Expanding your remote workforce can have a major effect on network infrastructure, cybersecurity, and corporate culture. Progent has 20 years of experience assisting businesses of all sizes to design, deploy, manage, optimize, and debug IT environments that support work-from-home employees. Progent can help your Cleveland organization to select the right tools and adhere to best practices in creating and maintaining a secure virtual ecosystem for telecommuters that facilitates teamwork and returns top value. Progent offers support services ranging from as-needed expertise for getting you over challenging technical bottlenecks to comprehensive project management to help you successfully complete mission-critical tasks.
Progent can assist Cleveland, Ohio businesses to succeed with any facet of creating a high-performing work-at-home ecosystem by delivering network infrastructure configuration services, VoIP PBX troubleshooting, voice/video conferencing support, collaboration platform customization and training, public cloud connectivity, helpdesk services, security and compliance, backup/restore solutions, and streamlined management.
Infrastructure for Teleworkers
Configuring the network infrastructure required to support a remote work environment can be especially complex if you have to manage a mix of personal equipment such as desktop computers and notebooks, routers, and Wi-Fi appliances from different manufacturers and with a mix of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's experience providing remote help for both outdated and modern IT products in virtual office venues allows you to make cost-effective use of your available network infrastructure and provides you with fast access to expertise for implement necessary updates. Support services available from Progent to help your company to create a productive telecommuting ecosystem include:
VoIP Solutions for At-Home Workers
Expanding the business phone system to accommodate telecommuters is vital to maintaining a productive work-at-home solution. A broad range of cloud-based digital PBX platforms are popular with small and mid-size businesses to support remote users. Many enterprises rely on Cisco's modern or older products for VoIP management. Progent can assist organizations of all sizes to design or maintain a remote IP voice service that delivers the flexibility, transparency and security needed for at-home workers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice consultants can provide advanced support to assist organizations tune their current Cisco IP voice environments to support a growing remote workforce.
Video Conferencing for Remote Workers
A wide range of video conferencing products from major technology companies enable online meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat sessions, and screen/content sharing for both onsite workers and at-home workers. Many organizations use a mix of conferencing products to accommodate their various partners and customers. Progent's communications experts can assist you to maintain your current voice/video conferencing ecosystem and optimize the productivity of your at-home employees.
Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Software for Remote and Hybrid Workers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are tightly integrated with Microsoft's popular Office families, offering a powerful environment of applications that create a cohesive user experience for exchanging data and ideas across a corporate network and on a broad range of endpoints. Progent has provided online consulting support for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange since their initial releases and can assist your company to configure these flagship collaboration products to optimize the effectiveness of your remote 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 works with Microsoft 365 and integrates with third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration and communication. Developed as a substitute for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can enable chat, audio/video meetings with screen sharing, calling, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and app sharing. Teams is closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and relies on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Entra (previously called Azure Active Directory) for supporting its complete range of capabilities. To learn more about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams, visit planning and configuration consulting for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium.
SharePoint utilizes web entities to facilitate collaboration and information sharing by offering policy-based access to content, workflow, and utilities for looking through enterprise-wide information silos. SharePoint enables you to build secure web portals that permits remote workers to see and edit aggregated corporate intelligence via Wikis, Blogs, social networking sites, and Web Parts (Widgets). For information about Progent's SharePoint expertise, go to SharePoint configuration and development consulting.
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. For details about Progent's Exchange consulting expertise, visit integration consulting services for Exchange.
OneDrive is Microsoft�s shared cloud-based storage service, similar to GoogleDrive. Remote users can save files to OneDrive, and co-workers anywhere can access them securely through a browser. Included with Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows home workers to co-author files. Revisions created offline are synced when you go back online. To learn about Progent's support services for Microsoft OneDrive, visit Microsoft Onedrive integration experts.
Cloud Integration for Telecommuters
Progent offers advanced remote support for enabling businesses to create, maintain and repair cohesive hybrid network models that incorporate physical data centers, at-home workers, branches, plus 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 fix problems with cloud access, identity, and cybersecurity.
