Remote Computer Network Consulting for

Fast Online Technical Support for Grand Rapids Small Business Computer Systems
For small and midsize businesses located in Grand Rapids or anywhere in Michigan, Progent provides online support for networks based on any mix of Microsoft Windows, Cisco Systems, Macintosh, or Linux/UNIX technology. Progent's Microsoft certified consulting experts have provided remote troubleshooting to businesses in every state in the U.S. (Refer to testimonials from Progent's clients.) In addition, Progent offers the expertise of Cisco CCIE engineers to solve challenging networking issues, as well as the assistance of CISA and CISM-accredited security engineers to handle high-level security architecture and troubleshooting issues.

Progent's remote technical support experts provide excellent value due to the fact that they possess the practical experience and are equipped with the advanced tools required to solve most network problems quickly. Efficient support reduces direct costs since service calls require fewer chargeable consulting minutes. Online help also eliminates the cost of sending an engineer to your office. Your organization saves additionally with indirect expenses by minimizing or avoiding network downtime and related costs stemming from business discontinuity, upset clients, idle workers, and distracted executives.

Progent's billing model for online help is structured to stretch your network support investment. Progent bills by the minute for phone assistance, so you are charged exclusively for the support that you actually get. In contrast to many remote support firms, Progent asks for no service activation charge or minimum job duration. Progent's one-minute granularity and simple model for pricing save you from situations where quick solutions somehow turn into big tabs. Progent's skill at solving problems efficiently translates into your company saving cash.

Progent's Online Service Technologies
Over time, Progent has developed an arsenal of customized tools and field-tested processes which permit the highest degree of efficiency for online technical support and troubleshooting for small business computer networks. Progent offers safe Virtual Private Network support for gateways from multiple leading companies including Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Netscreen and Watchguard. Secure VPN access permits the experts of Progent's online support team to communicate with your company's network remotely without compromising corporate security.

Progent's proven service database application includes comprehensive records for all support that Progent's customers have been provided. Progent's authorized service personnel have the benefit of the records of assistance provided to every client by every engineer. This archive of trouble tickets and resolutions is stored as a quickly retrievable proprietary knowledge base that permits Progent's remote technical experts to communicate their knowledge company-wide to ensure that the effectiveness of Progent's support improves over time. Progent's high-level certifications and close relationships with key vendors including Cisco Systems and Microsoft make available other vast technical support knowledge bases and allow quick response from manufacturers' internal product engineers so Progent's remote consulting experts can come up with the most efficient resolutions in the least time.

Phone-based support Offered by Progent to small businesses in Grand Rapids and anywhere in the state of Michigan include:

• Certified Windows Expertise
  Progent's Microsoft-qualified remote service professionals can provide computer problem solving and IT help for the complete line of Microsoft server products. Progent is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and can offer your company the expertise of support engineers who can assist you with a broad range of technology support services such as Windows 2012 Server migration and deployment support services, Windows Server 2008 set up, Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 configuration, SharePoint 2010 development, Microsoft Lync implementation and Office Communications Server 2007 upgrade, Forefront TMG management and ISA Server 2006 maintenance, SQL Server 2008 development and Microsoft SQL Server 2012 upgrades, Systems Center Operations Manager reporting, Project Server 2010 planning, and SBS Server 2011 support.

  Progent in addition can deliver a wide range of cost-effective desktop support services to assist your company to deploy, configure, troubleshoot, and administer desktop PCs and notebooks powered by Microsoft Windows. Progent's PC desktop support service includes assisting your company to migrate to Windows 7 efficiently, configure 64-bit desktop applications, or integrate Microsoft Office 2010.

• Contact a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) for Complex Infrastructure Troubleshooting
  The Cisco CCIE certification is the premier recognition for network consultants, and certifies a consultant's technical knowledge at the master level. Cisco CCIEs can deal with even the most difficult problems encountered in network infrastructure design, deployment, maintenance, security, and problem solving. Cisco qualified CCIEs work closely with Cisco's in-house engineers in analyzing problems with Cisco IOS network administration tools and developing alternate approaches or locating program patches. Cisco CCIEs are an exceptional cost-effectiveness because their deep expertise permits them to solve problems rapidly. In many cases, less qualified service providers can struggle for hours or days with identical problems that a Cisco CCIE can fix in a few minutes.

  Few support organizations make Cisco-qualified CCIEs accessible to assist small and medium sized companies. Progent offers quick phone contact with a Cisco Systems authorized CCIE so you can get urgent support for complex network infrastructure issues that are hurting business efficiency but are not within the scope of your ordinary IT maintenance group or consultant. Progent's Cisco CCIE support experts can communicate with your environment via the latest on-line troubleshooting technology to perform efficient, safe, and economical diagnosis and repair.

