Atlanta Offsite Workforce Connectivity Advisor

Enlarging your at-home workforce may have a significant impact on IT architecture, cybersecurity, and corporate culture. Progent has 20 years of background helping businesses of all sizes to design, configure, administer, tune, and debug IT networks that incorporate a remote workforce. Progent can help your Atlanta company to select the appropriate tools and adhere to leading practices in building and operating a safe virtual office ecosystem for telecommuters that promotes collaboration and returns top business value. Progent offers services ranging from on demand guidance for getting you past occasional technical bottlenecks to full project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical tasks.

Progent's consultants can help Atlanta, Georgia businesses to succeed with any facet of building a high-performing work-at-home environment by providing network infrastructure configuration services, IP voice expertise, video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, public cloud integration, Help Desk services, data security, backup/restore solutions, and centralized management.

Network Infrastructure for Telecommuters
Configuring the physical and software infrastructure needed to support a remote work environment can be especially complex if you have to manage a combination of worker-owned hardware like desktop computers and laptops, Internet routers, and Wi-Fi APs from an assortment of vendors and with a variety of OS software and firmware releases. Progent's background providing online support for both outdated as well as modern technologies in virtual office solutions enables you to make efficient use of your available network infrastructure and provides you with fast access to expertise for implement necessary upgrades. Support services offered by Progent to assist you to implement a productive work-at-home ecosystem include:

• Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity allows you to establish a safe tunnel for authenticated at-home workers to access IT assets located at your corporate data center or in the cloud. Progent can assist your company to configure and manage VPN connections between your at-home workforce and your various network resources by providing remote VPN configuration support. For organizations using Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA consultants can assist your at-home workers to utilize Cisco's popular AnyConnect client software for safe VPN tunneling for a broad range of devices such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure platforms enable a teleworker to see and interact with a data center PC's desktop. This technology provides network managers significant control over the computing environment of telecommuters and offers remote users a consistent and more productive experience. Progent's virtual desktop consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop support and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops expertise.
• Routers connect at-home computer networks to the Internet and support VPN tunnels, home Wi-Fi connectivity, and firewall services. Progent can provide expert remote consulting for setting up home routers from a range of vendors. See router configuration support from Cisco-certified experts.
• Home Wireless networks, often supporting an entire household and visitors, are commonly used by at-home employees to access their router for work. This can cause throughput and cybersecurity issues. Progent can assist businesses to resolve these issues by delivering services that include Aironet configuration consulting, Cisco-certified Meraki WiFi deployment expertise, and Ubiquiti Unifi WiFi access point setup help.
• Internet connectivity solutions affect the speed and reliability of connections between telecommuters and the company network. Vital processes may demand redundant Internet access in the event the normal connection fails. Progent offers guidance for identifying service providers, picking appropriate bandwidth and data volume bundles, and setting up fault-tolerant Internet connections. See Internet connectivity integration services.

IP Voice Integration for At-Home Workers
Extending the business PBX environment to accommodate remote users is critical to supporting an effective at-home workforce. A broad range of cloud-centric digital PBX platforms are used by SMBs to server teleworkers. Many larger organizations rely on Cisco's modern or legacy platforms for IP voice management. Progent can assist organizations of any size to plan or tune a remote IP voice environment that delivers the versatility, transparency and security needed for remote users. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts offer high-level support to help businesses optimize their current Cisco VoIP systems to handle an expanding at-home workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) extends enterprise IP telephony capabilities to devices like VoIP phones, media processing products, VoIP gateways, and multimedia applications used throughout the network. CUCM supports additional combined media services like unified messaging, voice/video conferencing, and customer collaboration networks. For details about Progent's Cisco Unified CM or CUCM support, see CUCM expertise.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been replaced by CUCM. Progent can help you to maintain your existing CallManager environment or migrate smoothly to Cisco's modern IP telephony solutions. For details about Progent's support services for CallManager and Cisco's other older VoIP products, refer to Cisco CallManager consulting services.
• Cisco IP Gateways provide connectivity with public telephony networks and with clients operating outside the corporate firewall like at-home workers. Progent offers expert support for Cisco's legacy IP gateways like the UC520, UC540 and UC560 product lines and for current Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateway configuration consulting.
• Additional VoIP Products supported by Progent's consultants include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can assist you to expand your wide area network infrastructure to work with these solutions and deliver as-needed deployment and debugging services.

