Enlarging your telecommuter workforce can have a major effect on network infrastructure, security, and corporate culture. Progent has two decades of experience assisting businesses of all sizes to design, configure, manage, tune, and troubleshoot IT environments that support at-home workers. Progent can assist your Charleston company to select the appropriate tools and follow leading practices in creating and maintaining a secure virtual office ecosystem for teleworkers that facilitates collaboration and returns top value. Progent can provide support services ranging from on demand guidance for getting you over occasional IT bottlenecks to full project management or co-management to help you successfully complete business-critical initiatives.

Progent can assist Charleston, South Carolina businesses to with any facet of building a high-functioning work-at-home ecosystem by delivering infrastructure configuration services, VoIP PBX troubleshooting, video conferencing support, collaboration platform customization and training, cloud connectivity, Call Desk outsourcing, cybersecurity, backup/restore solutions, and streamlined management.

Infrastructure for Teleworkers
Integrating the network infrastructure needed to support an at-home work environment can be particularly complicated if you have to manage a mix of personal equipment like desktop computers and laptops, routers, and wireless APs from different vendors and with a mix of operating systems and firmware levels. Progent's experience delivering online support for both legacy as well as modern technologies in remote office venues enables you to make efficient use of your existing network infrastructure and offers fast access to expertise for implement essential updates. Support services available from Progent to help you to implement a productive telecommuting infrastructure include:

  • VPN technology allows you to create a secure connection for authorized at-home employees to access IT resources located at your corporate data center or in the cloud. Progent's consultants can help your company to configure and manage VPN connections between your at-home workforce and your various network resources by providing remote VPN configuration consulting. For organizations using Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco ASA experts can help your telecommuters to utilize Cisco's popular AnyConnect software for safe VPN connections for a wide selection of endpoint devices such as Microsoft Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Google Android.
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure platforms allow a teleworker to see and interact with a data center computer's desktop. This gives IT managers substantial control over the computing environment of at-home employees and offers them a familiar work experience. Progent's VDI services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI consulting.
  • Routers attach home networks to the Internet and support VPN tunnels, local Wi-Fi connectivity, and firewall services. Progent can provide expert remote consulting for deploying routers from a range of manufacturers. See router integration support from Cisco-certified consultants.
  • Home Wi-Fi networks, often shared by families and visitors, are frequently utilized 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 providing services like Cisco Aironet integration consulting, Cisco-certified Meraki WiFi installation consulting, and Ubiquiti WiFi AP setup help.
  • Internet access solutions impact the speed and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the company network. Vital applications may demand redundant Internet connections in case the normal connection breaks. Progent can provide expertise for identifying Internet service providers, selecting sensible service bundles, and integrating redundant Internet access. See Internet connectivity solutions.

IP Voice Solutions for At-Home Workers
Expanding the company phone environment to accommodate telecommuters is vital to supporting a productive work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-centric IP voice platforms are used by small and mid-size businesses to server telecommuters. Many enterprises depend on Cisco's current or legacy platforms for VoIP solutions. Progent can help organizations of any size to plan or tune a remote IP voice environment that delivers the flexibility, convenience and protection required for remote users. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts offer high-level support to help organizations optimize their current Cisco VoIP environments to handle an expanding remote workforce.

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) extends enterprise telephony features to devices like IP phones, media processing products, VoIP gateways, and multimedia applications deployed across the network. Unified Communications Manager supports additional mixed media services such as unified messaging, voice/video conferencing, and team interaction networks. For details about Progent's Unified Communications Manager support, visit Cisco Unified CM expertise.
  • CallManager is Cisco's earlier call-processing agent and has been superseded by Cisco Unified CM. Progent's consultants can help you to maintain your existing CallManager environment or migrate efficiently to Cisco's modern IP telephony solutions. For details about Progent's support services for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other early VoIP products, refer to CallManager expertise.
  • Cisco IP Gateways enable integration with PSTN networks and with users operating beyond the corporate firewall such as at-home workers. Progent can provide consulting expertise for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 products as well as for modern Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateway integration consulting.
  • Additional VoIP Platforms supported by Progent's consultants include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can help you to update your WAN architecture to support these solutions and provide online integration and debugging services.

Video Conferencing for an At-Home Workforce
A wide range of video conferencing platforms from leading vendors enable virtual discussions, video and voice conferencing, chat, and screen sharing for both local users and telecommuters. Many companies utilize multiple conferencing products to meet the needs of their various partners and customers. Progent's communications experts can assist your organization to maintain your existing conferencing environment and optimize the productivity of your at-home workforce.