• CISSP, ISSAP, and CISM Qualified Network Security Professionals
  Progent's qualified CISSP and ISSAP network security consultants offer a range of security solutions to bolster the defenses of your Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux network against internal or external threats or help your business to clean up rapidly after a serious penetration. Security services offered by Progent cover in depth security audits using tools such as GFI LANguard NSS, AMAP Application Scanner, and products from Solar Winds tools and Nikto; fast recovery from virus and worm assaults; installing firewalls; establishing secure mechanisms for remote and mobile connectivity; securing your messaging system against viruses, spam and DHA attacks; and managing round-the-clock network monitoring.

• UNIX, Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X Expertise
  Progent's UNIX, Linux, Solaris, and Apple Mac OS X phone-based support services address a wide array of information technologies such as network architecture, email solutions, system and operational security, UNIX and Windows integration, VMware vSphere and Citrix XenServer virtual server technologies for server hardware consolidation and simplified administration, and migration from older systems to Windows or Linux environments. Progent's team-based approach to solving network issues enables fast escalation, when required, to consultants with appropriate expertise to tackle challenging scenarios. This expedites repair of critical problems, reduces network downtime, and cuts service costs.

  Progent's UNIX/Linux support engineers can provide emergency phone-based assistance analyzing anomalies affecting UNIX, Linux, or Solaris networks powered by leading variants of UNIX such as:
  — Mac OS X
  — Solaris
  — IBM AIX Operating System
  — HP-UX
  — Berkeley UNIX (BSD)
  — SCO
  — Silicon Graphics IRIX
  

Additional Consulting Services Available from Progent
Progent offers the services of seasoned online consulting experts for special information technology programs that small companies frequently need. Billing charges for longer-term development or consulting tasks are determined according to the level of expertise of the consultants assigned. Progent's background in these important fields of information technology enables clients to complete critical initiatives within budget and on schedule. Progent's special online consulting services include:

• Help Desk Support
  Progent's Help Desk service offerings for small and midsize companies with environments that incorporate Windows, Cisco, Apple Mac, UNIX, or Linux technology include full-service Help Desk outsourcing, virtual Help Desk support services, and Helpdesk consulting. Progent's Help Desk Call Center outsourcing services are a convenient solution for smaller organizations who lack the resources to support an internal Help Desk Call Center but who want fast access to a reliable Call Center with professional telephone assistance as well as the technical depth to escalate the most challenging tasks to high-level consultants.

  Progent's Call Center consulting services can support you in establishing an efficient new Call Center or enhancing your current organization, selecting or modifying Help Desk Call Center software products to handle the unique requirements of your company, or providing temporary phone support staff to reinforce your in-house Help Desk group during demanding situations such as software migrations, major upgrades, or installing new business software.

  Progent's Help Desk Call Center staff of seasoned information technology experts provides your workers in Grand Rapids or anywhere in the state of Michigan instant access to a large technical support group with substantial experience offering phone support and online diagnostics for networks powered by Windows, Cisco, Mac OS X, or UNIX/Linux products. Progent's mission is to give the Call Center the reputation as a significant driver of business productivity, and Progent's intent is to solve and not merely document network problems.

• Business Applications Services: Education, Customization, and Integration
  Progent's Applications Consulting Team provides phone-based advanced consulting support and education in specific business application fields such as ERP, MRP, custom programming for accounting packages, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Progent also offers consulting, custom development, and training for Microsoft business applications including Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Project, MS Word, and Office Excel. To find out more on Progent's expertise, custom programming, and training services, visit Progent's Business Application Experts Group.

  Remote Network Monitoring Services
  Progent can provide companies in Grand Rapids, or anywhere in the state of Michigan, online network monitoring support centered around MS System Center Operations Manager 2007, enhanced by Progent to fit your environment so your computer maintenance is proactive and automated. By uncovering looming trouble spots before they evolve into crashes, proactive monitoring can head off inconvenient and expensive network breakdowns. Progent can also use server and infrastructure monitoring tools like Nagios and MRTG Graphical Traffic Load Monitor to analyze UNIX/Linux, Solaris, or Mac OS X networks, Microsoft networks, or systems based on a variety of platforms.

How Your Grand Rapids Business Can Contact Progent's Online Technical Support Experts
To get in touch with Progent about emergency online help with Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux networks, visit Progent's Nationwide Phone-Based Support, call 1-800-993-9400, or send email to information@progent.com. For small organizations and new ventures in Grand Rapids or throughout the state of Michigan, Progent's phone-based computer support specialists are ready to deliver effective and economical IT help the instant your organization has to have it. More than a decade of offering remote technical assistance has earned Microsoft Gold Partner status for Progent's consulting experts and has enabled Progent to acquire world-class troubleshooting capability and to fine tune online connectivity tools to repair computer problems rapidly while avoiding the expense and lost time that comes with in-person support visits.

Even if your Grand Rapids office has a local independent support technician or maintains an in-house organization that know how to handle the majority of network issues, Progent’s Microsoft certified consultants are available to provide an easy and seamless remote expansion of your local resources for situations when your usual service personnel either don't have the time or the expertise to handle sudden network emergencies or especially challenging integration problems.

