Boston Telecommuters Configuration Consulting Company

Expanding your at-home workforce can have a major effect on network architecture, cybersecurity, and company culture. Progent has 20 years of background helping small and mid-size businesses to plan, configure, administer, optimize, and troubleshoot IT environments that incorporate at-home workers. Progent can help your Boston company to pick the appropriate technologies and adhere to best practices in building and operating a safe virtual ecosystem for telecommuters that promotes collaboration and returns maximum value. Progent offers services ranging from on demand guidance for helping you past occasional IT roadblocks to comprehensive project management to help you carry out business-critical tasks.

Progent can help Boston, Massachusetts companies to with any facet of building a high-performing work-at-home environment by delivering network infrastructure design and configuration services, IP voice troubleshooting, video conferencing support, collaboration platform selection and deployment, cloud integration, Help Desk augmentation, security monitoring, data protection solutions, and streamlined management.

Network Infrastructure for a Remote Workforce
Configuring the physical and software infrastructure required for an at-home work environment can be especially challenging if you have to accommodate a mix of worker-owned equipment like PCs and laptops, routers, and wireless APs from different manufacturers and with a variety of OS software and firmware levels. Progent's experience delivering remote help for both legacy as well as modern IT products in remote office solutions allows you to make cost-effective use of your available network infrastructure and provides you with ready access to expertise for making necessary updates. Support services available from Progent to assist your company to implement a high-functioning work-at-home ecosystem include:

• VPN connectivity makes it possible to create a safe tunnel for authenticated remote employees to use IT assets located at your company datacenter or in a public cloud. Progent's consultants can help your company to configure and maintain VPN connections between your teleworkers and your key network resources by providing online VPN configuration consulting. For businesses using Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA Firewall consultants can help your telecommuters to utilize Cisco's popular AnyConnect software for safe VPN connections for a broad selection of devices including Microsoft Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Google Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) products enable a telecommuter to view and interact with a data center computer's desktop. This technology provides IT managers substantial control over the computing ecosystem of telecommuters and ensures remote users a familiar experience. Progent's virtual desktop 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, home Wi-Fi networks, and firewalls. Progent offers top-tier remote consulting for configuring home routers from a range of manufacturers. See router configuration services from Cisco-certified experts.
• Home Wi-Fi networks, typically supporting an entire household and guests, are commonly utilized by telecommuters to access their router for work. This can create throughput as well as cybersecurity problems. Progent can help businesses to resolve these problems by delivering expertise like Aironet configuration expertise, Cisco-certified Meraki wireless installation expertise, and Ubiquiti Unifi WiFi access point setup help.
• Internet connectivity methods impact the performance and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the company network. Vital applications may demand backup Internet access in the event the primary connection fails. Progent offers guidance for identifying service providers, choosing sensible bandwidth and data volume offerings, and integrating high-availability Internet access. Refer to Internet connectivity solutions.

IP Voice Integration for Teleworkers
Expanding the corporate PBX system to accommodate teleworkers is vital to maintaining a productive work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-based IP voice platforms are popular with SMBs to server remote users. Many enterprises depend on Cisco's modern or legacy platforms for IP voice management. Progent can help organizations of all sizes to design or maintain a remote IP voice environment that delivers the versatility, convenience and protection needed for telecommuters. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice consultants offer advanced support to help organizations optimize their current Cisco IP voice systems to support a growing remote workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) delivers high-end telephony capabilities to devices such as IP phones, media processing products, Voice over IP gateways, and multimedia software used throughout the network. Unified Communications Manager supports other combined media services like messaging, video conferencing, and team collaboration networks. For more information about Progent's Unified Communications Manager support, visit Cisco Unified Communications Manager expertise.
• CallManager is Cisco's earlier call-processing agent and has been replaced by Cisco Unified CM. Progent can assist your company to maintain your current CallManager environment or upgrade efficiently to Cisco's current IP telephony solutions. For details about Progent's expertise for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP products, visit Cisco CallManager consulting services.
• Cisco IP Gateways enable connectivity with public telephony networks and with users working outside the corporate firewall such as telecommuters. Progent offers consulting expertise for Cisco's legacy IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 product lines as well as for current Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway configuration consulting.
• Additional VoIP Platforms supported by Progent include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can help you to expand your wide area network architecture to work with these solutions and deliver on-demand configuration and debugging expertise.