Voice/Video Conferencing for Teleworkers
A broad range of voice/video conferencing products from major vendors enable online meetings, video conferencing, chat, and screen sharing for both onsite users and telecommuters. Many organizations use multiple conferencing products to meet the needs of their different partners and customers. Progent can help you to maintain your existing conferencing ecosystem and enhance the productivity of your at-home workforce.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications platform that enables presence, IM, voice and video calling and conferencing plus the transparent integration of these capabilities within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook. Progent offers the skills of Microsoft-certified specialists who can help you to configure and maintain Skype for Business client software to accommodate your remote employees. For details about Progent's support services for Skype for Business, see Skype for Business consulting experts.
• FaceTime is Apple's group video phone app for iOS, iPadOS, iPod and macOS computers and smartphones. FaceTime runs on Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Later editions of FaceTime allow as many as 32 simultaneous users for voice/video sessions. To learn more about Progent's support services for FaceTime, visit Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center supports remote conferencing for most desktop or mobile devices. Delivered through Cisco's Webex Cloud platform, Webex capabilities include sharing granular content or screens, presentations that embed rich media such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session capture, plus revision and playback for future reference and training. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Cisco Webex and for other video conferencing solutions from Cisco, visit Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
• Teams is Microsoft's follow-up for Skype for Business. Teams provides a hub for conversations, contacts, and information with features that include voice/video calling, persistent threaded chat, plus data sharing. For details about Progent's support expertise for Teams as well as for other Office 365 products, see Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Additional Voice/Video Conferencing Apps supported by Progent's conferencing experts include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver configuration and debugging services for these conferencing platforms and help you to optimize your WAN infrastructure to host them.

Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Software for Teleworkers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are tightly integrated with Microsoft's popular Office suites, providing a rich ecosystem of applications that deliver a consistent user experience for sharing information throughout multiple sites and on a broad range of endpoints. Progent has provided remote consulting support for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange Server since their first releases and can assist your company to configure these flagship collaboration platforms to maximize the productivity of your remote workforce.

SharePoint uses web sites to allow collaboration and information sharing by providing policy-driven access to content, workflow, and utilities for looking through company-wide information silos. SharePoint enables you to create protected web portals that enables at-home workforce to see and edit consolidated business intelligence by means of Wikis, Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts (Widgets). To learn about Progent's SharePoint expertise, refer to SharePoint integration and development expertise.

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. To learn about Progent's Exchange expertise, see planning and configuration consulting for Exchange.

OneDrive is Microsoft’s shared cloud-based file hosting and synchronization service, similar to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can save files to the OneDrive service, and co-workers can retrieve them safely through a browser. Included with Office 365, OneDrive allows remote workers to co-edit files. Revisions made offline are automatically uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. For information about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft OneDrive, go to Microsoft Onedrive configuration consulting.

Public Cloud Integration for Remote Workers
Progent can provide affordable online assistance for enabling businesses to create, manage and repair integrated network models that include internal data centers, at-home workers, branch offices, plus cloud resources. Progent can provide 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 (SaaS). Progent can help teleworkers fix problems with cloud access, identity, and cybersecurity.

Microsoft Azure is a leading family of cloud services that allows you to utilize IT infrastructure, servers, and key applications hosted on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Microsoft Azure features over 100 services services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-based virtual machines, on-demand cloud storage, messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and backup/restore. Progent can assist your organization to deploy virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity control with Azure Active Directory, and plan backup and recovery solutions with Azure Backup. Progent can also help you establish protected access to Azure services for teleworkers by configuring and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN tunnels. For information about Progent's expertise for Azure, see Microsoft Azure consulting.

