Expanding your at-home workforce may have a major impact on network architecture, security, and corporate culture. Progent has two decades of experience assisting small and mid-size businesses to design, deploy, manage, optimize, and troubleshoot IT environments that support at-home workers. Progent can help your Barra da Tijuca organization to pick the appropriate technologies and follow best practices in creating and maintaining a safe virtual office solution for teleworkers that promotes teamwork and delivers top value. Progent can provide support services ranging from on demand guidance for helping you past occasional technical roadblocks to full project management to help you carry out mission-critical tasks.

Progent's consultants can assist Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro organizations to with any facet of creating a high-performing telecommuting ecosystem by delivering infrastructure configuration services, IP voice expertise, video conferencing integration, collaboration platform customization and training, public cloud connectivity, helpdesk augmentation, endpoint security, data protection solutions, and unified management.

Infrastructure for Telecommuters
Setting up the network infrastructure needed to support a remote workforce can be particularly complicated if you must manage a combination of personal equipment such as PCs and notebooks, routers, and wireless appliances from different manufacturers and with a mix of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's background providing online support for both legacy as well as modern IT products in remote office venues enables you to make cost-effective use of your existing network infrastructure and provides you with ready access to top-tire consultants for implement essential updates. Services offered by Progent to help your company to create a high-functioning telecommuting infrastructure include:

  • Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology makes it possible to create a safe connection for authenticated remote employees to access IT resources situated at your company datacenter or in the cloud. Progent's consultants can assist you to configure and manage VPN connections between your at-home workforce and your various network resources by providing remote VPN integration support. For organizations using Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA consultants can help your remote workers to utilize Cisco's AnyConnect software to provide safe VPN tunneling for a broad range of devices including Microsoft Windows, macOS, Apple iOS, Linux, and Android.
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure platforms allow an at-home worker to see and use a data center computer's desktop. This gives network managers more control over the digital environment of at-home employees and offers them a familiar experience. Progent's virtual desktop services include Windows Remote Desktop support and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI consulting.
  • Routers attach home networks to the Internet and typically support VPN connections, home Wi-Fi networks, and firewalls. Progent can provide expert remote support for deploying home routers from a variety of vendors. See router configuration services from Cisco-certified consultants.
  • Home Wi-Fi networks, typically supporting the whole family and guests, are commonly used by telecommuters to connect to their router for work. This can cause throughput as well as security problems. Progent can assist you to resolve these problems by delivering expertise that include Aironet integration consulting, Cisco-certified Meraki wireless installation expertise, and Ubiquiti wireless AP setup assistance.
  • Internet access methods affect the performance and availability of connections between telecommuters and the company data center. Mission-critical applications may require redundant Internet access in the event the primary connection breaks. Progent can provide expertise for identifying service providers, picking appropriate service offerings, and configuring high-availability Internet access. Refer to Internet access integration services.

IP Voice Integration for an At-Home Workforce
Extending the corporate phone environment to accommodate telecommuters is critical to maintaining a productive work-at-home solution. A broad range of cloud-based digital PBX platforms are used by SMBs to server telecommuters. Many larger organizations rely on Cisco's current or legacy platforms for IP voice solutions. Progent can help organizations of all sizes to design or maintain a remote IP voice environment that provides the versatility, convenience and security needed for at-home workers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts can provide high-level support to assist organizations tune their current Cisco IP voice systems to handle a growing at-home workforce.

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) delivers high-end IP telephony capabilities to devices like VoIP phones, media processing products, VoIP gateways, and multimedia apps used throughout the network. CUCM manages additional mixed media services such as messaging, video conferencing, and team interaction networks. For more information about Progent's CUCM expertise, see Cisco Unified CM consulting services.
  • CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been replaced by Cisco Unified CM. Progent's consultants can assist your company to support your existing CallManager environment or migrate smoothly to Cisco's current IP telephony solutions. To learn about Progent's support services for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP products, visit CallManager consulting services.
  • Cisco IP Gateways provide integration with public telephony networks and with clients operating outside the corporate firewall such as at-home workers. Progent offers expert support for Cisco's legacy IP gateways like the UC520, UC540 and UC560 series as well as for current Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway configuration expertise.
  • Other VoIP Platforms supported by Progent include Vonage, RingCentral and 8x8. Progent can help you to enhance your WAN architecture to work with these VoIP solutions and provide as-needed configuration and troubleshooting expertise.

Voice/Video Conferencing for Telecommuters
A wide selection of voice/video conferencing platforms from major technology companies enable online discussions, video conferencing, chat, and content sharing for both onsite workers and at-home workers. Many companies utilize a mix of conferencing products to accommodate their different partners and clients. Progent's communications experts can assist you to maintain your current voice/video conferencing ecosystem and enhance the productivity of your at-home employees.

  • Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications product that supports presence, IM, voice and video conferencing plus the transparent integration of these capabilities within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent offers the expertise of Microsoft-certified consultants who can help you to configure and maintain Skype for Business client software to accommodate your remote employees. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Skype for Business, refer to Skype for Business consulting services.
  • FaceTime is Apple's group video phone app for iOS, iPadOS, iPod and macOS devices. FaceTime works on Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Current versions of FaceTime support as many as 32 simultaneous users for video sessions. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for FaceTime, see Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
  • Webex Meeting Center provides online conferencing for virtually all desktop or mobile devices. Offered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex services include sharing specific content or computer screens, presentations that embed rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session recording, plus editing and playback for future reference and training. For details about Progent's support services for 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 conferencing, contacts, and content with features that include voice/video conferencing, persistent threaded chat, plus file sharing. For details about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Teams as well as for other Microsoft 365 products, visit Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
  • Additional Conferencing Platforms supported by Progent's conferencing experts include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver integration and debugging expertise for these conferencing platforms and assist you to tune your WAN infrastructure to run them.

Microsoft Collaboration Platforms for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft's collaboration products are tightly integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office families, offering a powerful ecosystem of applications that deliver a cohesive user experience for sharing information throughout multiple sites and on a wide selection of endpoint devices. Progent has delivered online consulting support for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange Server since their original publication and can assist your company to configure these flagship collaboration platforms 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 and Teams Premium Integration Consultants for At-Home WorkersMicrosoft Teams works with Microsoft 365 and integrates with 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 support chat, audio/video meetings that include screen sharing, phone calls, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and app sharing. Teams is closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and depends on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Entra (formerly branded Azure Active Directory) for supporting its full range of features. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium, see planning and configuration expertise for Microsoft Teams.

SharePoint Deployment Experts for Remote WorkersSharePoint uses web sites to enable collaboration and knowledge delivery by providing policy-based delivery of content, workflow, and tools for looking through enterprise-wide business data. SharePoint allows you to create secure portals that permits remote workforce to view and update consolidated business intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social sites, and Web Parts. For information about Progent's SharePoint support services, go to SharePoint configuration and development consulting.

Exchange Configuration 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. To find out about Progent's Exchange consulting expertise, see integration expertise for Microsoft Exchange Server.

Microsoft Onedrive Configuration Consultants for At-Home WorkersOneDrive is Microsoft�s collaborative cloud-based storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can save files to OneDrive, and co-workers can share them safely via a browser. Provided with Office 365, OneDrive allows home employees to co-author files. Edits created offline are automatically synced when you reconnect to the Internet. To find out about Progent's consulting expertise for OneDrive, refer to Microsoft Onedrive integration experts.

Public Cloud Integration Services for Remote Workers
Progent offers fast and affordable online support for enabling organizations to build, maintain and repair cohesive hybrid network models that include internal data centers, teleworkers, branches, and cloud resources. Progent can provide top-tier consultant for all modes of cloud service delivery including Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help teleworkers fix issues with cloud connectivity, identity, and security.

Microsoft Azure Integration for TelecommutersMicrosoft Azure is a popular platform for cloud software and services that enables you to use IT infrastructure, servers, and key applications hosted on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Azure features over one hundred cloud-based services including the ability to host Windows and Linux-based VMs, scalable cloud storage, messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and data protection. Progent can assist your organization to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure AD, and plan data backup and restore solutions with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to create secure access to Azure services for at-home workers by configuring and debugging firewall appliances and VPN IPsec tunnels. For information about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Azure, go to Microsoft Azure consulting services.

Microsoft 365 Integration Services for Remote WorkersMicrosoft 365, formerly branded Office 365, is Microsoft's popular family of business productivity applications and cloud-based services offered by subscription. Microsoft applications and services are marketed in a variety of plans designed for customers ranging from individuals and households to major enterprises. Progent can provide quick and easy remote access to consultants knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible endpoint devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can help your business to evaluate the numerous subscription plans available for Microsoft 365 and deploy 365 apps for your at-home workers in a way that delivers maximum business value. For details about Progent's expertise for Microsoft 365, refer to Microsoft 365 consulting expertise.