Microsoft Azure is a leading family of public cloud software and services that enables you to utilize IT infrastructure, servers, and critical apps running on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Microsoft Azure features over one hundred services services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-powered VMs, scalable cloud storage, messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data protection. Progent can assist your organization to deploy virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure Active Directory, and plan backup and restore solutions with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to create protected access to Azure for teleworkers by setting up and troubleshooting firewall appliances and VPN tunnels. To learn about Progent's consulting services for Azure, go to Azure expertise.
Microsoft 365, formerly called Office 365, is Microsoft's popular suite of client productivity applications and cloud-based services offered on a subscription basis. Microsoft applications and services are marketed in a variety of bundles intended for users ranging from individuals and households to large enterprises. Progent can provide quick and affordable online contact with experts knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible endpoint devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent's experts can assist your business to evaluate the various subscription plans available for Microsoft 365 and configure 365 applications for your telecommuters to achieve maximum business value. For information about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365, refer to Microsoft 365 integration expertise.
Microsoft 365 Exchange Online is among the most popular cloud-based applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product suite. Exchange Online offers the advantages of reduced spending for physical infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high reliability, and additional advantages inherent with public clouds. Microsoft has engineered Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to run seamlessly with local deployments of Exchange, allowing customers to create hybrid cloud/onsite information systems. Progent's Exchange consultants are available for as-needed help to guide you past challenging IT bottlenecks and also offer end-to-end project management outsourcing to make sure your teleworkers have convenient and safe access to your Microsoft 365 Exchange Online deployment. To find out Progent's support services for Exchange Online, go to Microsoft 365 Exchange Online configuration and support consulting.
Amazon AWS is a trailblazer in the public cloud computing market and is the industry's biggest source of cloud services. Progent offers quick and affordable online contact with cloud connectivity experts who can assist your business to plan, deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot hybrid IT networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud services with local resources and with other public clouds like Microsoft Azure. Progent also can provide access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to assist your company to create a high-uptime network architecture to make sure your users have a consistent computing experience regardless of whether they are working from your main office, a branch office, from home, or on the move. To find out about Progent's consulting expertise for Amazon AWS, go to Amazon AWS consulting services.
Google Cloud (GCP) is a popular collection of public cloud services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can help your business to extend your existing IT resources with the Google Cloud Platform, and Progent's database experts can show you how to make your mission-critical apps cloud ready so your at-home workers can benefit fully from Google Cloud services. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy VMs on Google Cloud Compute Engine, design a cost-effective storage system with GCP Storage, and simplify access control for teleworkers with GCP Cloud Identity services. Progent's experts can also help your organization to utilize GCP's unified management tools to control and track your Google Cloud ecosystem. To learn, go to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) consulting expertise.
Help Desk Support for Telecommuters
A sudden, enterprise-wide changeover to a from-home workforce, which could be the result of an epidemic or as an element of a disaster recovery/business continuity plan, can overwhelm even the most efficient internal Call Desk. Progent's Call Center services make it possible for organizations of any size to outsource or supplement their Call Center by using Progent's remote Technical Response Center services.
Cybersecurity for Telecommuters
Work-from-Home (WFH) employees commonly utilize their personal devices and usually operate in an unsecured physical area. This increases their vulnerability to malware attacks and requires judicious deployment of corporate firewalls, anti-malware tools, multi-factor authentication, remote monitoring, extensive user training, and the development of security policies based on leading practices. Progent's veteran group of data security solutions experts can help you to design, deploy and manage a compliant security solution that protects critical information assets in networks that include remote workers.
Firewalls allow you to build a network that can be safely utilized by local users as well as by an at-home workforce, mobile workers, suppliers, customers, and the public. Next-generation firewall appliances allow you to configure and manage different permissions to various groups of users and to scale your IT network and adjust your cybersecurity posture as your business evolves and as network attacks grow more sophisticated. Progent works with both current and legacy firewall devices from all major vendors including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall integration services, visit firewall support services.