Office 365, now called Microsoft 365, is Microsoft's popular suite of business productivity software and cloud services available on a subscription basis. Microsoft applications and cloud services are provided in a variety of plans designed for users ranging from individuals and small offices to major enterprises. Progent can provide fast and easy remote access to experts familiar with Office 365-compatible endpoint devices running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent's experts can assist you to evaluate the numerous subscription plans available for Office 365 and configure 365 apps for your remote workers to achieve top business value. To learn about Progent's expertise for Microsoft Office 365, go to Microsoft Office 365 consulting services.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online is among the most widely used applications in Azure-hosted Office 365 product line. Exchange Online provides the advantages of lower spending for data center infrastructure, easier management, on-demand scaling, high reliability, and other benefits inherent with cloud computing. Microsoft has designed Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to run seamlessly with local deployments of Exchange, allowing you to build hybrid cloud/onsite networks. Progent's Exchange consultants can provide as-needed assistance to guide you past challenging IT bottlenecks and can also provide comprehensive project management outsourcing to make sure your at-home workers have easy and safe access to your Exchange Online environment. For information Progent's support services for Exchange Online, see Microsoft 365 Exchange Online configuration and support consulting.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a pioneer in the public cloud computing market and is the world's biggest provider of cloud services. Progent offers rapid and economical online contact with cloud connectivity consultants who can help your business to design, deploy, manage, and debug hybrid IT networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with on-premises data centers and with other public clouds such as Azure. Progent also offers the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to help you to create a high-availability network architecture to make sure your employees have a consistent computing experience whether they are working from your main office, a remote branch, at home, or on the road. To find out about Progent's support services for Amazon AWS, refer to Amazon AWS consulting support.

Google Cloud (GCP) is a leading set of cloud 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 assist your business to extend your existing IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA consultants can show you how to make your key apps cloud friendly so your telecommuters can benefit fully from Google Cloud services. Progent can help your organization to set up virtual machines on GCP Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage solution with Google Cloud Storage services, and simplify access management for remote workers with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent can also help your organization to use GCP's unified management tools to administer and track your Google Cloud environment. To find out, see Google Cloud Platform (GCP) consulting expertise.

Help Desk Call Center Support for Telecommuters
A fast, enterprise-wide transition to a teleworker workforce, which could be driven by an epidemic or as a component of a disaster recovery/business continuity process, can overwhelm even a well-staffed in-house Call Center. Progent's Call Center services allow organizations of any size to outsource or supplement their Help Desk by using Progent's online Technical Response Center (TRC) services.

• Progent's Standard Call Desk services leverage Progent's extensive team of remote technical support specialists along with world-class trouble ticketing and tracking software to offer an economical, state-of-the-art Call Center. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer an end-to-end solution that handles all aspects of remote Level 1 PC technical support from service requests to ticket creation, screen sharing, problem resolution, and incident reporting. A web-based User's Service Portal enables teleworkers to track or update the status of their current tickets, add information, and upload screenshots or relevant files. Desktop support services are provided at a significant discount off Progent's normal Level 1 technical support charges, and Progent makes available optional rapid hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 support specialists to resolve advanced problems. To find out more, visit Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services for small and mid-size businesses.
• Progent's Call Center Augmentation Service enables you to augment your current Call Desk staff by splitting delivery of Support Desk support seamlessly between your regular support staff and Progent's nationwide team of PC support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's co-managed Call Desk service uses a collaborative support solution utilizing the leading PSA tool for managing service requests and ticketing, establishing responsibility, monitoring progress, and generating management reports. To find out how Progent's Call Center Supplementation Services can enable your company to deliver best-in-class IT support to your teleworkers, refer to Progent's Call Center augmentation Services.

Security and Compliance for At-Home Workers
Teleworkers commonly use their own equipment and work in an unsecured space. This increases their vulnerability to cyber threats and requires careful use of firewalls, remote monitoring, and the enforcement of policies that adhere to leading practices. Progent's veteran team of certified cybersecurity professionals can assist your company to plan, implement and manage a compliant security solution that guards sensitive information in networks that incorporate teleworkers.

