Enlarging your at-home workforce may have a significant effect on network architecture, cybersecurity, and company workflows. Progent has 20 years of background helping small and mid-size businesses to plan, deploy, administer, tune, and troubleshoot IT networks that incorporate a remote workforce. Progent can help your Austin organization to pick the right tools and adhere to best practices in building and operating a secure virtual solution for telecommuters that promotes teamwork and returns top value. Progent can provide support services that go from as-needed expertise for getting you past occasional technical roadblocks to comprehensive project management or co-management to help you successfully complete mission-critical initiatives.

Progent's consultants can help Austin, Texas businesses to with any aspect of creating a high-functioning work-at-home ecosystem by providing network infrastructure configuration services, IP voice expertise, voice/video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, public cloud integration, helpdesk services, security and compliance, data protection solutions, and streamlined management.

Infrastructure for Telecommuters
Integrating the physical and software infrastructure required for a remote workforce can be especially challenging if you must accommodate a mix of personal hardware such as desktop computers and notebooks, routers, and Wi-Fi APs from an assortment of manufacturers and with a variety of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's background delivering online support for both outdated and current technologies in remote office solutions enables you to make efficient use of your available network infrastructure and offers ready access to expertise for implement essential updates. Support services available from Progent to help your company to create a high-functioning telecommuting infrastructure include:

  • Virtual Private Network technology makes it possible to create a safe connection for authorized remote employees to use IT assets located at your company datacenter or in the cloud. Progent can help you to configure and maintain VPN connections between your at-home workforce and your various IT resources by providing remote VPN configuration consulting. For businesses with Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco ASA Firewall consultants can help your at-home workers to utilize Cisco's AnyConnect client software for safe VPN connections for a wide range of devices including Microsoft Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android.
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) products allow a telecommuter to see and use a remote computer's desktop. This technology provides network managers substantial control over the digital ecosystem of telecommuters and offers them a consistent and more productive work experience. Progent's virtual desktop consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop support and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops expertise.
  • Routers attach at-home computer networks to the Internet and support VPN tunnels, local Wi-Fi networks, and firewalls. Progent can provide top-tier online consulting for setting up routers from all major manufacturers. See router configuration support from Cisco-certified experts.
  • Home Wi-Fi networks, typically supporting the whole family and visitors, are commonly utilized by at-home employees to access their router for work. This can cause performance as well as security problems. Progent can assist you to mitigate these issues by providing expertise like Aironet integration consulting, Cisco-certified Meraki wireless deployment consulting, and Ubiquiti Unifi wireless access point setup help.
  • Internet access methods impact the performance and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the company network. Business-critical processes might require backup Internet access in the event the primary connection fails. Progent can provide expertise for identifying service providers, selecting appropriate bandwidth and data volume offerings, and integrating redundant Internet access. See Internet connectivity solutions.

VoIP Solutions for Telecommuters
Expanding the business PBX environment to include telecommuters is vital to supporting an effective work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-centric digital PBX products are used by SMBs to server telecommuters. Many enterprises depend on Cisco's current or older products for VoIP management. Progent can assist businesses of any size to plan or tune a telecommuter IP voice environment that delivers the versatility, transparency and security needed for at-home workers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts offer advanced support to assist organizations tune their current Cisco IP voice environments to handle a growing remote workforce.

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM or CUCM) delivers high-end IP telephony capabilities to devices like VoIP phones, media processing products, VoIP gateways, and mixed media apps used across the network. Unified Communications Manager supports other mixed media services like messaging, voice/video conferencing, and team interaction networks. For more information about Progent's Unified Communications Manager support, refer to Cisco Unified Communications Manager consulting services.
  • CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been superseded by CUCM. Progent can assist you to support your current CallManager deployment or migrate efficiently to Cisco's current IP telephony products. To learn about Progent's support services for CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP products, see CallManager consulting services.
  • Cisco IP Gateways provide connectivity with PSTN networks and with clients working beyond the corporate firewall like at-home workers. Progent can provide expert support for Cisco's legacy IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 products as well as for current Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway configuration consulting.
  • Other VoIP Platforms supported by Progent include Vonage, RingCentral and 8x8. Progent can assist you to update your wide area network architecture to support these VoIP solutions and provide on-demand integration and debugging services.

Voice/Video Conferencing for an At-Home Workforce
A wide selection of video conferencing platforms from major vendors support online discussions, video and voice conferencing, chat, and screen sharing for both local users and at-home workers. Many organizations utilize multiple conferencing products to meet the needs of their different partners and clients. Progent's communications experts can help you to manage your current conferencing ecosystem and enhance the experience of your at-home employees.

  • Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications product that supports real-time presence, instant messaging, audio and video conferencing plus the seamless integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent can provide the skills of Microsoft-certified consultants who can help you to deploy and maintain Skype for Business client software to support your at-home workforce. To learn more about Progent's support services for Skype for Business, see Skype for Business integration services.
  • FaceTime is Apple's group video calling app for compatible iOS, iPadOS, iPod and macOS devices. FaceTime runs on Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Newer editions of FaceTime allow up to 32 concurrent users for video calls. To learn more about Progent's support services for FaceTime, see Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
  • Webex Meeting Center provides remote conferencing for virtually all computing devices. Delivered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex capabilities include sharing discrete content or screens, presentations that embed rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session capture, plus editing and playback for future reference. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Webex and for additional video conferencing products from Cisco, see Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
  • Teams is Microsoft's next-generation replacement for Skype for Business. Teams provides a portal for conversations, contacts, and information with capabilities that include IP voice and video conferencing, persistent threaded chat, plus data sharing. For details about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams and for other Microsoft 365 products, visit Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
  • Additional Voice/Video Conferencing Platforms supported by Progent include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver integration and troubleshooting expertise for these products and help you to optimize your network architecture to host them.

Microsoft Collaboration Software for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft's collaboration products are tightly integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office suites, providing a rich environment of productivity apps that create a cohesive user interface for sharing information throughout a corporate network and on a wide range of endpoint computers. Progent has provided online consulting support for SharePoint and Exchange since their original publication and can assist your company to deploy these critical collaboration products to optimize the effectiveness 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 Integration Experts for At-Home WorkersMicrosoft Teams works with Microsoft 365 and supports third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration. Designed as a replacement for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can enable chat, audio/video meetings that include screen sharing, phone calls, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and application sharing. Teams is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 and depends on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Azure Entra (formerly branded Azure Active Directory) for delivering its complete range of features. To learn more about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams, visit planning and deployment consulting for Microsoft Teams.

SharePoint Server Deployment Consultants for Remote WorkersSharePoint uses web entities to allow collaboration and information delivery by offering policy-driven access to content, workflow, and utilities for searching through company-wide information silos. SharePoint permits you to create secure portals that enables remote workforce to view and edit aggregated corporate intelligence via Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social web sites, and Web Parts. To find out about Progent's SharePoint support services, refer to SharePoint integration and application development expertise.

Exchange Configuration Experts for At-Home 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. To learn about Progent's Exchange consulting services, see integration expertise for Exchange.

Microsoft Onedrive Integration Experts for Remote WorkersOneDrive is Microsoft�s shared cloud file hosting and synchronization service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home users can save files to the OneDrive service, and co-workers anywhere can share them safely via a browser. Provided with Microsoft 365, OneDrive enables remote workers to jointly author files. Revisions made offline are automatically uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. To find out about Progent's support services for OneDrive, refer to Microsoft Onedrive integration consulting.

Public Cloud Integration for Remote Workers
Progent offers advanced online assistance for helping organizations to build, maintain and repair integrated network models that incorporate internal data centers, at-home workers, branch offices, and public cloud services. Progent can provide expertise for all modes of cloud service delivery such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help telecommuters resolve problems with cloud access, identity, and cybersecurity.

Azure Integration for TelecommutersMicrosoft Azure is a popular family of cloud services that allows you to utilize IT infrastructure, servers, and key apps running on Microsoft's massive cloud. Microsoft Azure offers over 100 cloud-based services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-powered VMs, scalable cloud storage, email and messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can assist you to deploy virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity management with Azure Active Directory, and design backup and recovery systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to create protected connections to Azure for at-home workers by setting up and debugging firewall appliances and VPN tunnels. For details about Progent's expertise for Microsoft Azure, see Microsoft Azure consulting.

Microsoft 365 Integration for TeleworkersMicrosoft 365, formerly branded Office 365, is Microsoft's popular suite of client productivity software and cloud services available on a subscription basis. Office applications and cloud services are provided in a selection of plans designed for customers ranging from individuals and small offices to large enterprises. Progent offers quick and affordable remote access to consultants knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible clients running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can help your business to assess the various subscription bundles offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 applications for your remote workers in a way that delivers top business value. For details about Progent's support services for Microsoft 365, see Microsoft 365 consulting support.

