Expanding your remote workforce may have a significant impact on IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and corporate processes. Progent has two decades of background assisting SMBs to design, configure, administer, tune, and troubleshoot IT environments that support at-home workers. Progent can help your Allentown company to select the appropriate tools and adhere to best practices in creating and operating a secure virtual solution for telecommuters that promotes collaboration and returns maximum value. Progent offers services that go from as-needed guidance for helping you over challenging IT bottlenecks to full project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical tasks.
Progent's consultants can assist Allentown, Pennsylvania businesses to with any facet of building a high-performing telecommuting environment by delivering network infrastructure configuration services, VoIP PBX troubleshooting, voice/video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, cloud connectivity, helpdesk services, security monitoring, data protection solutions, and unified management.
Network Infrastructure for Teleworkers
Setting up the physical and software infrastructure required for an at-home work environment can be especially challenging if you must manage a mix of personal equipment like PCs and laptops, Internet routers, and wireless APs from various vendors and with a variety of operating systems and firmware levels. Progent's experience delivering online help for both legacy as well as modern IT products in virtual office solutions enables you to make efficient use of your existing network infrastructure and provides you with fast access to expertise for implement essential upgrades. Support services available from Progent to help your company to implement a productive telecommuting ecosystem include:
IP Voice Solutions for Teleworkers
Expanding the corporate PBX environment to accommodate remote users is critical to maintaining a productive work-at-home solution. A broad range of cloud-centric digital PBX products are used by small and mid-size businesses to support teleworkers. Many larger organizations rely on Cisco's current or older products for VoIP solutions. Progent can help organizations of any size to plan or maintain a telecommuter VoIP service that provides the versatility, convenience and security needed for telecommuters. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice consultants offer high-level support to help organizations optimize their current Cisco VoIP environments to support a growing remote workforce.
Video Conferencing for Telecommuters
A wide range of video conferencing platforms from leading vendors support virtual discussions, video and voice conferencing, chat, and content sharing for both onsite workers and at-home workers. Many organizations utilize multiple products to accommodate their different partners and customers. Progent can assist your organization to manage your existing conferencing environment and enhance the productivity of your at-home workforce.
Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Software for Telecommuters
Microsoft's collaboration products are tightly integrated with Microsoft's popular Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 families, providing a powerful environment of productivity apps that create a consistent user experience for sharing data and ideas throughout a corporate network and on a wide selection of endpoint computers. Progent has provided online consulting support for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange since their original releases and can assist your company to configure these flagship collaboration platforms to maximize the effectiveness of your remote workforce.
SharePoint utilizes web sites to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing by offering policy-based access to data, business processes, and utilities for looking through company-wide information silos. SharePoint enables you to build protected web portals that allows at-home workers to view and edit aggregated business intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social sites, and Web Parts (Widgets). To find out about Progent's SharePoint support services, visit SharePoint configuration and application development consulting.
Exchange and Exchange Online offer secure collaboration features including public folders, shared mailboxes, and shared calendars and contacts. Progent's Microsoft certified Exchange experts can show you how to activate and utilize these features for your at-home workers. For details about Progent's Exchange consulting services, go to planning and configuration expertise for Exchange.
OneDrive is Microsoft's shared cloud-based file hosting and synchronization service, comparable to GoogleDrive. Remote users can store files to OneDrive, and co-workers anywhere can retrieve them safely via a browser. Included with Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365, OneDrive enables at-home employees to co-author files. Edits made offline are automatically uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. For information about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft OneDrive, see Onedrive integration consulting.
Public Cloud Integration Services for Teleworkers
Progent can provide advanced remote support for helping businesses to create, maintain and optimize integrated hybrid network architectures that incorporate internal data centers, remote workers, branches, and cloud resources. Progent offers top-tier consultant for all modes of cloud service such as Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service. Progent can help at-home workers resolve problems with cloud access, authentication, and security.
Microsoft Azure is a leading family of cloud software and services that enables you to utilize infrastructure, virtual servers, and key apps hosted on Microsoft's massive cloud. Azure offers over one hundred services services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-powered VMs, scalable cloud storage, email and messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and backup/restore. Progent can assist you to set up virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity management with Azure AD, and plan data backup and recovery solutions with Azure Backup. Progent's cloud experts can also show you how to create protected connections to Azure for telecommuters by configuring and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN tunnels. For details about Progent's expertise for Microsoft Azure, refer to Azure consulting.
Microsoft 365, formerly branded Office 365, is Microsoft's growing suite of client productivity software and cloud-based services available by subscription. Office apps and cloud services are provided in a selection of bundles intended for users ranging from individuals and small offices to large enterprises. Progent can provide quick and affordable remote access to experts knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible client devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent's experts can help your business to assess the numerous subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and deploy 365 apps for your at-home workers to achieve top business value. For information about Progent's support services for Microsoft 365, go to Microsoft 365 consulting support.
Exchange Online is one of the most popular applications in the Microsoft 365 product suite. Exchange Online provides the advantages of lower spending for physical infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high reliability, and other advantages inherent with cloud computing. Microsoft has designed Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to operate seamlessly with local deployments of Exchange, enabling you to create hybrid information systems. Progent's Exchange experts can provide as-needed help to get you past tough technical roadblocks and can also provide end-to-end project management outsourcing to make sure your teleworkers have convenient and secure access to your Microsoft 365 Exchange Online deployment. For information Progent's consulting expertise for Exchange Online, refer to Exchange Online integration and support consulting.