  • Skype for Business is Microsoft's popular unified communications platform that supports presence, instant messaging, voice and video conferencing as well as the transparent integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 productivity software such as PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook. Progent can provide the expertise of Microsoft-certified specialists who can help your company to deploy and manage Skype for Business clients to accommodate your at-home workforce. For details about Progent's support expertise for Skype for Business, refer to Skype for Business integration experts.
  • FaceTime is Apple's multiuser video calling app for iOS, iPadOS, iPod and Mac computers and smartphones. FaceTime works over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Current editions of FaceTime allow up to 32 simultaneous users for voice/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 most desktop or mobile devices. Delivered via Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex capabilities include sharing granular content or computer screens, presentations that incorporate rich media such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session recording, plus editing and playback for future reference. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Webex as well as for other video conferencing products 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 features such as video calling, persistent chat, plus file sharing. For details about Progent's consulting services for Teams and for other Microsoft 365 apps, visit Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
  • Additional Voice/Video Conferencing Platforms supported by Progent's conferencing experts include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can provide configuration and debugging expertise for these conferencing platforms and help you to tune your WAN architecture to host them.

Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Platforms for Telecommuters
Microsoft's collaboration products are closely integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office and Microsoft 365 suites, providing a rich environment of productivity apps that create a cohesive user interface for exchanging information across a corporate network and on a wide selection of endpoint computers. Progent has delivered online consulting support for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange since their initial publication and can help businesses to deploy these flagship collaboration platforms to optimize the productivity of your at-home workers.

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 Consultants for At-Home WorkersMicrosoft Teams works on top of Microsoft 365 and supports third-party cloud services to provide real-time collaboration and communication. 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 closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and depends on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Entra (formerly branded Azure Active Directory) for delivering its complete range of features. For additional information about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Teams, visit planning and deployment consulting for Microsoft Teams.

SharePoint Server Integration Consultants for At-Home WorkersSharePoint utilizes web entities to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing by providing policy-driven delivery of content, business processes, and tools for searching through enterprise-wide business data. SharePoint enables you to create secure web portals that permits at-home workforce to view and update consolidated business intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts. To find out about Progent's SharePoint consulting expertise, go to SharePoint configuration and development expertise.

Exchange Deployment Consultants 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. For information about Progent's Exchange support services, refer to integration consulting services for Microsoft Exchange.

Microsoft Onedrive Integration Consultants for Remote WorkersOneDrive is Microsoft�s collaborative cloud storage service, similar to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can store files to OneDrive, and co-workers can retrieve them securely through a browser. Included with Office 365, OneDrive allows at-home employees to co-edit files. Revisions created offline are uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. For information about Progent's expertise for OneDrive, go to Onedrive configuration consulting.

Cloud Integration for Telecommuters
Progent can provide fast and affordable remote support for helping organizations to create, manage and troubleshoot cohesive hybrid network architectures that incorporate internal data centers, telecommuters, branches, plus public cloud resources. Progent offers top-tier consultant for all types of public cloud service delivery such as Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service. Progent can help at-home workers fix issues with cloud connectivity, authentication, and cybersecurity.

Azure Integration for TeleworkersAzure is a leading family of cloud software and services that allows you to use infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical apps running on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Microsoft Azure includes more than one hundred services services such as the ability to host Windows and Linux-based VMs, scalable cloud storage, messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and backup/restore. Progent can assist your organization to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure Active Directory, and plan data backup and restore solutions with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to establish secure access to Azure services for telecommuters by configuring and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN IPsec tunnels. For details about Progent's support services for Microsoft Azure, visit Microsoft Azure consulting services.

Microsoft 365 Integration Services for Remote WorkersMicrosoft 365, formerly branded Office 365, is Microsoft's growing family of client productivity software and cloud services available by subscription. Office applications and cloud services are marketed in a selection of bundles intended for users ranging from students and small offices to major corporations. Progent can provide fast and easy online access to consultants familiar with Microsoft 365-compatible devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can assist your business to evaluate the numerous subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 applications for your at-home workers to achieve maximum business value. To find out about Progent's expertise for Microsoft 365, refer to Microsoft 365 integration services.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online Integration Services for TelecommutersExchange Online is one of the most widely used cloud-based applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product suite. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online provides the advantages of lower spending for physical infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high reliability, and additional advantages associated with cloud computing. Microsoft has designed Exchange Online to operate transparently with on-premises Exchange environments, enabling customers to build hybrid networks. Progent's Exchange experts can provide occasional assistance to guide you through challenging technical bottlenecks and also offer end-to-end project management services to make sure your at-home workers have convenient and secure access to your Exchange Online environment. To learn Progent's expertise for Exchange Online, see Microsoft 365 Exchange Online configuration and support expertise.

