Expanding your remote workforce may have a major impact on network architecture, security, and company culture. Progent has 20 years of background helping businesses of all sizes to plan, deploy, administer, tune, and debug IT networks that support a remote workforce. Progent can help your Augusta-Richmond County company to select the appropriate technologies and follow leading practices in creating and maintaining a secure virtual solution for teleworkers that facilitates collaboration and delivers maximum value. Progent can provide support services ranging from on demand expertise for getting you over occasional IT bottlenecks to full project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical tasks.

Progent can help Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia organizations to with any facet of creating a high-functioning work-at-home ecosystem by providing infrastructure configuration services, VoIP PBX expertise, voice/video conferencing integration, collaboration platform customization and training, public cloud connectivity, Call Desk augmentation, endpoint security, data protection solutions, and streamlined management.

Infrastructure for a Remote Workforce
Integrating the network infrastructure needed to support an at-home work environment can be particularly complex if you must manage a mix of worker-owned equipment such as desktop computers and laptops, Internet routers, and wireless appliances from various vendors and with a variety of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's experience delivering remote support for both legacy as well as modern IT products in remote office solutions enables you to make cost-effective use of your available network infrastructure and offers ready access to top-tire consultants for implement essential updates. Support services available from Progent to help your company to create a high-functioning work-at-home infrastructure include:

  • Virtual Private Network connectivity makes it possible to establish a secure connection for authorized at-home workers to access IT resources situated at your company datacenter or in the cloud. Progent can assist you to deploy and manage VPN access between your teleworkers and your various IT resources by providing remote VPN configuration support. For organizations with Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA consultants can assist your remote workers to set up Cisco's AnyConnect client software for secure VPN connections for a wide selection of endpoint devices including Microsoft Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Android.
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure platforms enable a telecommuter to view and use a data center computer's desktop. This technology gives network managers substantial control over the digital ecosystem of telecommuters and offers remote users a familiar experience. Progent's VDI consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI solutions.
  • Routers connect at-home networks to the Internet and typically support VPN connections, local wireless networks, and firewalls. Progent offers top-tier remote support for configuring routers from all major vendors. See router integration services from Cisco-certified experts.
  • Home Wireless networks, typically supporting an entire household and visitors, are frequently utilized by telecommuters to connect to their Internet router for work. This can create performance and security problems. Progent can help you to mitigate these issues by providing expertise that include Aironet configuration consulting, Cisco-certified Meraki WiFi deployment expertise, and Ubiquiti Unifi wireless AP integration assistance.
  • Internet access solutions affect the performance and reliability of connections between telecommuters and the company data center. Business-critical processes may demand redundant Internet access in case the primary connection breaks. Progent offers expertise for identifying service providers, selecting sensible bandwidth and data volume packages, and integrating fault-tolerant Internet access. Refer to Internet connectivity solutions.

VoIP Integration for Teleworkers
Expanding the company PBX system to include remote users is vital to supporting an effective at-home workforce. A variety of cloud-based IP voice products are popular with SMBs to server teleworkers. Many larger organizations depend on Cisco's modern or older products for VoIP solutions. Progent can help businesses of any size to design or tune a remote VoIP environment that delivers the flexibility, transparency and security required for remote users. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts can provide high-level support to help organizations tune their current Cisco IP voice environments to handle an expanding remote workforce.

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) extends high-end IP telephony features to devices such as VoIP phones, media processing products, VoIP gateways, and multimedia applications deployed throughout the network. CUCM manages other mixed media services like messaging, voice/video conferencing, and customer collaboration networks. For details about Progent's Cisco Unified CM or CUCM expertise, refer to Cisco Unified Communications Manager consulting services.
  • CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing software and has been replaced by Cisco Unified CM or CUCM. Progent's consultants can help you to maintain your existing CallManager deployment or upgrade efficiently to Cisco's current IP telephony solutions. To learn about Progent's expertise for CallManager and Cisco's other older VoIP platforms, refer to CallManager consulting services.
  • Cisco IP Gateways enable connectivity with PSTN networks and with users working beyond the corporate perimeter such as telecommuters. Progent offers consulting expertise for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 product lines and for current Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway integration consulting.
  • Other VoIP Products supported by Progent include Vonage, RingCentral and 8x8. Progent can help you to update your WAN architecture to support these VoIP solutions and provide as-needed configuration and debugging services.

Voice/Video Conferencing for At-Home Workers
A wide range of video conferencing platforms from leading technology companies enable virtual discussions, video conferencing, chat, and screen sharing for both local workers and teleworkers. Many organizations use a mix of products to meet the needs of their different partners and customers. Progent's communications experts can help your organization to manage your existing conferencing ecosystem and optimize the engagement of your remote workforce.

  • Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications product that enables real-time presence, instant messaging, voice and video conferencing plus the seamless integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 productivity software including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent offers the expertise of Microsoft-certified specialists who can help your company to set up and manage Skype for Business clients to accommodate your remote employees. To learn more about Progent's support services for Skype for Business, visit Skype for Business consulting services.
  • FaceTime is Apple's group video phone app for compatible iOS and Mac computers and smartphones. FaceTime works on Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Later editions of FaceTime allow up to 32 simultaneous users for voice/video sessions. For details about Progent's support services for Apple FaceTime, refer to Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
  • Webex Meeting Center provides online conferencing for most computing devices. Offered via Cisco's Webex Cloud platform, Webex capabilities include sharing granular content or computer screens, presentations that embed rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session capture, plus revision and playback for future reference. For details about Progent's consulting expertise for Webex as well as for other video conferencing products from Cisco, refer to Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
  • Teams is Microsoft's next-generation replacement for Skype for Business. Teams provides a hub for conferencing, contacts, and content with features that include voice/video calling, threaded chat, plus file sharing. For details about Progent's support services for Teams as well as for other Microsoft 365 apps, see Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
  • Other Conferencing Platforms supported by Progent's conferencing experts include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver configuration and troubleshooting expertise for these products and help you to optimize your network architecture to run them.

Microsoft Collaboration Platforms for Teleworkers
Microsoft's collaboration products are tightly integrated with Microsoft's popular Office suites, providing a powerful environment of productivity apps that deliver a consistent user experience for sharing data and ideas throughout a corporate network and on a wide range of endpoints. Progent has provided remote consulting support for SharePoint and Exchange since their initial releases and can help your company to deploy these flagship collaboration products to optimize the productivity of your remote workforce.

Microsoft's collaboration platforms are tightly integrated with Microsoft's popular Office suite, providing a rich ecosystem of applications that deliver a consistent user experience for sharing information across multiple sites and on a wide variety of endpoint devices. Progent has provided remote consulting services for SharePoint and Exchange since their initial releases and can help at-home workers set up and use these flagship collaboration platforms to maximize productivity.

Microsoft Teams Solutions Experts for At-Home WorkersMicrosoft Teams works with Microsoft 365 and supports third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration and communication. Designed as a replacement for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium can enable chat, video meetings with screen sharing, phone calls, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and application sharing. Teams is closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and relies on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Entra (previously called Azure Active Directory) for supporting its complete range of capabilities. For details about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams, visit planning and deployment expertise for Microsoft Teams.

SharePoint Deployment Experts for Remote WorkersSharePoint utilizes web entities to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing by offering policy-driven access to content, workflow, and tools for looking through company-wide information silos. SharePoint enables you to build protected web portals that permits at-home workforce to view and edit consolidated business intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social networking sites, and Web Parts. To learn about Progent's SharePoint consulting expertise, go to SharePoint integration and application development expertise.

Exchange Deployment Consultants for Remote WorkersExchange 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 information about Progent's Exchange expertise, go to integration consulting for Exchange Server.

Onedrive Configuration Experts for Remote WorkersOneDrive is Microsoft�s collaborative cloud file hosting and synchronization service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can store files to OneDrive, and co-workers can share them safely through a browser. Included with Office 365, OneDrive enables remote employees to co-edit files. Revisions made offline are synced when you go back online. For information about Progent's consulting expertise for OneDrive, see Onedrive configuration consulting.

Public Cloud Integration Services for Remote Workers
Progent can provide advanced online support for enabling organizations to create, manage and repair cohesive network architectures that incorporate internal data centers, teleworkers, branch offices, and cloud resources. Progent can provide expertise for all types of cloud service including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help teleworkers fix issues with cloud connectivity, identity, and security.

Azure Integration for TeleworkersAzure is a popular family of cloud software and services that enables you to use infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical applications hosted on Microsoft's massive cloud. Microsoft Azure includes more than 100 services services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-powered virtual machines, on-demand cloud storage, email and messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can help you to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure cloud-based storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure Active Directory, and design data backup and recovery solutions with Azure Backup. Progent can also help you create protected connections to Azure for teleworkers by configuring and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN IPsec tunnels. For details about Progent's consulting services for Azure, see Azure expertise.

