Enlarging your remote workforce may have a major effect on IT architecture, security/compliance, and corporate workflows. Progent has 20 years of background helping businesses of all sizes to plan, configure, manage, optimize, and debug IT environments that incorporate work-from-home employees. Progent can help your Hayward organization to pick the right tools and follow best practices in creating and maintaining a safe virtual solution for teleworkers that promotes teamwork and delivers maximum business value. Progent offers services that go from as-needed guidance for getting you over occasional IT roadblocks to comprehensive project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical tasks.

Progent can assist Hayward, California organizations to with any aspect of creating a high-functioning work-at-home environment by delivering network infrastructure configuration services, IP voice expertise, video conferencing support, collaboration platform selection and deployment, cloud connectivity, helpdesk outsourcing, security monitoring, data protection solutions, and streamlined management.

Network Infrastructure for Telecommuters
Configuring the physical and software infrastructure needed to support a remote workforce can be particularly challenging if you must accommodate a combination of personal hardware such as PCs and laptops, Internet routers, and wireless appliances from an assortment of vendors and with a variety of operating systems and firmware levels. Progent's background delivering remote help for both outdated as well as current IT products in virtual office venues enables you to make cost-effective use of your available network infrastructure and provides you with ready access to expertise for making necessary upgrades. Services available from Progent to help your company to create a high-functioning telecommuting ecosystem include:

  • Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology allows you to establish a safe tunnel for authorized at-home workers to access IT resources located at your corporate data center or in the cloud. Progent can assist your company to configure and maintain VPN access between your at-home workforce and your key network resources by providing remote VPN configuration support. For businesses with Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco ASA Firewall experts can help your remote workers to set up Cisco's popular AnyConnect software to provide safe VPN connections for a wide range of devices including Microsoft Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Android.
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure products enable a teleworker to see and use a data center computer's desktop. This technology provides IT managers significant control over the computing environment of at-home employees and ensures remote users a consistent and more productive experience. Progent's VDI consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI solutions.
  • Routers connect at-home computer networks to the Internet and typically support VPN connections, home Wi-Fi connectivity, and firewalls. Progent can provide top-tier remote support for configuring home routers from a variety of manufacturers. See router integration support from Cisco-certified consultants.
  • Home Wireless networks, typically supporting the whole family and guests, are commonly used by at-home employees to access their router for work. This can cause throughput and cybersecurity issues. Progent can help businesses to mitigate these issues by delivering services like Cisco Aironet configuration expertise, Cisco Meraki wireless deployment expertise, and Ubiquiti Unifi WiFi access point setup assistance.
  • Internet connectivity solutions impact the performance and availability of connections between telecommuters and the company network. Mission-critical applications might demand backup Internet connections in case the normal connection breaks. Progent offers expertise for selecting service providers, picking appropriate service offerings, and configuring redundant Internet access. Refer to Internet connectivity solutions.

VoIP Solutions for Teleworkers
Extending the company phone environment to accommodate teleworkers is vital to supporting an effective at-home workforce. A variety of cloud-based VoIP platforms are popular with SMBs to server telecommuters. Many enterprises depend on Cisco's current or legacy platforms for IP voice solutions. Progent can help organizations of all sizes to plan or tune a remote IP voice environment that provides the versatility, convenience and security required for teleworkers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts offer advanced support to help businesses optimize their current Cisco VoIP environments to support a growing at-home workforce.

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) delivers enterprise telephony capabilities to devices such as IP phones, media processing platforms, VoIP gateways, and mixed media apps used across the network. Unified Communications Manager manages other combined media services like unified messaging, video conferencing, and team collaboration networks. For more information about Progent's Cisco Unified CM or CUCM expertise, refer to CUCM consultants.
  • CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been replaced by CUCM. Progent can assist your company to support your current CallManager deployment or migrate smoothly to Cisco's modern IP telephony products. To learn about Progent's expertise for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP products, visit Cisco CallManager expertise.
  • Cisco IP Gateways provide integration with public telephony networks and with clients operating outside the corporate perimeter such as telecommuters. Progent can provide consulting expertise for Cisco's legacy IP gateways like the UC520, UC540 and UC560 product lines and for modern Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway integration expertise.
  • Additional VoIP Products supported by Progent include Vonage, RingCentral and 8x8. Progent can assist you to update your WAN infrastructure to support these VoIP solutions and provide on-demand deployment and debugging services.

Voice/Video Conferencing for Teleworkers
A wide range of video conferencing products from leading technology companies support virtual meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat, and screen/content sharing for both local users and at-home workers. Many organizations use a mix of products to meet the needs of their different partners and customers. Progent can assist you to manage your current voice/video conferencing ecosystem and optimize the engagement of your at-home employees.

  • Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading unified communications product that supports presence, IM, voice and video conferencing plus the transparent integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 productivity software including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent offers the skills of Microsoft-certified specialists who can help your company to deploy and manage Skype for Business clients to accommodate your remote workforce. For details about Progent's support services for Skype for Business, visit Skype for Business consulting experts.
  • FaceTime is Apple's group video phone app for iOS, iPadOS, iPod and Mac devices. FaceTime runs on Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Newer versions of FaceTime support up to 32 concurrent users for voice/video calls. For details about Progent's consulting services for Apple FaceTime, see Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
  • Webex Meeting Center provides online conferencing for virtually all desktop or mobile devices. Offered via Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex services include sharing granular content or computer screens, presentations that incorporate rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint, network-based recording, plus revision and playback for future reference. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Webex and for other IP video products from Cisco, see Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
  • Teams is Microsoft's next-generation replacement for Skype for Business. Teams acts as a hub for conversations, contacts, and content with capabilities that include IP voice and video conferencing, persistent chat, plus file sharing. To learn more about Progent's support expertise for Teams and for other Microsoft 365 products, refer to Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
  • Additional Voice/Video Conferencing Apps supported by Progent's conferencing experts include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver configuration and troubleshooting expertise for these conferencing platforms and assist you to tune your network architecture to run them.

Microsoft Collaboration Software for Teleworkers
Microsoft's collaboration products are closely integrated with Microsoft's popular Office and Microsoft 365 suites, providing a rich ecosystem of productivity apps that create a consistent user interface for exchanging information throughout multiple sites and on a wide selection of endpoint computers. Progent has delivered remote consulting support for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange Server since their initial publication and can assist your company to configure these critical collaboration products to optimize the effectiveness of your at-home workforce.

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 and Teams Premium Solutions Experts for At-Home WorkersMicrosoft Teams works on top of Microsoft 365 and supports third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration. Designed as a substitute for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium can support chat, audio/video meetings that include screen sharing, phone calls, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and application sharing. Teams is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 and depends on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Azure Entra (formerly called Azure Active Directory) for delivering its complete range of capabilities. For additional information about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium, visit planning and configuration expertise for Microsoft Teams.

SharePoint Integration Consultants for At-Home WorkersSharePoint utilizes web entities to facilitate collaboration and knowledge delivery by offering policy-driven access to data, workflow, and tools for searching through company-wide business data. SharePoint allows you to build secure portals that permits at-home workforce to see and update aggregated corporate intelligence by means of Wikis, Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts. To learn about Progent's SharePoint expertise, see 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. To learn about Progent's Exchange consulting services, refer to integration consulting services for Exchange Server.

Microsoft Onedrive Configuration Consultants for Remote WorkersOneDrive is Microsoft�s shared cloud-based storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can store files to the OneDrive service, and co-workers can share them safely through a web browser. Included with Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows home employees to co-edit files. Edits made offline are synced when you go back online. For details about Progent's expertise for Microsoft OneDrive, visit Onedrive configuration experts.

Public Cloud Integration for Telecommuters
Progent offers affordable remote support for enabling organizations to build, maintain and repair cohesive hybrid network models that incorporate internal data centers, telecommuters, branch offices, and cloud resources. Progent offers top-tier consultant for all modes of public cloud service delivery including Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service. Progent can help telecommuters fix issues with public cloud access, identity, and security.

Azure Integration for TeleworkersMicrosoft Azure is a leading platform for cloud software and services that allows you to use infrastructure, servers, and key applications running on Microsoft's massive cloud. Azure includes more than 100 cloud-based services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-based virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can help you to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate cloud-based storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure Active Directory, and design backup and recovery solutions with Azure Backup. Progent can also help you create protected access to Azure services for at-home workers by configuring and debugging firewalls and VPN tunnels. For details about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft Azure, visit Microsoft Azure consulting services.

