As a network grows, stability and expandability issues can impede the success of the organization. Such poorly designed systems require careful assessment, intelligent long-term planning, and wide technical knowledge to evolve to a system infrastructure that can provide the solid foundation to handle vital business demands and facilitate downstream growth.

• Work with Problem Solvers Rather Than Technology Resellers
  Small companies require guidance and technical training to negotiate an ever more complicated maze of product options available for promoting business growth and improving efficiency. They hardly need a computer engineer who is attempting to earn a commission on a certain vendor's products. IT support and product sales can result in a situation where the recommended solution is designed around a predetermined product rather than the true needs of a small business. Progent avoids these conflicts by selling only services rather than products. This allows Progent to align technical expertise with the real needs of clients.

How Is Progent Different from Other Service Firms?
Progent is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner support company and Progent's head count, depth of technical experience, refined support tools, and understanding of enterprise networking allow small offices to escape the pitfalls associated with excessive reliance on smaller service organizations, individual freelance consultants, or limited in-house IT help.

Progent adds value by providing:

• Proven Methodology
  Progent’s team of Microsoft and Cisco certified consultants average more than a decade of hands-on professional background, at the front lines of network support, executing a broad range of technical projects for a large array of customers. Every Progent support professional shares a proven collection of personal best practices which are incorporated into shared best practices standards that Progent instills in its consulting team. This ensures that you get not just world-class technical skills, but also a consultant with proven methods for using technical knowledge to resolve real-world IT problems quickly.

• Value Pricing
  Progent's pricing policy is to charge for phone service and in-person visits by the minute. As a result, you are charged just for delivered services. Progent does not impose a higher rate for after-hours or emergency support, and inside California or in areas where Progent offers in-person support, Progent does not bill for travel except for urgent support where on-site time is less than four hours. In addition, Progent imposes no initialization charge and asks no retainer. Many support firms impose large minimum fees or charge for each fifteen minutes or longer. Progent's small granularity avoids large invoices for quick solutions so you won't be tempted to permit minor problems to fester.

• Knowledge Transfer
  Progent is committed to knowledge transfer from Progent's consultants to clients. By educating clients to handle technical issues that are within their comfort zone, Progent is able to concentrate on offering hard-to-find skills where Progent faces few competitors. Businesses who utilize trusted independent consultants or who employ internal support personnel benefit when Progent transfers knowledge about critical technology and tested methodologies to make their networks more robust, secure, and productive.

• 24x7 Server Monitoring with MS System Center Operations Manager 2007
  Progent is one of the only consulting firms to provide round-the-clock system monitoring services based on MS Operations Manager. Microsoft System Center Operations Manager causes your network maintenance to be proactive instead of reactive. By anticipating possible problems before they result in downtime, network monitoring can save your information network from painful and costly service losses.

How Does My Business Begin Getting Online Computer Help from Progent?
To get started with Progent's Nationwide Remote Support services or to learn more about Progent's phone support programs, call Progent at 888-412-5546 or email Progent at information@progent.com. If you have an urgent need for network support, visit Immediate Emergency Support.