Expanding your telecommuter workforce may have a significant effect on network infrastructure, security/compliance, and corporate processes. Progent has two decades of experience assisting businesses of all sizes to plan, deploy, administer, optimize, and troubleshoot IT environments that incorporate work-from-home employees. Progent can help your Midland organization to pick the appropriate tools and follow best practices in building and maintaining a safe virtual office solution for teleworkers that promotes collaboration and returns maximum business value. Progent offers support services ranging from on demand guidance for getting you past challenging IT bottlenecks to comprehensive project management or co-management to help you successfully complete mission-critical tasks.
Progent's consultants can assist Midland, Texas companies to with any aspect of creating a high-performing telecommuting ecosystem by providing network infrastructure configuration services, IP voice troubleshooting, video conferencing support, collaboration platform selection and deployment, public cloud connectivity, Call Desk services, security monitoring, backup/restore solutions, and unified management.
Infrastructure for Telecommuters
Setting up the physical and software infrastructure needed to support an at-home workforce can be particularly complex if you must manage a mix of personal equipment such as desktop computers and laptops, routers, and wireless APs from an assortment of manufacturers and with a variety of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's experience delivering online support for both legacy and current IT products in remote office solutions allows you to make efficient use of your available infrastructure and provides you with fast access to expertise for making essential upgrades. Support services offered by Progent to assist your company to create a productive telecommuting ecosystem include:
VoIP Integration for Teleworkers
Extending the corporate phone environment to accommodate remote users is vital to supporting a productive work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-based VoIP platforms are used by small and mid-size businesses to support remote users. Many larger organizations rely on Cisco's modern or older platforms for IP voice management. Progent can assist businesses of all sizes to design or maintain a remote VoIP environment that delivers the versatility, transparency and protection required for teleworkers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice experts can provide high-level support to assist organizations tune their current Cisco VoIP environments to handle a growing at-home workforce.
Voice/Video Conferencing for Teleworkers
A wide selection of voice/video conferencing products from major technology companies support online meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat sessions, and screen sharing for both local workers and teleworkers. Many organizations use multiple conferencing products to accommodate their different partners and clients. Progent's communications experts can help your organization to manage your existing voice/video conferencing environment and optimize the experience of your at-home employees.
Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Platforms for Telecommuters
Microsoft's collaboration products are closely integrated with Microsoft's popular Office and Microsoft 365 suites, offering a rich ecosystem of applications that deliver a consistent user interface for sharing information throughout multiple sites and on a wide range of endpoints. Progent has provided online consulting support for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange since their original publication and can assist your company to tune these flagship collaboration products to maximize the productivity of your at-home workers.
SharePoint uses web entities to facilitate collaboration and information delivery by offering policy-driven access to content, workflow, and tools for looking through company-wide information silos. SharePoint permits you to build secure portals that permits at-home workforce to see and edit aggregated business intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts. To learn about Progent's SharePoint support services, go to SharePoint integration 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. To find out about Progent's Exchange support services, visit planning and configuration consulting services for Exchange Server.
OneDrive is Microsoft�s collaborative cloud file hosting and synchronization service, similar to GoogleDrive. At-home users can save files to OneDrive, and co-workers can access them safely through a browser. Included with Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365, OneDrive enables at-home employees to co-edit files. Edits created offline are synced when you reconnect to the Internet. For information about Progent's expertise for Microsoft OneDrive, see Onedrive configuration consulting.
Cloud Integration Services for Telecommuters
Progent offers fast and affordable remote support for enabling organizations to create, manage and optimize cohesive network models that incorporate physical data centers, telecommuters, branches, and cloud resources. Progent offers expertise for all modes of cloud service delivery such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service. Progent can help remote workers fix problems with cloud access, authentication, and security.
Azure is a popular family of cloud software and services that enables you to use infrastructure, servers, and key apps hosted on Microsoft's massive cloud. Azure features over 100 cloud-based services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-powered virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can assist you to set up virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate cloud-based storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure Active Directory, and plan data backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to establish protected access to Azure for remote workers by configuring and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN tunnels. For information about Progent's expertise for Microsoft Azure, refer to Azure consulting.
Microsoft 365, previously called Office 365, is Microsoft's popular suite of client productivity software and cloud services available by subscription. Microsoft apps and cloud services are provided in a variety of bundles intended for users ranging from individuals and households to large enterprises. Progent can provide fast and affordable online contact with consultants familiar with Microsoft 365-compatible client devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can help you to evaluate the various subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 apps for your remote workers to achieve top business value. To find out about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 consulting support.
Microsoft 365 Exchange Online is one of the most popular applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product suite. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online provides the advantages of lower costs for physical infrastructure, simplified management, dynamic scaling, high reliability, and additional benefits associated with public clouds. Microsoft has designed Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to run seamlessly with local Exchange environments, allowing customers to create hybrid cloud/onsite information systems. Progent's certified Exchange experts can provide occasional help to guide you past tough technical roadblocks and also offer comprehensive project management outsourcing to ensure your remote workers have convenient and safe access to your Microsoft 365 Exchange Online deployment. To find out Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, go to Exchange Online integration and support expertise.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a trailblazer in the public cloud computing arena and is the world's top provider of cloud services. Progent can provide quick and affordable online access to cloud connectivity experts who can assist your organization to plan, deploy, maintain, 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 the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to help you to create a high-uptime network architecture to make sure your employees have a productive computing environment whether they are working from your headquarters, a remote branch, from home, or on the road. To learn about Progent's consulting services for Amazon AWS, refer to Amazon AWS integration support.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a popular collection of public cloud services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can help your business to extend your current IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA consultants can help you make your critical applications cloud ready so your remote workers can take full advantage of Google Cloud services. Progent's consultants can assist your organization to set up virtual machines on GCP Compute Engine, design an efficient storage solution with Google Cloud Storage services, and streamline access control for at-home workers with GCP Cloud Identity. Progent's experts can also help your business to utilize GCP's unified management technology to administer and monitor your Google Cloud environment. For information, visit Google Cloud Platform consulting services.
