Atlanta Remote Workforce Configuration Advisor

Expanding your at-home workforce can have a major effect on IT architecture, cybersecurity, and company culture. Progent has 20 years of background assisting businesses of all sizes to design, configure, administer, tune, and troubleshoot IT environments that incorporate a remote workforce. Progent can assist your Atlanta organization to pick the appropriate technologies and adhere to leading practices in creating and maintaining a safe virtual office ecosystem for telecommuters that promotes teamwork and delivers top value. Progent offers services ranging from on demand guidance for getting you past challenging technical bottlenecks to full project management to help you carry out business-critical tasks.

Progent can help Atlanta, Georgia businesses to succeed with any facet of building a high-functioning work-at-home ecosystem by providing infrastructure design and configuration services, IP voice troubleshooting, video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, public cloud integration, Help Desk augmentation, security and compliance, backup/restore solutions, and centralized management.

Infrastructure for a Remote Workforce
Setting up the physical and software infrastructure required to support a remote workforce can be particularly challenging if you must accommodate a mix of personal equipment such as desktop computers and notebooks, Internet routers, and wireless appliances from an assortment of manufacturers and with a variety of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's experience delivering remote support for both outdated and current IT products in remote office solutions allows you to make efficient use of your available infrastructure and provides you with ready access to top-tire consultants for making essential upgrades. Services available from Progent to assist you to create a high-functioning work-at-home ecosystem include:

• Virtual Private Network technology allows you to establish a secure tunnel for authorized at-home employees to access IT resources located at your corporate data center or in a public cloud. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy and manage VPN access between your teleworkers and your various network resources by providing remote VPN configuration consulting. For businesses with Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA Firewall experts can help your telecommuters to set up Cisco's popular AnyConnect client software for safe VPN tunneling for a wide range of endpoint devices including Microsoft Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Google Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure products enable a teleworker to view and use a data center PC's desktop. This technology gives IT managers substantial control over the digital environment of telecommuters and offers them a familiar experience. Progent's virtual desktop services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI consulting.
• Routers attach at-home networks to the Internet and support VPN tunnels, local wireless networks, and firewall services. Progent offers top-tier remote consulting for configuring home routers from a variety of manufacturers. See router configuration services from Cisco-certified experts.
• Home Wireless networks, typically supporting the whole family and visitors, are commonly used by telecommuters to connect to their Internet router for work. This can cause performance and cybersecurity problems. Progent can help businesses to mitigate these problems by providing services that include Cisco Aironet configuration expertise, Cisco-certified Meraki wireless deployment consulting, and Ubiquiti Unifi wireless AP integration assistance.
• Internet access methods impact the speed and reliability of connections between telecommuters and the company data center. Vital applications may require backup Internet connections in the event the primary connection breaks. Progent can provide guidance for picking service providers, choosing sensible bandwidth and data volume packages, and setting up redundant Internet access. See Internet access solutions.

VoIP Solutions for At-Home Workers
Expanding the company PBX system to include telecommuters is vital to maintaining an effective work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-based IP voice platforms are used by small and mid-size businesses to server remote users. Many enterprises rely on Cisco's current or older platforms for IP voice management. Progent can assist businesses of any size to design or tune a remote VoIP environment that provides the versatility, transparency and security required for teleworkers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice consultants can provide high-level support to assist organizations tune their current Cisco IP voice systems to support a growing at-home workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM or CUCM) delivers advanced IP telephony features to devices like IP phones, media processing products, VoIP gateways, and mixed media apps used across the network. CUCM manages additional mixed media services such as messaging, voice/video conferencing, and customer interaction networks. For details about Progent's CUCM support, visit Cisco Unified CM consulting services.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing software and has been superseded by CUCM. Progent can help you to support your current CallManager environment or migrate efficiently to Cisco's current IP telephony solutions. To find out about Progent's expertise for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP platforms, visit Cisco CallManager consulting services.
• Cisco IP Gateways enable connectivity with PSTN networks and with clients operating beyond the corporate perimeter such as at-home workers. Progent can provide consulting expertise for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 series as well as for modern Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateways. See Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateway integration expertise.
• Additional VoIP Platforms supported by Progent include Vonage, RingCentral and 8x8. Progent can help you to update your WAN infrastructure to work with these solutions and deliver as-needed deployment and debugging services.

Voice/Video Conferencing for Remote Workers
A broad range of voice/video conferencing platforms from major technology companies support online meetings, video conferencing, chat, and screen/content sharing for both onsite workers and teleworkers. Many companies use multiple products to accommodate their various partners and customers. Progent can assist you to maintain your current conferencing ecosystem and optimize the engagement of your remote workforce.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's popular unified 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 productivity software such as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent can provide the skills of Microsoft-certified consultants who can help you to configure and maintain Skype for Business clients to support your at-home workforce. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Skype for Business, see Skype for Business consulting experts.
• FaceTime is Apple's multiuser video calling platform for compatible iOS, iPadOS, iPod and macOS devices. FaceTime works on Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Later editions of FaceTime allow as many as 32 simultaneous users for video calls. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for FaceTime, see Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center supports remote conferencing for most computing devices. Delivered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex capabilities include sharing discrete content or computer screens, presentations that incorporate rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session capture, plus revision and playback for future reference. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Cisco Webex as well as for other IP video solutions from Cisco, see 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 capabilities such as voice/video conferencing, persistent threaded chat, plus data sharing. For details about Progent's support expertise for Microsoft Teams as well as for other Microsoft 365 apps, see Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Other Conferencing Platforms supported by Progent include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can provide configuration and troubleshooting services for these products and assist your business to tune your WAN architecture to run them.