Exchange Online Integration for TelecommutersMicrosoft 365 Exchange Online is one of the most widely used cloud-based applications in the Microsoft 365 product suite. Exchange Online offers the benefits of reduced spending for physical infrastructure, simplified management, on-demand scaling, high reliability, and additional benefits inherent with public clouds. Microsoft has designed Exchange Online to run smoothly with local deployments of Exchange, enabling you to create hybrid networks. Progent's certified Exchange experts can provide occasional assistance to guide you through challenging technical bottlenecks and can also provide comprehensive project management services to make sure your at-home workers have easy and secure access to your Microsoft 365 Exchange Online environment. To find out Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, visit Exchange Online integration and support consulting.

Amazon AWS Integration Services for TelecommutersAmazon Web Services (AWS) is a trailblazer in the public cloud arena and is the industry's biggest provider of cloud services. Progent offers rapid and affordable online contact with cloud connectivity experts who can assist your business to design, implement, manage, and debug hybrid IT networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud services with local resources and with other public clouds such as Microsoft Azure. Progent also offers access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to assist you to create a high-uptime network architecture to make sure your users have a consistent computing environment regardless of whether they are working from your main office, a branch office, at home, or on the road. To find out about Progent's support services for Amazon AWS, see Amazon AWS integration support.

Google Cloud Integration for Remote WorkersGoogle Cloud is a popular suite of public cloud services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco consulting experts can help you to scale your current IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA consultants can show you how to make your key apps cloud ready so your teleworkers can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent can help your business to set up VMs on GCP Compute Engine, design an efficient storage system with GCP Storage, and streamline identity management for teleworkers with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent's consultants can also help your organization to utilize GCP's unified management tools to administer and track your Google Cloud ecosystem. For details, go to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) integration support.

Help Desk Call Center Support for Telecommuters
A sudden, enterprise-wide changeover to a teleworker workforce, which might be driven by a pandemic or as a component of a business continuity process, can overwhelm even a well-staffed in-house Call Desk. Progent's Call Center services make it possible for businesses of any size to outsource or supplement their Help Desk with Progent's online Technical Response Center services.

  • Progent's Standard Help Desk Call Center services utilize Progent's extensive network of online IT support specialists along with world-class ticketing and tracking software to provide an economical, advanced Help Desk Call Center. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer an end-to-end solution that addresses all facets of online Level 1 PC technical support from initial service requests to ticket creation, screen sharing, issue resolution, and reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal enables at-home employees to monitor or revise their active trouble tickets, enter information, and append screen captures or relevant files. Desktop support services are provided at a significant discount off Progent's normal Level 1 desktop service charges, and Progent makes available the option of rapid hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 IT specialists to deal with complex issues. To learn more, see Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services for small and mid-size companies.
  • Progent's Help Desk Supplemental Service enables you to supplement your existing Support Desk team by splitting responsibilities for Call Center support seamlessly between your in-house IT support personnel and Progent's extensive roster of PC support engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's shared Support Desk service is based on a collective support model based on the number one professional services automation platform for handling help requests and ticketing, establishing responsibility, monitoring progress, and generating reports. To learn how Progent's Call Desk Supplementation Services can help your company to deliver best-in-class desktop support to your teleworkers, visit Progent's Call Desk augmentation Services.

Cybersecurity for Teleworkers
Work-from-Home (WFH) staff members typically use their own devices and usually operate in an unsecured physical space. This multiplies their vulnerability to malware threats and calls for careful deployment of corporate firewalls, AV tools, MFA-based identity verification, remote monitoring, thorough user training, and the development of security policies built on leading practices. Progent's veteran team of IT security support experts can assist your business to design, deploy and maintain an effective security solution that guards critical IT assets in environments that incorporate an at-home workforce.

Firewall Integration Services for At-Home WorkersFirewalls enable you to create a network environment that can be securely utilized by on-premises users as well as by at-home workers, mobile employees, suppliers, clients, and the public. Next-generation firewall devices permit you to configure and manage appropriate access rights to various groups of users and to scale your IT network and adjust your security as your company evolves and as cyber threats grow increasingly complex. Progent works with both new and legacy security appliances from all leading vendors including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall integration services, see firewall configuration and support expertise.

Remote Endpoint Monitoring and Management Services for TelecommutersRemote Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it easy to track the disparate computers used by at-home workers and either block or identify and respond to modern cyber attacks like ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a lightweight software agent is put on every protected endpoint device, watching all activity and utilizing state-of-the-art machine learning and full execution context from SentinelOne to identify new attacks at inception. When an attack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring instantly disconnects the impacted device from the corporate network to contain the malware. Because the ProSight Active Security Monitoring agent is self-contained, endpoints stay secure even when they are disconnected from the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. To learn more about ProSight ASM, go to remote endpoint monitoring for remote workers.