Amazon AWS is a pioneer in the public cloud computing arena and is the industry's biggest source of cloud-based services. Progent offers rapid and affordable online contact with cloud connectivity consultants who can assist your organization to plan, deploy, manage, and debug hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud services with on-premises resources and with other public clouds like Azure. Progent also offers access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to help you to build a high-availability network architecture to make sure your employees have a consistent computing experience regardless of whether they are working from your headquarters, a branch office, from home, or on the move. To learn about Progent's consulting expertise for Amazon AWS, visit Amazon AWS integration services.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a popular suite of cloud computing services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco consulting experts can help your organization to extend your current IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA consultants can help you make your mission-critical apps cloud friendly so your teleworkers can benefit fully from Google Cloud Platform services. Progent's consultants can assist your business to deploy virtual machines on Google Cloud Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage solution with GCP Storage, and simplify identity management for remote workers with GCP Cloud Identity. Progent's experts can also assist you to use GCP's unified management technology to administer and track your Google Cloud environment. For information, go to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) integration support.
Help Desk Call Center Support for Telecommuters
An emergency, enterprise-wide switchover to a telecommuter business model, which might be the result of an epidemic or as a component of a disaster recovery process, can overstretch even a high-performing in-house Call Desk. Progent's Call Center services allow organizations to outsource or supplement their Support Desk with Progent's remote Technical Response Center (TRC) team.
Security for Teleworkers
Work-from-Home staff members commonly utilize their personal devices and often work in an unsecured physical space. This increases their susceptibility to cyber attacks and calls for careful configuration of firewalls, AV tools, multi-factor authentication, remote endpoint monitoring, extensive user training, and the development of policies based on best practices. Progent's seasoned roster of IT security support consultants can assist your business to design, configure and maintain an effective security solution that protects vital information assets in networks that incorporate remote workers.
Firewalls allow you to create a network environment that can be securely accessed by on-premises users and by teleworkers, mobile users, suppliers, clients, and other stakeholders. Modern firewall appliances allow you to assign and control appropriate permissions to various classes of users and to scale your network and modify your security as your business evolves and as cyber threats become more sophisticated. Progent supports both current and legacy security devices from all leading manufacturers like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, and Fortinet. For details about Progent's firewall integration expertise, go to firewall configuration and support services.
Online Endpoint Monitoring makes it possible to watch over the disparate computers used by remote workers and either block or spot and respond to modern cyber attacks such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a lightweight software agent is installed on each protected endpoint, monitoring all activity and utilizing advanced AI technology from SentinelOne to identify new attacks before they can spread. When an attack is spotted, ProSight ASM immediately disconnects the targeted device from the network to quarantine the threat. Since the ProSight ASM agent is self-contained, endpoints remain protected even when they are disconnected from the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. For more information about ProSight ASM, see remote endpoint monitoring for at-home workers.
Progent's Duo MFA service plans incorporate Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against stolen passwords by using two-factor authentication. Duo enables one-tap identity confirmation with Apple iOS, Android, and other personal devices. With Duo 2FA, when you log into a secured online account and give your password you are requested to confirm your identity on a unit that only you possess and that is accessed using a separate network channel. A broad selection of out-of-band devices can be utilized for this second means of ID validation including a smartphone or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You may register several validation devices. To find out more about Duo identity validation services, see Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for telecommuters.
Security Audits can evaluate the exposure of your network to all classes of external and internal security attacks for a network that includes telecommuters. Progent can deploy online, automated security analysis scanning for rapidly and affordably detecting a broad range of security gaps that can be found via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment experts, which can be managed by security experts with advanced credentials such as CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can assist your business to evaluate your processes and governance policies and review your network architecture to allow you to design top-level protection for your teleworkers.
Download White Paper: Securing a Work-From-Home (WFH) Environment
To read or download a white paper about critical things to focus on for protecting a network that includes telecommuters, click:
Protecting a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)
Data Protection for At-Home Workers
Data Protection covers backing up and restoring vital data so as to prevent data loss and reduce restoration time and effort in case of storage problems due to equipment issues, software glitches, operator mistakes, malware, or other causes. Dependable data protection strategies can be especially challenging to design and manage in hybrid environments that incorporate local data centers, public clouds, and an at-home workforce.
Unified Management for Teleworkers
Microsoft has rebranded and rebundled its endpoint management platforms under the name Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud management of mobile and remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing on-premises computers. Endpoint Manager features a centralized environment for safeguarding critical data by managing onsite, mobile, and home-based endpoint devices.
Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Microsoft Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and securing off-premises computers and applications. Remote endpoint devices can be user owned or company owned. Network admins managing the endpoint devices of telecommuters can use Intune to deploy and validate applications on devices, push updates and certificates, set up policies for permission to access data and networks, manage passwords, establish VPN connections, determine how home-based workers share information, set up threat defense, ensure security compliance, and erase sensitive data from lost, stolen or decommissioned devices. Microsoft Intune can be used with iOS/iPadOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X computers. For details about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can assist your company to use Microsoft's Endpoint Management to administer the devices of your at-home workers, see Intune teleworker device management experts.
VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich centralized Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform that allows network administrators to keep remote endpoints up to date and protected. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint administration along with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery platform for authorization control, application management, and configuration management of endpoint computers. Workspace ONE runs with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or leading distros of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is offered by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-premises product through a perpetual license. Top capabilities of VMware Workspace ONE include fast remote provisioning of new notebooks, immediate onboarding of new users, policy setting and enforcement for all categories of endpoints, aggregated management reporting and performance analytics, an email encryption gateway, and tight integration with Microsoft apps and cloud products. For information about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, visit VMware Workspace ONE mobile device management expertise.
Contact Progent for Remote Workforce Support Services
To contact Progent about creating and maintaining an efficient telecommuter environment for your Allentown, Pennsylvania business, phone