Microsoft 365 Integration Services for TeleworkersMicrosoft 365, previously called Office 365, is Microsoft's popular family of client productivity applications and cloud services offered on a subscription basis. Microsoft apps and cloud services are provided in a selection of plans designed for users ranging from individuals and households to large corporations. Progent can provide fast and affordable remote access to experts familiar with Microsoft 365-compatible clients running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent can assist your business to assess the numerous subscription plans available for Microsoft 365 and deploy 365 apps for your remote workers in a way that delivers maximum business value. For details about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365, see Microsoft 365 consulting services.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online Integration for Remote WorkersExchange Online is one of the most widely used cloud-based applications in the Microsoft 365 product line. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online offers the benefits of reduced costs for data center infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high reliability, and additional benefits inherent with public clouds. Microsoft has engineered Exchange Online to run seamlessly with on-premises deployments of Exchange, enabling customers to build hybrid cloud/onsite networks. Progent's Exchange experts can provide occasional assistance to guide you through challenging IT bottlenecks and can also provide end-to-end project management outsourcing to make sure your telecommuters have convenient and secure access to your Microsoft 365 Exchange Online environment. To find out Progent's consulting services for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, visit Exchange Online configuration and support consulting.

Amazon AWS Integration for Remote WorkersAmazon Web Services (AWS) is a trailblazer in the public cloud arena and is the industry's top provider of cloud-based services. Progent offers rapid and economical online contact with cloud integration consultants who can assist your business to plan, implement, maintain, and troubleshoot hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with on-premises data centers and with other popular cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure. Progent also offers access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to assist you to build a high-availability network model so your users have a productive computing environment whether they are working from your main office, a remote branch, at home, or on the road. For information about Progent's support services for Amazon AWS, see Amazon AWS consulting support.

Google Cloud Integration for At-Home WorkersGoogle Cloud Platform (GCP) is a leading suite 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 assist you to extend your existing IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's database consultants can help you make your key apps cloud ready so your at-home workers can benefit fully from Google Cloud services. Progent can assist your organization to deploy virtual machines on Google Cloud Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage system with Google Cloud Storage services, and simplify access control for teleworkers with GCP Cloud Identity. Progent can also help you to use GCP's unified management technology to control and track your GCP environment. To learn, refer to Google Cloud Platform integration expertise.

Help Desk Call Center Support for Telecommuters
A rapid, enterprise-wide changeover to a from-home business model, which could be the result of an epidemic or as part of a business continuity preparedness plan, can overwhelm even a high-performing in-house Help Desk. Progent's Help Desk services make it possible for organizations of any size to outsource or supplement their Call Desk by using Progent's remote Technical Response Center (TRC) team.

  • Progent's Standard Support Desk support services leverage Progent's nationwide network of online technical support specialists combined with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and follow-up software to offer an affordable, modern Help Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer a comprehensive solution that addresses all facets of online Level 1 PC support from service requests through trouble ticket creation, screen sharing, issue resolution, and incident reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal allows from-home workers to check or edit the status of their current trouble tickets, enter details, and append screen captures or relevant files. Technical support services are provided at a significant discount off Progent's ordinary Level 1 technical service charges, and Progent makes available the option of fast hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 support specialists to resolve advanced issues. To find out more, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small businesses.
  • Progent's Help Desk Augmentation Service allows your company to expand your current Call Desk team by sharing delivery of Support Desk services seamlessly between your in-house IT support personnel and Progent's nationwide roster of PC support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's co-managed Call Desk service is based on a collaborative support solution utilizing the leading professional services automation (PSA) tool for managing help requests and ticketing, establishing ownership, tracking progress, and producing management reports. To learn how Progent's Call Desk Augmentation Services can enable your business to deliver world-class IT support to your from-home workers, visit Progent's Call Center augmentation Services.

Security and Compliance for Teleworkers
At-home staff members typically utilize their personal computers and usually operate in a poorly secured physical space. This situation multiplies their vulnerability to cyber threats and requires judicious configuration of corporate firewalls, AV tools, multi-factor authentication, remote endpoint monitoring, extensive user education, and the development of security policies based on best practices. Progent's seasoned roster of IT security support consultants can help your business to plan, configure and manage an effective cybersecurity solution that guards critical IT assets in networks that incorporate telecommuters.

Firewall Integration Services for At-Home WorkersFirewalls enable companies to build a network environment that can be securely utilized by local users and by telecommuters, mobile workers, suppliers, clients, and the public. Modern firewall appliances allow you to assign and manage appropriate permissions to various classes of users and to scale your network and modify your security profile as your business evolves and as network attacks grow increasingly complex. Progent supports both current and legacy security appliances from all major manufacturers including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To learn more about Progent's firewall integration services, refer to firewall integration and support expertise.

Remote Endpoint Monitoring and Management for TelecommutersRemote Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it possible to track the various computers utilized by teleworkers and either reject or spot and respond to the latest cyber attacks like ransomware. With Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a lightweight software agent is put on each secured endpoint device, monitoring all activity and using advanced behavioral threat analysis from SentinelOne to identify new attacks at inception. When an attack is spotted, ProSight ASM immediately disconnects the impacted endpoint from the network to contain the threat. Because the ProSight Active Security Monitoring agent is self-contained, endpoints stay protected even if they are disconnected from the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. To learn more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, see remote endpoint monitoring for at-home workers.