Amazon AWS Integration Services for Remote WorkersAmazon AWS is a trailblazer in the public cloud computing arena and is the world's leading source of cloud-based services. Progent offers quick and economical online access to cloud integration experts who can assist your organization to design, implement, manage, and debug hybrid IT networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with on-premises resources and with other public clouds such as Microsoft Azure. Progent also can provide access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to help your company to build a high-availability network model so your employees have a consistent computing experience whether they are working from your headquarters, a branch office, at home, or on the road. For details about Progent's consulting services for Amazon AWS, refer to Amazon AWS integration services.

Google Cloud Platform Integration Services for Remote WorkersGoogle Cloud Platform (GCP) is a popular collection of cloud computing services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can assist your organization to scale your existing IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's database consultants can help you make your key applications cloud friendly so your telecommuters can benefit fully from Google Cloud Platform services. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy virtual machines on Google Cloud Compute Engine, design an efficient storage system with Google Cloud Storage, and simplify identity management for at-home workers with Google Cloud Identity. Progent's consultants can also help you to utilize GCP's management technology to administer and track your GCP environment. For details, visit Google Cloud Platform (GCP) integration services.

Help Desk Call Center Support for Remote Workers
An emergency, organization-wide transition to a teleworker workforce, which might be driven by a pandemic or as a component of a business continuity process, can overstretch even the most efficient in-house Call Desk. Progent's Call Center services make it possible for businesses to outsource or augment their Support Desk by using Progent's remote Technical Response Center services.

  • Progent's Standard Help Desk services utilize Progent's extensive network of remote technical support specialists along with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and follow-up software to provide an economical, modern Support Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide a comprehensive solution that addresses all facets of online Level 1 PC support from service requests through ticket generation, desktop sharing, issue resolution, and incident reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal allows telecommuters to track or update their active tickets, enter information, and append screen captures or attachments. Technical support services are delivered at a significant discount off Progent's ordinary Level 1 technical service charges, and Progent makes available the option of rapid hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 support specialists to resolve complex problems. For more information, see Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services for small companies.
  • Progent's Call Center Supplemental Service allows your business to expand your existing Call Desk staff by sharing responsibilities for Support Desk services seamlessly between your in-house support organization and Progent's extensive team of PC support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's co-managed Support Desk service is based on a co-sourcing support solution utilizing the number one PSA platform for handling help requests and ticketing, assigning responsibility, monitoring progress, and generating reports. For details about how Progent's Call Center Augmentation Services can help your company to provide best-in-class desktop support to your at-home workforce, see Progent's Support Desk supplementation Services.

Security and Compliance for Teleworkers
At-home staff members typically use their own devices and often operate in a poorly secured physical environment. This multiplies their susceptibility to cyber threats and calls for judicious configuration of corporate firewalls, anti-malware tools, multi-factor authentication, remote endpoint monitoring, thorough user training, and the creation of security policies based on best practices. Progent's seasoned group of cybersecurity support consultants can help you to design, configure and manage an effective cybersecurity solution that protects vital information assets in networks that incorporate an at-home workforce.

Firewall Integration Services for At-Home WorkersFirewalls enable companies to build a network environment that can be safely accessed by local users and by telecommuters, mobile employees, suppliers, clients, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall appliances allow you to assign and manage appropriate access rights to various classes of users and to expand your network and modify your security as your business evolves and as network attacks grow more complex. Progent works with both current and legacy security devices from all leading manufacturers including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall configuration services, go to firewall support expertise.

Remote Endpoint Monitoring for At-Home WorkersOnline Endpoint Monitoring makes it possible to track the disparate computers used by teleworkers and either reject or spot and mitigate modern threats such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a lightweight agent is put on each secured endpoint device, watching all activity and using advanced AI technology from SentinelOne to detect new attacks before they can spread. When an attack is spotted, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately disconnects the infected device from the corporate network to contain the threat. Since the ProSight Active Security Monitoring software agent is self-contained, endpoints remain secure even when they are offline. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. For details about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, see remote endpoint monitoring for telecommuters.