Remote Endpoint Monitoring makes it easy to watch over the various devices utilized by at-home workers and either reject or identify and mitigate modern threats such as ransomware. With Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a small-footprint software agent is put on each secured endpoint, watching all activity and utilizing advanced behavioral threat analysis from SentinelOne to identify zero-day attacks before they can spread. When a cyberattack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring instantly disconnects the impacted endpoint device from the network to quarantine the threat. Since the ProSight ASM software agent is self-contained, endpoints remain protected even when they are not connected to the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. To learn more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, see remote endpoint monitoring for remote workers.
Progent's Duo authentication Services incorporate Cisco's Duo technology to defend against compromised passwords by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo supports single-tap identity verification on Apple iOS, Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, when you log into a secured online account and enter your password you are asked to verify your identity on a device that only you possess and that is accessed using a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A broad range of out-of-band devices can be utilized as this added means of authentication including an iPhone or Android or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You can register several verification devices. To learn more about ProSight Duo two-factor identity validation services, go to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for telecommuters.
Security Audits can evaluate the vulnerability of your network to all types of outside and internal security attacks for an environment that incorporates teleworkers. Progent can deploy remote, automated cybersecurity inventory software for rapidly and economically detecting a broad range of security gaps that can be surfaced via the Internet. Progent's security assessment consulting services, which can be managed by data security experts with advanced credentials including CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can help your business to audit your procedures and governance policies and review your network architecture to allow you to implement the highest level of protection for your remote workers.
Horizon3.ai's NodeZero Pentest Platform is a breakthrough penetration test (pentest) product family that can deliver automated threat assessment of your at-home connectivity solution as well as your internal and perimeter networks so you can identify, rank, fix, and verify cybersecurity vulnerabilities before threat actors can take advantage of them. Progent can assist you to deploy NodeZero to perform comprehensive penetration tests of your network perimeter and your internal network so you can evaluate your current security profile. Progent can also assist you to harden your existing network security and can help you to design and implement a cohesive cybersecurity strategy that simplifies management and provides maximum protection for on-premises, cloud-based, at-home, and perimeter IT resources. To find out additional details about Progent's vulnerability analysis solutions based on on NodeZero's PEN test products, refer to Consulting Services for NodeZero's Pentest Products.
Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network
To read or download a white paper describing critical things to focus on for securing a network that supports telecommuters, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home Environment White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)
Data Protection for Teleworkers
The field of Data Protection covers backing up and recovering critical data so as to avoid data loss and minimize restoration time and effort in case of storage system failures resulting from hardware issues, programming glitches, human error, cyber attack, or other causes. Reliable data protection strategies can be especially difficult to design and manage in hybrid networks that incorporate local data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.
Unified Management for Teleworkers
Microsoft has renamed and reshuffled its endpoint management products under the name Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing local computers. Endpoint Manager offers a centralized platform for safeguarding corporate data by controlling on-premises, mobile, and home-based endpoint devices.
Microsoft 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 protecting off-premises devices and software. Remote endpoint computers can be user owned or company owned. Network admins managing the enrolled endpoint devices of teleworkers can utilize Intune to provision and validate apps on devices, push patches and certificates, set up rules for permission to access data and resources, set passwords, establish VPN tunnels, control how home-based workers share data, establish threat defense, verify security compliance, and erase sensitive data from missing, stolen or deactivated devices. Intune can be used with iOS/iPadOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X devices. To learn about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can assist you to use this platform to manage the endpoint devices of your at-home workers, go to Intune telecommuter endpoint management experts.
VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich unified Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform that helps network administrators to keep off-premises endpoints current and secure. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch technology for unified endpoint administration combined with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery platform for authorization control, application management, and setup management of endpoint computers. Workspace ONE operates with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or leading distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-premises deployment through a one-time purchase. Top capabilities of Workspace ONE include rapid over-the-air deployment of out-of-the-box notebooks, quick onboarding of new employees, policy set up and enforcement for all categories of endpoints, unifies management reporting and analytics, an email encryption gateway, and tight integration with Microsoft applications and cloud services. For details about Progent's expertise for VMware Workspace ONE, visit VMware Workspace ONE remote device management consultants.
Contact Progent for At-Home Worker Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about creating and managing an efficient work-from-home solution for your Cleveland, Ohio organization, phone