Microsoft 365 Integration for Remote WorkersMicrosoft 365, formerly branded Office 365, is Microsoft's popular family of business productivity applications and cloud services offered on a subscription basis. Office apps and cloud services are marketed in a variety of bundles intended for customers ranging from students and households to major corporations. Progent can provide fast and affordable online access to consultants knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible endpoints running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent's experts can assist your business to evaluate the various subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 applications for your teleworkers in a way that delivers top business value. For details about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 integration support.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online Integration Services for At-Home WorkersMicrosoft 365 Exchange Online is one of the most popular applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product suite. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online provides the advantages of reduced costs for data center infrastructure, easier management, on-demand scaling, high availability, and additional advantages associated with cloud computing. Microsoft has designed Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to operate transparently with on-premises Exchange environments, allowing you to create hybrid information systems. Progent's certified Exchange consultants can provide as-needed help to get you through challenging IT roadblocks and also offer end-to-end project management outsourcing to ensure your at-home workers have convenient and safe access to your Exchange Online environment. To find out Progent's support services for Exchange Online, go to Microsoft 365 Exchange Online integration and troubleshooting consulting.

Amazon AWS Integration Services for TeleworkersAmazon Web Services (AWS) is a pioneer in the public cloud computing market and is the industry's biggest source of cloud-based services. Progent offers rapid and economical online contact with cloud integration experts who can assist your organization to design, deploy, manage, and debug hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with local resources and with other popular cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure. Progent also offers access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to assist you to build a high-uptime network model so your users have a productive computing environment whether they are working from your headquarters, a remote branch, at home, or on the road. To learn about Progent's consulting expertise for Amazon AWS, refer to Amazon AWS integration expertise.

Google Cloud Platform Integration Services for TeleworkersGoogle Cloud Platform is a popular collection of public cloud services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can help your business to extend your current IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's database consultants can help you make your key applications cloud ready so your remote workers can benefit fully from Google Cloud Platform services. Progent's consultants can assist your organization to deploy virtual machines on Google Cloud Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage solution with Google Cloud Storage, and streamline access control for teleworkers with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent's experts can also help your business to use GCP's unified management tools to control and track your GCP ecosystem. For information, go to Google Cloud Platform integration services.

Help Desk Services for Remote Workers
An emergency, enterprise-wide transition to a telecommuter business model, which might be the result of a pandemic or as an element of a business continuity process, can overstretch even the most efficient internal Call Desk. Progent's Help Desk services make it possible for organizations of any size to outsource or augment their Help Desk Call Center by using Progent's online Technical Response Center team.

  • Progent's Standard Call Desk support services utilize Progent's nationwide network of online IT support specialists combined with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and tracking software to offer an affordable, modern Support Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide a comprehensive solution that addresses all facets of remote Level 1 PC technical support from initial help requests through ticket generation, desktop sharing, issue resolution, and incident reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal enables from-home workers to track or update their current trouble tickets, add details, and append screenshots or attachments. Support services are delivered at a significant discount off Progent's ordinary Level 1 technical service rates, and Progent offers optional fast escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 IT specialists to resolve complex issues. To find out more, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small and mid-size businesses.
  • Progent's Help Desk Augmentation Service enables your business to supplement your current Call Center staff by splitting delivery of Call Desk support seamlessly between your regular IT support staff and Progent's nationwide pool of PC support engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's co-managed Call Desk service uses a collaborative support solution utilizing the leading professional services automation tool for managing help requests and ticketing, establishing ownership, tracking progress, and producing reports. To find out how Progent's Help Desk Augmentation Services can enable your business to deliver world-class IT support to your at-home workforce, see Progent's Support Desk supplementation Services.

Security for Telecommuters
At-home workers commonly utilize their own computers and usually operate in a poorly secured physical environment. This increases their susceptibility to malware attacks and calls for judicious deployment of corporate firewalls, AV tools, multi-factor authentication, remote endpoint monitoring, extensive user training, and the creation of policies built on best practices. Progent's seasoned group of data security support experts can help your business to plan, configure and manage an effective cybersecurity solution that protects vital IT assets in environments that incorporate an at-home workforce.

Firewall Integration Services for At-Home WorkersFirewalls enable you to create a network that can be safely utilized by local users as well as by at-home workers, mobile users, vendors, clients, and the public. Next-generation firewall appliances allow you to configure and manage different access rights to different classes of users and to expand your IT network and adjust your security profile as your business evolves and as cyber threats become more sophisticated. Progent works with both new and legacy firewall devices from all leading vendors like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall support services, go to firewall configuration and support services.

Remote Endpoint Monitoring and Management for TelecommutersOnline Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it easy to track the various computers used by at-home workers and either reject or identify and mitigate the latest threats like ransomware. With Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint software agent is put on every secured endpoint device, monitoring all activity and using advanced behavioral threat analysis from SentinelOne to identify new threats before they can spread. When a cyberattack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring instantly disconnects the infected endpoint device from the corporate network to quarantine the threat. Since the ProSight ASM software agent is autonomous, endpoints stay protected even if they are not connected to the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. To learn more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, refer to remote endpoint monitoring for an at-home workforce.