Microsoft Collaboration Platforms for Teleworkers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are tightly integrated with Microsoft's popular Office and Microsoft 365 suites, offering a powerful environment of productivity apps that deliver a cohesive user experience for sharing information throughout a corporate network and on a broad range of endpoints. Progent has delivered online consulting services for SharePoint and Exchange Server since their initial releases and can help businesses to deploy these critical collaboration platforms to maximize the productivity of your remote workers.

SharePoint uses web entities to enable collaboration and information sharing by providing policy-driven access to content, workflow, and utilities for searching through company-wide information silos. SharePoint enables you to create protected web portals that allows at-home workers to see and update aggregated business intelligence by means of Wikis, Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts. To learn about Progent's SharePoint expertise, visit SharePoint integration and application 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. For details about Progent's Exchange consulting services, go to integration consulting services for Microsoft Exchange.

OneDrive is Microsoft’s shared cloud-based storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home users can store files to the OneDrive service, and co-workers anywhere can retrieve them safely through a browser. Provided with Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows at-home workers to co-author files. Edits made offline are synced when you go back online. To learn about Progent's support services for Microsoft OneDrive, visit Onedrive integration experts.

Cloud Integration Services for Remote Workers
Progent offers advanced online assistance for helping businesses to create, manage and troubleshoot integrated hybrid network architectures that incorporate physical data centers, remote workers, branches, and public cloud resources. Progent offers expertise for all types of public cloud service delivery including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service. Progent can help remote workers resolve problems with public cloud connectivity, authentication, and cybersecurity.

Azure is a popular platform for cloud services that enables you to use infrastructure, servers, and key applications running on Microsoft's massive cloud. Azure offers over one hundred services services such as the ability to host Windows and Linux-powered virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, email and messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and backup/restore. Progent can help your organization to set up virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure AD, and design backup and recovery systems with Azure Backup. Progent's cloud experts can also show you how to create protected access to Azure for at-home workers by setting up and debugging firewall appliances and VPN IPsec tunnels. To learn about Progent's support services for Azure, refer to Microsoft Azure consulting services.

Office 365, rebranded Microsoft 365, is Microsoft's growing suite of business productivity software and cloud services offered by subscription. Microsoft apps and services are provided in a variety of bundles intended for customers ranging from students and small offices to large corporations. Progent offers quick and easy online access to experts familiar with Office 365-compatible devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent can help your business to evaluate the numerous subscription plans available for Office 365 and configure 365 applications for your teleworkers to achieve top business value. For details about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Office 365, go to Microsoft Office 365 consulting expertise.

Office 365 Exchange Online is one of the most popular cloud-based applications in the Microsoft 365 product line. Office 365 Exchange Online provides the benefits of lower costs for physical infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high reliability, and other benefits inherent with public clouds. Microsoft has engineered Exchange Online to operate seamlessly with local deployments of Exchange, allowing customers to build hybrid networks. Progent's certified Exchange experts are available for as-needed help to guide you through challenging IT bottlenecks and also offer comprehensive project management outsourcing to make sure your teleworkers have easy and safe access to your Exchange Online deployment. To find out Progent's support services for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, see Microsoft 365 Exchange Online configuration and support expertise.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a trailblazer in the public cloud computing arena and is the world's top provider of cloud services. Progent can provide rapid and economical online access to cloud connectivity consultants who can help your organization to design, deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with on-premises resources and with other popular cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure. Progent also can provide the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to assist your company to create a high-availability network architecture so your users have a productive computing environment whether they are working from your main office, a branch office, at home, or on the move. For details about Progent's expertise for Amazon AWS, see Amazon AWS integration support.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a popular set of cloud services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can assist your organization to expand your current IT assets with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA experts can help you make your key applications cloud ready so your teleworkers can take full advantage of Google Cloud services. Progent's consultants can help your organization to deploy virtual machines on Google Cloud Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage system with GCP Storage, and simplify identity management for remote workers with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent's consultants can also help your organization to use GCP's management technology to administer and monitor your GCP ecosystem. For information, go to Google Cloud Platform integration services.

Help Desk Call Center Services for Teleworkers
An emergency, enterprise-wide changeover to a telecommuter business model, which could be driven by a pandemic or as part of a disaster recovery plan, can overwhelm even the most efficient in-house Help Desk. Progent's Help Desk Call Center services allow organizations to outsource or augment their Help Desk Call Center by using Progent's remote Technical Response Center services.