Help Desk Services for Remote Workers
A fast, organization-wide transition to a from-home business model, which could be the result of a pandemic or as a component of a disaster recovery preparedness plan, can overstretch even a high-performing internal Call Desk. Progent's Call Center services allow businesses to outsource or expand their Call Center with Progent's online Technical Response Center (TRC) services.
Security for Telecommuters
Work-from-Home staff members typically utilize their own computing devices and often work in an unsecured physical environment. This multiplies their susceptibility to malware attacks and calls for careful deployment of firewalls, anti-malware tools, MFA-based identity verification, remote endpoint monitoring, extensive user training, and the creation of security policies built on best practices. Progent's veteran team of cybersecurity solutions consultants can assist your business to design, implement and maintain an effective security solution that protects vital information assets in environments that incorporate remote workers.
Firewalls allow companies to build a network that can be securely accessed by on-premises users and by an at-home workforce, mobile workers, vendors, clients, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall devices allow you to configure and control appropriate permissions to different classes of users and to expand your network and adjust your security profile as your business evolves and as cyber threats become more sophisticated. Progent supports both new and older firewall devices from all major vendors like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To learn more about Progent's firewall support expertise, see firewall configuration and support expertise.
Online Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it possible to track the disparate devices used by remote workers and either reject or identify and mitigate modern cyber attacks like ransomware. With Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a lightweight software agent is put on each secured endpoint, watching all activity and using advanced behavioral threat analysis from SentinelOne to identify new attacks before they can spread. When a cyberattack is spotted, ProSight Active Security Monitoring instantly disconnects the impacted endpoint from the corporate network to quarantine the malware. Because the ProSight ASM software agent is self-contained, endpoints stay protected even if they are offline. For details about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, visit remote endpoint security monitoring for remote workers.
Progent's Duo MFA service plans incorporate Cisco's Duo cloud technology to defend against stolen passwords by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo supports single-tap identity verification with Apple iOS, Android, and other personal devices. With 2FA, when you log into a secured application and enter your password you are asked to confirm who you are via a device that only you have and that is accessed using a different network channel. A wide range of out-of-band devices can be used as this added means of authentication such as a smartphone or watch, a hardware token, a landline telephone, etc. You can designate several validation devices. For details about Duo identity validation services, visit Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for telecommuters.
Security Audits can assess the exposure of your information system to all classes of external and internal security threats for an environment that includes teleworkers. Progent can deploy online, automated cybersecurity inventory scanning for quickly and economically uncovering a wide variety of security weaknesses that can be found over the Internet. Progent's security assessment experts, which can be provided by network security experts with top credentials including CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can help you to evaluate your workflows and governance policies and review your IT architecture to enable you to implement top-level protection for your an at-home workforce.
Download White Paper: Securing a Work-From-Home (WFH) Environment
To view or download a white paper describing key areas to focus on for protecting a network that includes telecommuters, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)
Data Protection Solutions for At-Home Workers
Data Protection involves backing up and recovering vital data so as to avoid data loss and minimize recovery time and effort in the event of storage system failures resulting from hardware issues, software glitches, user mistakes, malware, or any other reason. Reliable data protection strategies can be especially challenging to architect and maintain in hybrid networks that combine private data centers, cloud resources, and at-home workers.
Unified Management for Telecommuters
Microsoft has rebranded and rebundled its endpoint management platforms under the title Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud-based management of mobile and remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing on-premises computers. Microsoft Endpoint Manager features a centralized environment for safeguarding corporate data by controlling onsite, mobile, and home-based endpoint devices.
Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also features Microsoft Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and protecting mobile computers and software. Remote endpoint devices can be personally owned or company owned. IT administrators managing the endpoint computers of at-home workers can use Intune to provision and validate applications on managed devices, push updates and certificates, set up rules for accessing data and resources, set passwords, establish VPN tunnels, determine how teleworkers share data, establish threat protection, ensure security compliance, and wipe sensitive information from missing, stolen or decommissioned endpoint devices. Intune works with iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows, and macOS endpoints. To find out about Microsoft Intune and how Progent can help your company to use Microsoft's Endpoint Management to administer the endpoint computers of your telecommuters, visit Intune telecommuter endpoint management consultants.
VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich centralized MDM product that allows network managers to keep offsite endpoint devices current and secure. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint administration plus VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for access control, app management, and configuration management of endpoint devices. Workspace ONE operates with endpoints 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-site deployment via a one-time purchase. Key capabilities of VMware Workspace ONE include fast remote deployment of new notebooks, immediate onboarding of new users, policy set up and enforcement for all classes of devices, unifies reporting and analytics, email encryption, and tight integration with Microsoft applications and cloud products. To find out about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, see VMware Workspace ONE remote endpoint management consultants.
Contact Progent for Telecommuter Support Services
To contact Progent about creating and managing an efficient work-from-home environment for your Midland, Texas company, call