Video Conferencing for Remote Workers
A wide selection of voice/video conferencing platforms from major vendors enable online meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat sessions, and content sharing for both local users and teleworkers. Many companies utilize multiple products to accommodate their different partners and customers. Progent can assist your organization to maintain your current conferencing ecosystem and optimize the engagement of your remote workforce.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's popular communications platform that supports presence, IM, audio and video conferencing plus the seamless integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook. Progent can provide the skills of Microsoft-certified consultants who can help you to configure and maintain Skype for Business clients to support your remote workforce. For details about Progent's consulting services for Skype for Business, refer to Skype for Business consulting services.
• FaceTime is Apple's group video calling platform for iOS, iPadOS, iPod and macOS devices. FaceTime runs over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Newer versions of FaceTime support up to 32 simultaneous users for video sessions. For details about Progent's support expertise for Apple FaceTime, visit Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center supports remote conferencing for most desktop or mobile devices. Offered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex capabilities include sharing discrete content or computer screens, presentations that embed rich media such as Microsoft PowerPoint, session recording, plus editing and playback for training. To learn more about Progent's support services for Cisco Webex as well as for other video conferencing solutions from Cisco, visit 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 content with capabilities such as IP voice and video conferencing, persistent threaded chat, plus data sharing. To learn more about Progent's support expertise for Microsoft Teams and for additional Office 365 products, see Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Other Voice/Video Conferencing Apps supported by Progent's conferencing experts include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can provide integration and troubleshooting services for these products and help your business to tune your WAN infrastructure to host them.

Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Software for Remote Workers
Microsoft's collaboration products are closely integrated with Microsoft's popular Office families, providing a powerful environment of productivity apps that deliver a consistent user interface for sharing information throughout a corporate network and on a broad range of endpoint devices. Progent has delivered remote consulting support for SharePoint and Exchange Server since their initial releases and can assist your company to tune these critical collaboration products to maximize the productivity of your at-home workers.

SharePoint utilizes web sites to allow collaboration and information sharing by offering policy-driven delivery of content, workflow, and utilities for looking through enterprise-wide business data. SharePoint allows you to build secure portals that permits remote workers to view and update aggregated corporate intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social sites, and Web Parts (Widgets). 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. To learn about Progent's Exchange expertise, see deployment expertise for Exchange.

OneDrive is Microsoft’s collaborative cloud-based file hosting and synchronization service, comparable to GoogleDrive. Remote users can save files to OneDrive, and colleagues anywhere can share them safely via a browser. Included with Office 365, OneDrive allows home workers to co-author documents. Revisions made offline are uploaded when you go back online. To learn about Progent's consulting expertise for OneDrive, visit Microsoft Onedrive configuration consulting.

Cloud Integration Services for Teleworkers
Progent offers fast and affordable remote assistance for helping businesses to create, manage and optimize cohesive hybrid network models that include internal data centers, teleworkers, branch offices, plus cloud services. Progent can provide expertise for all modes of public cloud service such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service. Progent can help telecommuters resolve issues with public cloud access, identity, and cybersecurity.

Azure is a popular platform for cloud software and services that enables you to use infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical apps hosted on Microsoft's massive cloud. Microsoft Azure includes over one hundred services services including the ability to host Windows and Linux-based virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, email and messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can assist you to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity management with Azure Active Directory, and design backup and restore solutions with Azure Backup. Progent's cloud experts can also show you how to create secure access to Azure for remote workers by setting up and troubleshooting firewall appliances and VPN tunnels. For details about Progent's expertise for Microsoft Azure, go to Azure consulting services.