Two-factor Authentication Services for At-Home WorkersProgent's Duo authentication Services utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against compromised passwords through the use of two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables single-tap identity verification on iOS, Android, and other out-of-band devices. Using Duo 2FA, when you sign into a secured application and enter your password you are requested to confirm your identity on a device that only you possess and that uses a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A broad range of devices can be utilized for this added means of ID validation such as an iPhone or Android or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You may designate multiple validation devices. To learn more about Duo two-factor identity authentication services, refer to Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for teleworkers.

Security Audit Services for At-Home WorkersSecurity Audits can assess the exposure of your information system to all classes of outside and internal security threats for a network that incorporates at-home workers. Progent can deploy remote, automated cybersecurity inventory software for rapidly and affordably uncovering a broad range of security weaknesses that can be found via the Internet. Progent's security assessment consulting services, which can be provided by data security experts with advanced certifications including CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can assist your company to evaluate your operations and governance policies and review your network infrastructure to allow you to design the highest level of security for your teleworkers.

NodeZero Pentetration Testing for Work-from-Home EnpointsHorizon3.ai's NodeZero Penetration Testing Platform is a leading-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that supports autonomous threat assessment of your work-from-home environment as well as your internal and perimeter networks so you can uncover, prioritize, fix, and confirm cybersecurity weaknesses before malicious hackers can exploit them. Progent's pentest experts can help you to deploy NodeZero to perform thorough pentests of your network perimeter and your internal network in order to determine your present security posture. Progent's NodeZero experts can also assist you to harden your existing network security and can assist you to design and deploy a unified cybersecurity ecosystem that streamlines management and delivers optimum cyber defense for on-prem, multi-cloud, at-home, and perimeter IT assets. To learn additional details about Progent's vulnerability assessment solutions based on on NodeZero's PEN test products, see Consulting Support for NodeZero's Pentest Products.

Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home Environment
To view or download a white paper describing critical things to focus on for securing a network that incorporates telecommuters, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home (WFH) Environment White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection Solutions for Teleworkers
Data Protection involves backing up and restoring vital information in order to prevent data loss and minimize recovery time in case of storage system problems resulting from hardware issues, software glitches, user mistakes, malware, or any other reason. Dependable data protection strategies can be especially difficult to design and manage in hybrid networks that combine in-house data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.

  • Backup/Restore solutions for telecommuters must address multiple kinds of personally owned endpoints. Progent can provide quick online access to consultants familiar with a wide range of products for protection Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktops as well as notebooks, tablets and handhelds. Popular backup/recovery solutions maintained by Progent's data protection experts include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To protect resources distributed throughout a hybrid network, Progent offers ProSight Data Protection Services, a backup/recovery service that utilizes cloud storage and features granular restore and centralized management.
  • Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity strategies typically anticipate circumstances that call for a temporary changeover to an at-home workforce. Progent's expert disaster recovery planning experts and business continuity planning consultants can assist you to create, document and test a DR/BC strategy that includes the logistics of switching to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for At-Home Workers
Microsoft has renamed and reshuffled its endpoint management platforms under the title Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud management of remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing local computers. Microsoft Endpoint Manager provides a centralized platform for safeguarding corporate information by managing local, mobile, and home-based endpoints.

Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and securing remote devices and applications. Remote endpoint devices can be personally owned or company owned. Network administrators managing the endpoint devices of teleworkers can utilize Intune to deploy and validate apps on managed devices, push patches and certificates, set up policies for accessing data and networks, manage passwords, create VPN tunnels, control how telecommuters share information, set up threat protection, ensure compliance, and erase sensitive data from lost, stolen or decommissioned endpoint devices. Intune works with iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows, and macOS computers. To learn about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can help your company to use this platform to administer the devices of your teleworkers, visit Intune teleworker device management experts.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced unified Mobile Device Management (MDM) product that allows network administrators to keep remote endpoint devices current and secure. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint management along with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for authorization control, app management, and configuration management of endpoint computers. Workspace ONE runs with endpoints powered by Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or popular distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-site product via a one-time purchase. Top capabilities of VMware Workspace ONE include fast remote deployment of out-of-the-box laptops, quick onboarding of new employees, policy setting and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, unifies management reporting and analytics, email encryption, and seamless integration with Microsoft applications and cloud-based products. For information about Progent's support services for VMware Workspace ONE, refer to VMware Workspace ONE remote device management consultants.

Contact Progent for At-Home Worker Support Services
To contact Progent about creating and managing an efficient work-from-home solution for your Charleston, South Carolina organization, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.