Exchange Online Integration for At-Home WorkersMicrosoft 365 Exchange Online is among the most widely used applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product line. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online offers the advantages of lower costs for data center infrastructure, simplified management, dynamic scaling, high availability, and additional advantages inherent with public clouds. Microsoft has designed Exchange Online to run transparently with on-premises deployments of Exchange, allowing customers to build hybrid cloud/onsite information systems. Progent's certified Exchange experts are available for occasional help to get you past tough technical roadblocks and can also provide end-to-end project management outsourcing to ensure your teleworkers have convenient and safe access to your Microsoft 365 Exchange Online deployment. For details Progent's consulting services for Exchange Online, visit Microsoft 365 Exchange Online integration and support expertise.

Amazon AWS Integration for TelecommutersAmazon Web Services (AWS) is a pioneer in the public cloud arena and is the world's biggest source of cloud-based services. Progent offers rapid and economical online access to cloud integration experts who can help your business to design, deploy, manage, and troubleshoot hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud services with on-premises resources and with other popular cloud platforms such as Azure. Progent also can provide access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to help you to create a high-uptime network model so your users have a productive computing experience whether they are working from your headquarters, a remote branch, at home, or on the road. For information about Progent's consulting expertise for Amazon AWS, refer to Amazon AWS integration services.

Google Cloud Integration for At-Home WorkersGoogle Cloud is a leading set of cloud computing services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can assist your organization to scale your current IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA experts can help you make your critical apps cloud friendly so your remote workers can benefit fully from Google Cloud Platform services. Progent's consultants can help you to deploy virtual machines on Google Cloud Compute Engine, design an efficient storage solution with Google Cloud Storage, and simplify access management for telecommuters with GCP Cloud Identity services. Progent can also assist your business to utilize GCP's management tools to control and monitor your Google Cloud ecosystem. For information, visit Google Cloud Platform integration services.

Help Desk Call Center Services for At-Home Workers
A fast, company-wide switchover to a from-home business model, which might be the result of an epidemic or as a component of a business continuity preparedness plan, can overwhelm even a high-performing internal Support Desk. Progent's Help Desk Call Center services allow businesses of any size to outsource or expand their Support Desk by using Progent's remote Technical Response Center services.

  • Progent's Standard Call Desk services utilize Progent's nationwide network of remote technical support experts combined with enterprise-class ticketing and follow-up software to offer an affordable, advanced Help Desk Call Center. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide an end-to-end solution that handles all facets of remote Level 1 PC support from help requests to ticket creation, screen sharing, issue resolution, and reporting. A web-based User's Service Portal allows telecommuters to track or update their current tickets, add information, and upload screen captures and attachments. Support services are provided at a significant discount off Progent's ordinary Level 1 desktop service charges, and Progent offers optional rapid escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 IT experts to deal with advanced issues. To learn more, refer to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small and mid-size companies.
  • Progent's Help Desk Augmentation Service enables you to expand your current Support Desk team by sharing responsibilities for Help Desk Call Center services transparently between your in-house support personnel and Progent's extensive team of PC support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's shared Call Desk service uses a co-sourcing support solution based on the number one professional services automation (PSA) platform for handling help requests and trouble tickets, assigning responsibility, tracking progress, and generating management reports. For details about how Progent's Support Desk Supplementation Services can enable your company to deliver best-in-class desktop support to your at-home employees, see Progent's Help Desk Call Center augmentation Services.

Security and Compliance for Telecommuters
Work-from-Home employees typically use their personal computing devices and usually operate in an unsecured physical environment. This situation multiplies their vulnerability to cyber attacks and calls for careful configuration of firewalls, anti-malware tools, multi-factor authentication, remote monitoring, intensive end-user education, and the development of security policies based on best practices. Progent's seasoned team of IT security support experts can assist your business to plan, configure and maintain a compliant security solution that guards critical information assets in networks that incorporate an at-home workforce.

Firewall Integration Services for At-Home WorkersFirewalls allow you to build a network environment that can be securely accessed by local users and by teleworkers, mobile employees, suppliers, clients, and the public. Next-generation firewall devices permit you to configure and manage appropriate access rights to different groups of users and to scale your IT network and modify your security profile as your company evolves and as cyber threats grow more sophisticated. Progent supports both new and older security appliances from all leading vendors including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall configuration expertise, go to firewall configuration and support services.

Remote Endpoint Monitoring and Management Services for At-Home WorkersOnline Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it possible to track the various computers used by telecommuters and either block or spot and respond to modern threats like ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a small-footprint agent is put on each protected endpoint, monitoring all activity and using advanced machine learning from SentinelOne to identify new attacks at inception. When an attack is spotted, ProSight ASM instantly isolates the infected endpoint from the corporate network to quarantine the threat. Since the ProSight ASM software agent is self-contained, endpoint devices remain protected even when they are disconnected from the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. To learn more about ProSight ASM, refer to remote endpoint monitoring for remote workers.