Office 365, rebranded Microsoft 365, is Microsoft's popular family of business productivity applications and cloud services available by subscription. Microsoft applications and cloud services are marketed in a variety of plans designed for customers ranging from individuals and households to major corporations. Progent offers quick and easy remote access to experts knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible client devices running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent's experts can help you to assess the numerous subscription bundles offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 apps for your telecommuters in a way that delivers maximum business value. To find out about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft Office 365, go to Office 365 integration expertise.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online is one of the most popular cloud-based applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product product suite. Office 365 Exchange Online offers the benefits of lower spending for data center infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high availability, and other advantages associated with public clouds. Microsoft has engineered Exchange Online to operate seamlessly with local deployments of Exchange, enabling you to build hybrid cloud/onsite information systems. Progent's Exchange experts are available for as-needed assistance to get you past challenging technical roadblocks and can also provide end-to-end project management outsourcing to ensure your remote workers have convenient and safe access to your Office 365 Exchange Online deployment. For details Progent's expertise for Office 365 Exchange Online, visit Exchange Online integration and troubleshooting consulting.

Amazon AWS is a trailblazer in the public cloud market and is the world's top source of cloud-based services. Progent can provide quick and affordable online contact with cloud connectivity experts who can assist your business to design, deploy, maintain, and debug hybrid information networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud services with on-premises resources and with other public clouds such as Azure. Progent also can provide the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to assist you to create a high-availability network architecture to make sure your employees have a consistent computing experience regardless of whether they are working from your headquarters, a remote branch, at home, or on the move. To find out about Progent's support services for Amazon AWS, go to Amazon AWS integration expertise.

Google Cloud Platform is a leading suite of cloud computing services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco consulting experts can help you to scale your current IT assets with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA experts can show you how to make your key applications cloud ready so your telecommuters can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent can assist you to set up VMs on GCP Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage solution with Google Cloud Storage services, and streamline identity management for remote workers with GCP Cloud Identity services. Progent's experts can also help you to use GCP's management tools to administer and track your Google Cloud ecosystem. For information, visit Google Cloud Platform consulting services.

Help Desk Support for Remote Workers
A sudden, enterprise-wide changeover to a from-home workforce, which could be motivated by a pandemic or as part of a business continuity process, can overstretch even the most efficient in-house Help Desk. Progent's Call Center services allow organizations to outsource or supplement their Help Desk with Progent's online Technical Response Center (TRC) team.

• Progent's Standard Help Desk Call Center support services utilize Progent's nationwide network of online IT support experts combined with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and follow-up software to provide an economical, advanced Call Center. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer a comprehensive solution that handles all aspects of online Level 1 desktop technical support from initial service requests through ticket creation, desktop sharing, issue resolution, and incident reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal enables at-home employees to check or edit the status of their active tickets, enter information, and append screen captures or attachments. Technical support services are provided at a substantial discount off Progent's normal Level 1 desktop service charges, and Progent makes available optional fast escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 support specialists to deal with advanced issues. To learn more, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services for small and mid-size companies.
• Progent's Help Desk Call Center Supplemental Service allows your business to augment your current Help Desk staff by splitting delivery of Call Center support services seamlessly between your in-house support personnel and Progent's nationwide pool of PC support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's shared Help Desk service is based on a co-sourcing support solution utilizing the leading professional services automation (PSA) tool for managing help requests and trouble tickets, assigning responsibility, tracking progress, and producing management reports. For information about how Progent's Help Desk Supplementation Services can help your company to provide world-class IT support to your from-home workers, refer to Progent's Call Desk augmentation Services.

Cybersecurity for Teleworkers
Teleworkers commonly use their own equipment and work in an unsecured environment. This increases their exposure to cyber attacks and calls for judicious deployment of security appliances, remote security monitoring, and the enforcement of security policies that follow leading practices. Progent's seasoned team of certified cybersecurity experts can help your business to plan, implement and administer a compliant cybersecurity environment that safeguards critical information in networks that incorporate an at-home workforce.