• Firewalls enable you to create a network environment that can be safely accessed by on-premises users and by an at-home workforce, mobile users, suppliers, customers, and the public. Next-generation firewall devices allow you to configure and control appropriate permissions to different groups of users and to scale your network and modify your security profile as your company evolves and as network attacks grow increasingly sophisticated. Progent works with both current and older firewall devices from all leading manufacturers including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, and Fortinet. To learn more about Progent's firewall configuration services, refer to firewall support expertise.
• Remote Endpoint Monitoring makes it easy to track the various computers utilized by telecommuters and either reject or spot and respond to the latest threats such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a small-footprint agent is installed on each secured endpoint, watching all activity and using state-of-the-art AI technology to identify zero-day threats at inception. When an attack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately isolates the impacted device from the network to quarantine the threat. Since the ProSight Active Security Monitoring agent is autonomous, endpoint devices stay protected even if they are offline. To learn more about ProSight ASM, refer to remote endpoint monitoring for teleworkers.
• Security Audits can evaluate the exposure of your network to all types of external and local security attacks for an environment that includes remote workers. Progent can run online, automated security inventory software for quickly and affordably uncovering a broad range of security gaps that can be found via the Internet. Progent's security assessment consulting services, which can be managed by network security experts with advanced certifications such as CISA, ISSAP, and GIAC, can help you to audit your processes and governance policies and review your network infrastructure to allow you to design top-level security for your at-home workers.

Data Protection Solutions for Telecommuters
The field of Data Protection covers saving and restoring critical data in order to avoid data loss and reduce recovery time and effort in case of storage system problems due to equipment breakdowns, programming hiccups, human error, cyber attack, or any other reason. Dependable data protection solutions can be particularly difficult to design and manage in hybrid networks that combine private data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.

• Backup/Recovery solutions for teleworkers must address multiple types of user-owned endpoints. Progent can provide fast online help from experts knowledgeable about a broad array of platforms for protection Microsoft Windows, Apple and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and handhelds. Popular backup/restore solutions supported by Progent's backup/recovery consultants include Barracuda Backup, Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To back up resources distributed throughout a wide area network, Progent offers ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a backup/recovery subscription service that uses cloud storage and includes granular recovery and centralized management.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity plans often envision scenarios that require a rapid switch to telecommuting. Progent's expert disaster recovery preparedness experts and business continuity planning consultants can help your business to produce, document and validate a DR/BC plan that includes the logistics of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for Teleworkers
Microsoft has rebranded and rebundled its endpoint management products under the title Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud-based management of remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing local computers. Endpoint Manager provides a centralized environment for protecting corporate data by managing local, mobile, and home-based endpoint devices.

Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and securing off-premises devices and software. Managed endpoint computers can be personally owned or business owned. Network administrators managing the enrolled endpoint devices of teleworkers can use Intune to deploy and authenticate applications on devices, push patches and certificates, configure rules for permission to access information and resources, set passwords, create VPN connections, determine how telecommuters share information, set up threat defense, verify compliance, and wipe sensitive information from missing, stolen or deactivated endpoint devices. Microsoft Intune can be used with Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS devices. To learn about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can assist you to use this platform to administer the endpoint devices of your at-home workforce, visit Intune remote endpoint management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced unified Mobile Device Management (MDM) product that helps network administrators to keep remote endpoint devices up to date and protected. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch technology for centralized endpoint administration combined with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for identity control, app management, and setup management of endpoint computers. Workspace ONE runs with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or leading distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-premises deployment through a perpetual license. Top capabilities of Workspace ONE include fast remote provisioning of out-of-the-box notebooks, quick onboarding of new users, policy set up and enforcement for all categories of devices, unifies reporting and performance analytics, an email encryption gateway, and seamless integration with Microsoft applications and cloud-based products. To find out about Progent's support services for VMware Workspace ONE, see VMware Workspace ONE mobile endpoint management consultants.

Contact Progent for Remote Workforce Expertise
To get in touch with Progent about creating and maintaining a productive work-from-home environment for your Atlanta, Georgia company, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.