Two-factor Authentication (2FA) Services for At-Home WorkersProgent's Duo MFA Services incorporate Cisco's Duo technology to protect against stolen passwords by using two-factor authentication. Duo enables one-tap identity verification with Apple iOS, Android, and other out-of-band devices. With Duo 2FA, when you sign into a protected online account and give your password you are requested to verify your identity on a unit that only you possess and that is accessed using a separate network channel. A broad range of devices can be used for this added means of authentication including an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware token, a landline phone, etc. You may designate several verification devices. For more information about Duo two-factor identity authentication services, refer to Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for telecommuters.

Security Audit Services for At-Home WorkersSecurity Audits can assess the vulnerability of your information system to all types of external and local security attacks for an environment that includes an at-home workforce. Progent can deploy online, automated cybersecurity analysis software for rapidly and economically detecting a wide variety of security gaps that can be surfaced over the Internet. Progent's endpoint security audit experts, which can be managed by security professionals with top certifications including CISA, ISSAP, and GIAC, can assist your company to evaluate your workflows and policies and assess your IT architecture to enable you to design the highest level of protection for your remote workers.

NodeZero Pen Testing for At-Home WorkersHorizon3.ai's NodeZero PEN Testing Platform is a cutting-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that supports autonomous threat assessment of your at-home environment as well as your internal and perimeter networks to help you identify, prioritize, fix, and confirm security weaknesses before malicious hackers can exploit them. Progent's pentest experts can help you to use NodeZero to perform thorough penetration tests of your network perimeter and your internal network in order to determine your current security posture. Progent can also assist you to harden your network security and can help you to design and implement a unified cybersecurity ecosystem that simplifies management and delivers optimum protection for on-prem, multi-cloud, remote, and perimeter IT assets. To learn additional details about Progent's vulnerability assessment solutions powered by on NodeZero's PEN test platform, see Consulting Support for NodeZero's Pentest Products.

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

Data Protection for Remote Workers
Data Protection covers backing up and restoring critical information in order to prevent data loss and reduce recovery time and effort in case of storage system problems due to hardware breakdowns, programming glitches, human error, malware, or any other reason. Dependable data protection solutions can be particularly challenging to architect and manage in hybrid networks that incorporate local data centers, public clouds, and an at-home workforce.

  • Backup/Restore strategies for an at-home workforce must address multiple kinds of personally owned endpoints. Progent can provide fast remote access to experts familiar with a wide array of products for protection Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX servers and desktop computers as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Popular backup/restore solutions supported by Progent's backup/recovery consultants include Barracuda Backup, Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, CrashPlan, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To protect resources distributed across a wide area network, Progent offers ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a managed backup/recovery service that uses cloud storage and includes granular recovery and centralized management capabilities.
  • Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity (DR/BC) plans often envision scenarios that require a temporary switch to telecommuting. Progent's expert disaster recovery preparedness experts and business continuity planning specialists can assist your company to produce, document and validate a DR/BC plan that includes the logistics of moving to telecommuting.

Unified Management for Telecommuters
Microsoft has rebranded and reshuffled its endpoint management products under the title Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing local computers. Microsoft Endpoint Manager provides a unified solution for protecting corporate data by managing on-premises, mobile, and home-based endpoint devices.

Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also features Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and securing mobile computers and applications. Remote endpoint computers can be personally owned or company owned. IT administrators 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 resources, manage passwords, establish VPN tunnels, determine how home-based workers share data, establish threat defense, ensure compliance, and erase sensitive information from lost, stolen or decommissioned endpoint devices. Microsoft Intune works with Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X endpoints. To find out about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can help you to use this platform to manage the devices of your at-home workers, refer to Intune telecommuter device management experts.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced unified MDM platform that allows network administrators to keep off-premises endpoint devices current and protected. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint management combined with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for authorization control, application management, and configuration management of endpoints. Workspace ONE runs with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or popular distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-site product through a one-time purchase. Top features of VMware Workspace ONE include rapid remote deployment of out-of-the-box laptops, quick onboarding of new employees, policy set up and enforcement for all categories of devices, aggregated reporting and analytics, an email encryption gateway, and seamless integration with Microsoft apps and cloud-based products. For details about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, go to VMware Workspace ONE mobile endpoint management expertise.

Contact Progent for At-Home Worker Support Services
To contact Progent about building and maintaining a productive telecommuter environment for your Hayward, California organization, phone 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.