Benefits of Progent's Network Help for Small Businesses in Grand Rapids
Progent's remote network troubleshooting services allow your Grand Rapids small business to enjoy the advantages of immediate, world-class IT support without the expense of maintaining a full-time IT staff. Your information system will acquire greater strategic value by being increasingly reliable, efficient, and secure. Advantages to your company include:

• Convenient virtual extension of your local support resources
  For most small offices in Grand Rapids and throughout Michigan, nearby computer service providers, whether consisting of outside consultants or an internal IT staff, can handle typical network issues. On the other hand, serious problems sometimes strike when your regular support personnel are too busy or unavailable, and some trouble may be associated with technology that is unfamiliar to your onsite support technicians. In these cases, Progent's online support specialists give you a convenient, fast, and budget-friendly solution to supplement your regular help and to convey useful information to increase your ability to handle future problems locally.

• Less Reliance on Individual Consultants
  For network maintenance, small organizations often rely on individual freelance consultants. Although independent consultants carry less internal costs than larger service organizations and can afford to charge marginally less, they are often overextended, making it difficult to respond rapidly to crisis situations. If an independent consultant is occupied with another customer, sick, on a trip, or in training, the absence of backup personnel may force your company to wait for assistance during an emergency. As your small business grows, system unavailability and trouble with critical software become more expensive. The budget you thought you were saving on an independent can be eaten up fast by lost productivity. Progent provides a dependable source of backup service experts to make sure your IT system is always available.

• Create a Solid Basis for Seamless Expansion
  New businesses typically start with an IT architecture implemented on a modest budget. Lacking a strong framework, slap-dash fixes often get piled onto a weak foundation. As a network grows, reliability and expandability problems can impede the productivity of the organization. Such badly designed environments require careful analysis, smart strategic planning, and broad-based technical knowledge to upgrade to a system infrastructure that can offer the solid foundation to meet vital business requirements and ease future growth.

• Interact with Problem Solvers Instead of Product Vendors
  Small companies need guidance and technical training to navigate through an ever more complicated array of product options capable of promoting business growth and enhancing productivity. Businesses do not need a network engineer who is motivated to sell a specific vendor's products. IT consulting and product sales can result in a scenario where the recommended solution is designed around a predetermined technology instead of the genuine requirements of a client. Progent eliminates these conflicts of interest by selling only services rather than products. This enables Progent to match IT expertise with the real needs of customers.

What Makes Progent Different from Other Service Organizations?
Progent is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner consulting company and Progent's staff size, range of technical background, fine tuned support software, and familiarity with corporate IT enable small offices to escape the limitations associated with excessive dependence on smaller service organizations, individual freelance service providers, or over-stretched in-house IT help.

Progent stands out by offering:

• Proven Methodology
  Progent’s team of Microsoft and Cisco certified consultants average longer than ten years of real-world industry experience, at the forefront of IT service, performing a wide range of technical projects for a large mix of businesses. Every Progent consultant shares a refined set of personal best practices which are combined into shared leading practices standards that Progent teaches its support personnel. This ensures that you get not only world-class IT help, but also a support engineer with field-tested methods for using technical knowledge to repair real-world network problems rapidly.

• Value Pricing
  Progent's pricing policy is to charge for remote support and on-premise visits per minute. As a result, you are invoiced exclusively for received services. Progent does not demand a higher rate for after-hours or urgent service, and within California or in regions where Progent offers in-person service, Progent does not charge for travel except for urgent support where on-site work is less than four hours. Also, Progent applies no initialization charge and requires no monthly commitment for services provided during normal business hours. Many support organizations demand large minimum payments or charge for every fifteen minutes or longer. Progent's small granularity does away with big invoices for fast fixes so you won't be forced to allow minor problems to stay unaddressed.

• Full Records of IT Services
  Progent has developed a comprehensive service reporting system that stores and organizes detailed documentation for all billed support activities. Unlike some freelance consultants or local support organizations who provide scant documentation or details of services performed, each service delivered by Progent is tracked by comprehensive documentation. Each Progent consultant has access to the support reports sent by each staff member to every customer. The discipline of detailing and archiving support activity results in more efficient support and avoids a variety of typical misfortunes such as when a service client is virtually held captive to a consultant who refuses to release vital service information.

• Automated Server Monitoring with MS Operations Manager 2007
  Progent is one of the only support firms to offer 24x7 system monitoring services based on MS System Center Operations Manager. Microsoft System Center Operations Manager causes your network support to be proactive rather than reactive. By revealing possible problems before they result in lost productivity, network monitoring can save your IT network from stressful and costly availability disruptions.

How Does Our Company Begin Getting Remote Network Help from Progent?
To get started with Progent's Nationwide Remote Support services or to find out more about Progent's online support options, contact Progent at 1-866-PROGENT (866-776-4368) or send email to information@progent.com. If you have an urgent need for network help, visit Immediate Emergency Support.