• Firewalls enable companies to create a network environment that can be safely utilized by on-premises users as well as by teleworkers, mobile employees, suppliers, clients, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall devices allow you to configure and control appropriate access rights to different classes of users and to expand your IT network and adjust your security profile as your company evolves and as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated. Progent works with both current and legacy security devices from all leading vendors like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. For details about Progent's firewall configuration services, refer to firewall support services.
• Online Endpoint Monitoring makes it possible to watch over the disparate computers used by telecommuters and either block or identify and mitigate modern cyber attacks such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint software agent is put on each secured endpoint device, monitoring all activity and using state-of-the-art AI technology to detect zero-day attacks on arrival. When an attack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately disconnects the infected endpoint from the corporate network to quarantine the malware. Because the ProSight Active Security Monitoring agent is autonomous, endpoints stay protected even when they are disconnected from the Internet. For details about ProSight ASM, visit remote endpoint security monitoring for at-home workers.
• Security Audits can assess the vulnerability of your information system to all classes of outside and local security threats for a network that incorporates teleworkers. Progent can run remote, automated cybersecurity inventory software for rapidly and economically uncovering a wide variety of security holes that can be found over the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment consulting services, which can be provided by security professionals with advanced certifications including CISA, ISSAP, and GIAC, can assist you to audit your procedures and governance policies and review your IT infrastructure to enable you to design the highest level of security for your at-home workers.

Data Protection for At-Home Workers
The field of Data Protection covers backing up and restoring critical information so as to prevent data loss and minimize restoration time in the event of storage failures resulting from equipment issues, programming glitches, operator mistakes, cyber attack, or other causes. Dependable data protection strategies can be particularly challenging to architect and manage in hybrid networks that incorporate private data centers, public clouds, and at-home workers.

• Backup/Restore strategies for at-home workers must address diverse kinds of personally owned endpoints. Progent can provide quick remote access to consultants knowledgeable about a broad array of platforms for protection Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and handhelds. Popular backup/restore solutions maintained by Progent's data protection consultants include Barracuda Backup, Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, CrashPlan, Mozy, and Time Machine. To protect data distributed throughout a hybrid network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services, a backup/recovery subscription service that uses cloud storage and includes fine-grained recovery and unified management capabilities.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity plans often anticipate circumstances that require a rapid switch to an at-home workforce. Progent's senior disaster recovery preparedness experts and business continuity planning specialists can help you to develop, document and test a DR/BC plan that addresses the process of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for Remote Workers
Microsoft has rebranded and reshuffled its endpoint management products under the name Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud management of mobile and remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing onsite endpoints. Endpoint Manager provides a centralized platform for protecting critical information by managing onsite, mobile, and at-home endpoints.

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 protecting mobile computers and software. Managed endpoint computers can be user owned or company owned. IT admins managing the enrolled endpoint devices of teleworkers can use Intune to deploy and authenticate applications on devices, push updates and certificates, configure rules for permission to access data and networks, set passwords, establish VPN connections, determine how home-based workers share data, set up threat defense, verify security compliance, and erase corporate data from missing, stolen or decommissioned endpoint devices. Intune runs with iOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS endpoints. To learn about Microsoft Intune and how Progent can help your company to use Microsoft's Endpoint Management to administer the devices of your telecommuters, go to Intune teleworker endpoint management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced unified MDM product that helps network administrators to keep offsite endpoints up to date and secure. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch for unified endpoint administration along with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for authorization control, application management, and setup management of endpoints. Workspace ONE runs with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or popular distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-premises deployment through a one-time purchase. Top capabilities of VMware Workspace ONE include fast remote provisioning of new laptops, immediate onboarding of new users, policy setting and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, unifies management reporting and analytics, email encryption, and tight integration with Microsoft apps and cloud-based services. To learn about Progent's support services for VMware Workspace ONE, go to VMware Workspace ONE remote device management consultants.

Contact Progent for Remote Workforce Expertise
To get in touch with Progent about creating and managing a productive work-from-home solution for your Boston, Massachusetts company, call 1-800-993-9400 or go to Contact Progent.