• Progent's Standard Call Desk services leverage Progent's extensive network of online IT support specialists along with enterprise-class ticketing and follow-up technology to offer an affordable, state-of-the-art Support Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer an end-to-end solution that addresses all aspects of remote Level 1 PC support from initial service requests to ticket generation, desktop sharing, problem resolution, and reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal allows teleworkers to check or revise the status of their current trouble tickets, enter details, and upload screenshots or attachments. Support services are delivered at a substantial price reduction off Progent's ordinary Level 1 desktop service rates, and Progent offers optional rapid hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 IT specialists to resolve complex issues. To find out more, visit Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services for small businesses.
• Progent's Support Desk Supplemental Service enables you to augment your existing Help Desk staff by sharing delivery of Help Desk Call Center support transparently between your regular support staff and Progent's nationwide team of desktop support engineers and subject matter specialists. Progent's shared Support Desk service is based on a collective support model based on the leading PSA tool for handling service requests and ticketing, establishing responsibility, tracking progress, and producing management reports. To learn how Progent's Support Desk Supplementation Services can help your company to deliver world-class desktop support to your at-home workforce, go to Progent's Help Desk Call Center supplementation Services.

Security and Compliance for Remote Workers
Remote workers commonly run their personal computers and work in an unsecured environment. This increases their exposure to cyber attacks and demands judicious deployment of security appliances, remote security monitoring, and the creation of security policies that follow leading practices. Progent's seasoned team of certified data security experts can assist your business to design, implement and administer a modern security environment that guards vital data in networks that incorporate an at-home workforce.

• Firewalls enable you to create a network that can be safely accessed by on-premises users and by telecommuters, mobile workers, suppliers, clients, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall appliances allow you to configure and control appropriate access rights to different groups of users and to scale your network and modify your security profile as your company evolves and as cyber threats grow more complex. Progent works with both current and older firewall devices from all leading vendors like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall configuration expertise, visit firewall integration and support expertise.
• Online Endpoint Monitoring makes it possible to track the various computers utilized by an at-home workforce and either reject or identify and mitigate modern cyber attacks such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint agent is installed on each protected endpoint device, monitoring all activity and utilizing advanced behavioral threat analysis to detect zero-day threats at inception. When a cyberattack is spotted, ProSight ASM immediately disconnects the targeted endpoint device from the corporate network to quarantine the malware. Because the ProSight Active Security Monitoring software agent is autonomous, endpoint devices remain protected even when they are offline. To learn more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, see remote endpoint monitoring for telecommuters.
• Security Audits can assess the vulnerability of your network to all types of outside and internal security threats for a network that incorporates teleworkers. Progent can run remote, automated cybersecurity analysis scanning for rapidly and economically detecting a wide variety of security gaps that can be found via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment consulting services, which can be provided by data security professionals with advanced credentials including CISA, CISSP, and GIAC, can assist you to audit your operations and governance policies and review your WAN infrastructure to enable you to implement the highest level of protection for your teleworkers.

Data Protection for Remote Workers
The field of Data Protection covers backing up and recovering critical information so as to prevent data loss and reduce recovery time and effort in the event of storage failures due to hardware issues, programming hiccups, operator mistakes, cyber attack, or other causes. Dependable data protection solutions can be especially challenging to design and manage in hybrid environments that incorporate private data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.

• Backup/Restore solutions for at-home workers must cover diverse types of user-owned endpoints. Progent can provide quick remote access to consultants familiar with a broad array of products for protection Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX servers and desktop computers as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Popular backup/recovery solutions supported by Progent's data protection consultants include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To back up resources distributed across a wide area network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a managed backup/recovery service that uses cloud-based storage and includes fine-grained recovery and unified management capabilities.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity strategies typically anticipate circumstances that call for a temporary changeover to telecommuting. Progent's senior disaster recovery preparedness experts and business continuity specialists can assist your business to create, document and validate a DR/BC plan that addresses the process of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for Telecommuters
Microsoft has rebranded and rebundled its endpoint management products under the title Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing onsite endpoints. Microsoft Endpoint Manager offers a centralized platform for protecting corporate information by controlling on-premises, mobile, and at-home endpoints.

Microsoft Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and securing remote computers and applications. Remote endpoint computers can be user owned or business owned. Network admins managing the endpoint devices of at-home workers can utilize Intune to provision and authenticate applications on managed devices, push patches and certificates, set up policies for accessing data and networks, set passwords, establish VPN connections, control how teleworkers share information, set up threat defense, ensure compliance, and wipe corporate information from missing, stolen or decommissioned devices. Intune can be used with iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X computers. To find out about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can assist you to use this platform to administer the devices of your teleworkers, visit Intune remote device management experts.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced centralized MDM platform that allows network administrators to keep offsite endpoint devices up to date and secure. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint administration combined with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for access control, app management, and configuration management of endpoints. Workspace ONE operates with devices powered by Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or leading distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is offered by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-site deployment via a one-time purchase. Key features of Workspace ONE include rapid over-the-air deployment of out-of-the-box notebooks, quick onboarding of new employees, policy setting and enforcement for all categories of endpoints, aggregated reporting and analytics, email encryption, and tight integration with Microsoft applications and cloud-based products. For details about Progent's expertise for VMware Workspace ONE, see VMware Workspace ONE mobile device management consultants.

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