Amazon AWS ConsultantsProgent offers quick and economical support from cloud connectivity consultants to assist your organization to design, configure, maintain, and debug hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-based services with on-premises resources as well as with additional popular clouds such as Microsoft Azure.

Progent can help you evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of Amazon AWS services compared to competing providers, migrate applications to Amazon AWS, design backup/restore solutions that utilize Amazon AWS cloud storage technology, and troubleshoot firewall and VPN connectivity issues. Progent can provide help from Cisco-certified CCIE network experts to show you how to build a high-availability network architecture so your clients have a productive computing environment regardless of whether they are working at your corporate headquarters, a branch office, at home, or in transit.

Amazon is a trail blazer in the cloud computing market and is the industry's top vendor of cloud services. Amazon Web Services offers a wide selection of cloud-based services including Elastic Compute Cloud for as-needed compute power for virtual servers, Amazon Simple Storage Service for instantly expandable low-latency storage, and Amazon Glacier for low-cost long-term backup and archiving. These Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solutions allow businesses of all sizes to move some or all of their IT infrastructure to the Amazon cloud, taking advantage of a pay-for-use model to minimize hardware expenses while reducing administrative overhead and slashing the time required to deploy new applications.

Hybrid Cloud Solutions
For most businesses, using public cloud products and services is assumed. The issue is how to find the right trade-off between cloud-based and local resources. Many businesses run custom mission-critical apps which are tricky to adapt to a cloud environment. Performance-driven OLTP database applications may require on-premises hardware configurations to provided maximum throughput. Also, corporate policies or government and industry standards may require more control over certain IT resources than can be achieved with public cloud environments. In these and other cases, hybrid architectures, which integrate local and cloud-based resources, are often adopted as the best network model.

To complicate things further, Amazon AWS competes with other vendors of cloud services such as Microsoft, whose Azure offerings include Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) options and also a Platform-as-a-Service model optimized for Windows-based applications. Basically, serious research and planning is needed for any business to select the appropriate cloud solution.

Progent's veteran solution designers can assist your company to plan and deploy a hybrid cloud strategy that incorporates Amazon AWS so that it optimizes business value. Progent can assist you with every aspect of Amazon AWS migration and troubleshooting including needs analysis, preparedness evaluation, architectural design and review, pilot testing, configuration, centralized administration, performance optimization, licensing management, disaster recovery mechanisms, and security. Progent offers advanced expertise with firewall configuration and VPN technology and can show you how to deploy all-cloud or hybrid cloud environments that seamlessly incorporate Amazon AWS resources. Progent offers occasional support or provide comprehensive project management outsourcing services to help you move efficiently to the Amazon AWS platform.

Key Amazon AWS Services
The Amazon AWS family of cloud services includes more than 70 infrastructure services that cover computing, primary and archival storage, databases, analytics, mobility, enterprise applications, management, Internet of Things, and cybersecurity, Amazon AWS cloud services used by businesses of all sizes and for which Progent provides advanced expertise include:

Amazon EC2 Integration ExpertiseAmazon Elastic Compute Cloud, or Amazon EC2, is a virtual server hosting service that lets you configure, expand, and manage cloud-hosted virtual servers, known as EC2 instances. You can deploy any number of instances and you are charged just for the capacity you use. You can control the individual server and cluster-level functions of a selection of OS platforms, add your cloud-hosted applications, and control access permissions. You also manage your own software licenses according to Amazon's Bring-Your-Own-License policy. You can utilize an Amazon Machine Image template and go online instantly or you can build a custom AMI that incorporates your apps, libraries, data, and configurations. Amazon EC2 can scale compute capacity immediately to accommodate variations in workloads, avoiding the hassle of complex capacity planning. You can request multiple host sites for improved resilience and you can use static IP endpoints to accommodate your application requirements.

Amazon Simple Storage Service Integration ConsultingAmazon Simple Storage Service, called Amazon S3, is a cloud-hosted storage product that offers low-latency storage for any amount of data. Amazon S3 scales dynamically and you pay only for the capacity you actually use. Amazon S3 is often implemented as offsite storage for data protection but is also suited for high-demand applications, most prominently Amazon's giant retail web site. Amazon S3's interface supports a range of storage types meant for various usage cases. Examples include S3 Standard for general-purpose storage of frequently accessed data, Amazon S3 Standard-Infrequent Access for persistent but rarely used data, and Amazon Glacier for archives. You can also define your own lifecycle policies so your S3 data automatically and transparently migrates to a different storage class without requiring changes to your applications. Amazon S3 cloud storage can be integrated with Amazon EC2 or as a standalone cloud service.

Amazon Glacier ExpertiseAmazon Glacier is a cloud-based storage service designed to provide low-cost archiving and long-term storage for data that is rarely retrieved. Glacier does not deliver the throughput of Amazon S3 cloud storage and is not suitable for real-time applications. Although restore time is slow and can take hours, storage costs are less than a penny per GB each month, which is less expensive than local storage. In addition, you can reduce overall storage costs by specifying lifecycle rules to move groups of Amazon S3 objects automatically to Amazon Glacier. Amazon Glacier can also help companies to comply with regulatory standards for data retention by offering ultra-reliable remote backup with features like regular, automatic integrity audits and automatic self-healing capability.