Two-factor Authentication Services for TeleworkersProgent's Duo MFA Services utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to defend against compromised passwords by using two-factor authentication. Duo supports single-tap identity confirmation with iOS, Google Android, and other personal devices. Using Duo 2FA, when you sign into a secured online account and enter your password you are requested to confirm your identity on a unit that only you possess and that uses a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A wide range of devices can be utilized for this second means of authentication such as an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You can register multiple verification devices. For more information about ProSight Duo identity authentication services, refer to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for teleworkers.

Security Audit Services for At-Home WorkersSecurity Audits can evaluate the exposure of your network to all types of outside and internal security threats for a network that incorporates an at-home workforce. Progent can run online, automated security inventory scanning for quickly and affordably uncovering a broad range of security gaps that can be found via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment consulting services, which can be managed by network security professionals with top certifications including CISA, ISSAP, and GIAC, can help your business to evaluate your operations and governance policies and assess your network infrastructure to allow you to design top-level security for your an at-home workforce.

NodeZero Pen Testing for Work-from-Home EnpointsHorizon3.ai's NodeZero PEN Testing Platform is a breakthrough penetration test (pentest) product family that supports automated threat assessment of your work-from-home connectivity solution as well as your internal and perimeter networks so you can find, rank, remediate, and confirm cybersecurity weaknesses before malicious hackers can exploit them. Progent can help you to deploy NodeZero to carry out comprehensive penetration tests of your perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure so you can determine your present security posture. Progent's NodeZero experts can also assist you to strengthen your existing network security and can assist you to plan and implement a cohesive cybersecurity ecosystem that simplifies management and delivers optimum protection for on-premises, cloud-based, at-home, and perimeter IT resources. To find out more information about Progent's vulnerability assessment solutions powered by on NodeZero's PEN test products, see Consulting Services for NodeZero's PEN Test Platform.

Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network
To read or download a white paper about critical things to concentrate on for securing an IT environment that supports work-from-home staff, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home Environment White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection Solutions for At-Home Workers
Data Protection involves backing up and restoring critical information so as to avoid data loss and minimize recovery time in case of storage failures due to hardware issues, programming glitches, user mistakes, malware, or other causes. Dependable data protection solutions can be especially challenging to architect and maintain in hybrid environments that incorporate private data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.

  • Backup/Recovery solutions for telecommuters must address multiple kinds of user-owned endpoint devices. Progent can provide fast online help from consultants familiar with a broad range of platforms for protection Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Popular backup/recovery solutions supported by Progent's backup/recovery experts include Barracuda Backup, Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, CrashPlan, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To back up data spread throughout a wide area network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a backup/recovery subscription service that uses cloud-based storage and features granular recovery and centralized management.
  • Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity strategies often envision circumstances that call for a temporary changeover to an at-home workforce. Progent's senior disaster recovery preparedness experts and business continuity specialists can help your company to create, document and validate a DR/BC strategy that includes the logistics of moving to telecommuting.

Unified Management for Remote Workers
Microsoft has rebranded and reshuffled its endpoint management platforms under the title Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud-based management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing local endpoints. Endpoint Manager provides a centralized environment for safeguarding corporate information by managing local, mobile, and at-home endpoint devices.

Microsoft Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Microsoft Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and protecting remote devices and software. Remote endpoint devices can be personally owned or company owned. Network administrators managing the enrolled endpoint computers of at-home workers can utilize Intune to provision and validate applications on managed devices, push patches and certificates, configure rules for accessing data and resources, manage passwords, create VPN connections, determine how home-based workers share information, set up threat defense, verify compliance, and erase corporate data from missing, stolen or decommissioned endpoint devices. Microsoft Intune works with iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS endpoints. To find out about Intune and to find out how Progent can assist your company to use this platform to manage the endpoint computers of your teleworkers, go to Intune mobile endpoint management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich centralized Mobile Device Management platform that allows network administrators to keep offsite endpoint devices up to date and protected. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for unified endpoint management plus VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for access control, app management, and setup management of endpoint devices. Workspace ONE runs with endpoints based on Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or popular distros of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is offered by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-premises product via a one-time purchase. Key features of VMware Workspace ONE include fast remote provisioning of out-of-the-box notebooks, quick onboarding of new users, policy setting and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, aggregated reporting and analytics, an email encryption gateway, and seamless integration with Microsoft applications and cloud-based services. To find out about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, refer to VMware Workspace ONE mobile endpoint management consultants.

Contact Progent for Telecommuter Expertise
To contact Progent about building and managing a productive work-from-home solution for your Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia organization, call 1-800-993-9400 or go to Contact Progent.