Two-factor Authentication Services for TelecommutersProgent's Duo authentication Services utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against compromised passwords through the use of two-factor authentication. Duo supports single-tap identity confirmation with iOS, Google Android, and other personal devices. Using 2FA, when you log into a secured online account and enter your password you are asked to confirm who you are on a unit that only you possess and that uses a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A broad range of devices can be used as this added form of ID validation such as a smartphone or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You can register multiple verification devices. For details about Duo identity authentication services, go to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for an at-home workforce.

Security Audit Services for At-Home WorkersSecurity Audits can evaluate the vulnerability of your information system to all types of external and local security threats for a network that includes remote workers. Progent can deploy remote, automated cybersecurity inventory software for rapidly and affordably uncovering a broad range of security holes that can be found via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment experts, which can be managed by network security professionals with advanced certifications including CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can assist your business to audit your procedures and policies and assess your IT architecture to allow you to design the highest level of security for your teleworkers.

NodeZero Pentetration Testing for At-Home WorkersHorizon3.ai's NodeZero PEN Testing Platform is a cutting-edge 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 uncover, prioritize, fix, and confirm security weaknesses before threat actors can take advantage of them. Progent can assist you to use NodeZero to perform comprehensive penetration tests of your perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure in order to evaluate your current security posture. Progent's NodeZero experts can also assist you to strengthen your existing network security and can help you to plan and deploy a unified cybersecurity ecosystem that simplifies management and provides maximum protection for on-premises, cloud-based, at-home, and perimeter IT assets. To learn additional information about Progent's vulnerability assessment solutions based on on NodeZero's PEN test products, visit Consulting Support for NodeZero's Penetration Test Platform.

Download White Paper: Securing a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network
To view or download a white paper describing critical things to focus on for protecting a network that includes work-from-home staff, click:
Protecting a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection Solutions for Remote Workers
Data Protection covers backing up and recovering critical information so as to prevent data loss and minimize recovery time and effort in case of storage system failures due to equipment breakdowns, software hiccups, user mistakes, malware, or other causes. Dependable data protection solutions can be particularly difficult to architect and manage in hybrid environments that combine private data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.

  • Backup/Restore strategies for telecommuters must address diverse types of personally owned endpoints. Progent offers quick remote help from experts knowledgeable about a wide array of platforms for backing up Windows, Apple and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktop computers as well as laptops, tablets and smartphones. Popular backup/restore solutions maintained by Progent's data protection consultants include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, CrashPlan, Mozy, and Time Machine. To back up data spread throughout a wide area network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services, a managed backup/recovery subscription service that uses cloud storage and features granular restore and centralized management capabilities.
  • Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity (DR/BC) plans commonly envision scenarios that require a temporary changeover to an at-home workforce. Progent's senior disaster recovery preparedness experts and business continuity specialists can assist your company to develop, document and test a DR/BC plan that includes the process of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft has rebranded and rebundled its endpoint management platforms under the name Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of mobile and remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing onsite computers. Endpoint Manager provides a centralized solution for safeguarding critical information by managing local, mobile, and at-home endpoint devices.

Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also features Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and protecting mobile devices and applications. Managed endpoint devices can be personally owned or company owned. Network administrators managing the enrolled endpoint devices of at-home workers can use Intune to deploy and validate apps on devices, push patches and certificates, set up policies for accessing data and networks, set passwords, create VPN tunnels, determine how telecommuters share information, establish threat protection, ensure security compliance, and wipe corporate data from lost, stolen or deactivated devices. Intune works with Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X computers. For information about Microsoft Intune and how Progent can help your company to use this platform to manage the endpoint devices of your teleworkers, go to Intune remote endpoint management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced centralized Mobile Device Management product that allows network administrators to keep remote endpoints up to date and secure. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint management along with VMware's Horizon virtual software delivery technology for identity control, application management, and configuration management of endpoints. Workspace ONE runs with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or leading distros of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is offered by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-premises deployment via a perpetual license. Top features of Workspace ONE include fast remote deployment of out-of-the-box notebooks, quick onboarding of new users, policy set up and enforcement for all categories of endpoints, unifies reporting and performance analytics, an email encryption gateway, and tight integration with Microsoft apps and cloud services. For details about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, visit VMware Workspace ONE remote device management consultants.

Contact Progent for Remote Workforce Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about creating and maintaining a productive work-from-home environment for your Austin, Texas organization, phone 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.