How Progent's Experts Can Help You with Amazon AWS Services
If you intend to integrate Amazon’s AWS cloud services into your information network using either a cloud-centric or a hybrid architecture, Progent can help you evaluate the business benefits of the Amazon AWS cloud platform compared to competing public cloud solutions. Progent can assist you with every phase of your cloud integration project including needs analysis, solution design, validation testing, configuration, administration, performance optimization, software license management, and disaster recovery planning. Progent can also provide the help of certified cybersecurity consultants to ensure. make sure your environment is safe and compliant with government and industry standards.

Progent can help your business to identify which of your critical applications are appropriate for Amazon AWS and help you upgrade legacy or custom applications so they can be moved to the Amazon AWS cloud. Progent offers economical remote and on-premises expertise to help you deal with occasional technical bottlenecks, or Progent can provide end-to-end project management outsourcing or co-sourcing to make sure you execute your cloud integration project on time and within budget.

A common technical issue confronted while extending your information system with Amazon AWS, or with any public cloud, is establishing secure links for various end points located either inside or outside your security perimeter. Progent offers the expertise of Cisco-certified CCIE network engineers or firewall integration experts certified by Symantec, Barracuda, WatchGuard, Check Point and others to show you how to deploy and administer firewalls for accessing Amazon AWS services. Progent can also provide the support of iOS technology specialists and Android configuration consultants to help you to set up smartphones and tablets for your Amazon AWS environment.

Some examples of remote integration services provided by Progent to assist companies integrate with the Amazon AWS cloud include:

  • Create or review the solution architecture for hybrid networks that use Amazon EC2 and S3 storage
  • Configure and debug VPN access to Amazon AWS
  • Install Cisco AnyConnect and Symantec AWS Gateway Service
  • Deploy and debug firewalls from Barracuda, Cisco, WatchGuard, Check Point and others
  • Design, implement, and validate backup and recovery systems based on Amazon Simple Storage Service
  • Create and verify Amazon Machine Images for Windows or Linux virtual servers and applications
  • Set up Java utilities for AMI images
  • Define, configure and verify security rules
  • Troubleshoot elastic and static IP issues
  • Resolve DNS and load balancing issues
  • Set up NATs for headquarters and remote offices
  • Create PHP code for signing AWS requests
  • Create Active Directory instances for Amazon EC2
  • Provide expertise for Amazon SQS service
Contact Progent for Amazon AWS Expertise
If you are looking for expert support with any aspect of integrating your network with the Amazon AWS cloud, call Progent at 800-993-9400 or see Contact Progent.

Other Cloud Integration Consulting Services Available from Progent
Progent offers expertise in all leading public cloud platforms and can provide quick online access to a hybrid cloud integration consultant. Popular cloud platforms and products supported by Progent include:

Amazon MWS Integration ExpertsAmazon Marketplace Web Service is a collection of APIs that enables Amazon sellers to improve the efficiency of their operations by automating key sales activities such as listings, orders, shipments, inbound and outbound fulfillment, and finances. By tapping into Amazon's extensive online ecosystem and automating their sales processes, vendors can expand their market, lower their operating costs, accelerate response time to customers, and increase their bottom line. Progent's Amazon Marketplace Web Service (Amazon MWS) consultants can collaborate with your development staff and provide application programming, workflow integration, project management support, and mentoring to help you cut development time and costs and expedite your ROI.

Azure Integration ConsultantsProgent's Microsoft Azure cloud planning and integration experts can assist you with any stage of Microsoft Azure integration including requirements definition, prerequisites assessment, solution architecture, pre-production testing, deployment, centralized management, performance tuning, license controls, disaster recovery preparedness, security planning, and regulatory compliance assessment. Progent can assist your IT staff to set up and troubleshoot firewall appliances and VPN tunnels so that your clients can securely connect to Azure resources, and Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you set up critical Microsoft technologies to run in the cloud including Windows Server, Exchange, SQL and Skype for Business. Progent can also help your organization to set up a hybrid environment that transparently combines physical datacenters with Azure-based resources.

Office 365 Integration with On-premises ExchangeMicrosoft supports transparent hybrid networks that integrate Office 365 Exchange Online and on-premises Exchange. This allows you to have some mailboxes located on your physical datacenter or private cloud and other mailboxes hosted by Office 365. Progent's certified Exchange consultants can assist you with any phase of designing, integrating and debugging your hybrid Office 365/Exchange network. Progent's Exchange specialists can deliver occasional support to help you through stubborn technical bottlenecks and also offer comprehensive project management outsourcing or co-sourcing to ensure your hybrid Office 365/Exchange initiative is carried out on schedule and within budget. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for hybrid Office 365 and on-premises Exchange environments, refer to Office 365 Exchange Online integration with on-premises Exchange.

Microsoft Office 365 Support ConsultantsProgent's certified Office and Office 365 consultants can assist businesses to incorporate Office desktop and Microsoft Office 365 applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Project and OneNote into a seamless solution that offers fast return on investment and promotes better business outcomes. Progent can assist your company to interface Office or Office 365 apps with each other and with other key Microsoft technologies including SharePoint, Exchange Server and SQL Server running locally or hosted in the cloud. Progent can also help you to resolve compatibility problems between various versions of Office and can provide customized online Office and Office 365 training to individuals or teams.

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