Two-factor Authentication (2FA) Services for TelecommutersProgent's Duo MFA Managed Services utilize Cisco's Duo technology to defend against stolen passwords through the use of two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables one-tap identity verification with Apple 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 who you are via a device that only you possess and that is accessed using a separate network channel. A wide selection of out-of-band devices can be used for this second form of authentication including a smartphone or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You can designate several verification devices. To find out more about Duo identity validation services, refer to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for telecommuters.

Security Audit Services for At-Home WorkersSecurity Audits can assess the exposure of your information system to all types of external and internal security threats for an environment that includes remote workers. Progent can deploy online, automated cybersecurity inventory software for rapidly and affordably uncovering a wide variety of security gaps that can be found over the Internet. Progent's endpoint security audit experts, which can be managed by data security professionals with advanced credentials such as CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can help you to audit your processes and policies and review your WAN architecture to enable you to implement the highest level of security for your an at-home workforce.

NodeZero Pentetration Testing for Work-from-Home EnpointsHorizon3.ai's NodeZero Pentest Platform is a cutting-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that can deliver automated testing of your at-home environment and your internal and perimeter networks to help you uncover, prioritize, fix, and confirm cybersecurity weaknesses before malicious hackers can exploit them. Progent's pentest experts can help you to use NodeZero to carry out comprehensive pentests of your perimeter and your internal network in order to evaluate your present security posture. Progent can also help you to strengthen your network security and can assist you to design and deploy a unified cybersecurity strategy that simplifies management and delivers maximum protection for on-prem, multi-cloud, remote, and perimeter IT assets. To find out additional information about Progent's threat assessment solutions powered by on NodeZero's pentest products, visit Consulting Services for NodeZero's Penetration Test Products.

Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home Environment
To view or download a white paper describing key areas to concentrate on for protecting an IT environment that supports work-from-home staff, click:
Protecting a Work-From-Home Network White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection for At-Home Workers
The field of Data Protection involves saving and recovering critical data in order to avoid data loss and reduce recovery time in the event of storage system failures resulting from hardware breakdowns, software hiccups, operator error, cyber attack, or other causes. Dependable data protection solutions can be especially difficult to architect and manage in hybrid networks that incorporate private data centers, public clouds, and at-home workers.

  • Backup/Restore solutions for an at-home workforce must address diverse types of user-owned endpoint devices. Progent offers fast online help from consultants familiar with a broad array of platforms for backing up Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktop computers as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Popular backup/restore solutions maintained by Progent's data protection consultants include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Mozy, and Time Machine. To protect resources distributed throughout a hybrid network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services, a managed backup/recovery service that utilizes cloud storage and features granular recovery and centralized management capabilities.
  • Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity plans typically envision scenarios that require a rapid changeover to telecommuting. Progent's senior disaster recovery preparedness experts and business continuity planning consultants can assist you to create, document and test a DR/BC strategy that addresses the process of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for At-Home Workers
Microsoft has renamed and rebundled its endpoint management products under the name Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing local endpoints. Endpoint Manager features a centralized environment for safeguarding critical data by managing on-premises, mobile, and home-based endpoints.

Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also features Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and securing remote computers and applications. Managed endpoint devices can be user owned or business owned. Network admins managing the endpoint devices of at-home workers can utilize Intune to provision and validate applications on devices, push patches and certificates, set up policies for accessing data and resources, set passwords, establish VPN connections, control how telecommuters share information, set up threat defense, verify compliance, and wipe sensitive data from missing, stolen or deactivated devices. Microsoft Intune runs with iOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X endpoints. To learn about Microsoft Intune and how Progent can help you to use this platform to administer the devices of your at-home workers, go to Intune telecommuter endpoint management experts.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced centralized Mobile Device Management product that allows network administrators to keep off-premises endpoint devices up to date and protected. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch technology for unified endpoint administration plus VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for identity control, application management, and setup management of endpoint devices. Workspace ONE runs with endpoints powered by Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or popular distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is offered by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-premises deployment via a one-time purchase. Key features of Workspace ONE include fast over-the-air deployment of new laptops, immediate onboarding of new employees, policy set up and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, unifies reporting and analytics, an email encryption gateway, and seamless integration with Microsoft apps and cloud services. For details about Progent's support services for VMware Workspace ONE, go to VMware Workspace ONE remote endpoint management expertise.

Contact Progent for Telecommuter Expertise
To get in touch with Progent about building and managing a productive work-from-home solution for your Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro organization, call 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.