Progent's Co-managed Service Desk
Progent's Co-managed Service Desk is designed for businesses with between 50 and 500 end users and permits your IT staff to divide responsibilities for support services transparently between your internal network support team and Progent's nationwide pool of certified IT support technicians, engineers and subject matter experts (SMEs). Progent's Co-managed Help Desk service is a joint IT support solution built around ConnectWise Manage, the industry-leading PSA tool for administering IT support calls, generating trouble tickets, assigning responsibility, tracking status, and producing management analytics. The price for Level 1 support for Progent's Co-managed Help Desk service averages below $18/user/month.
Progent's Co-managed Help Desk Service offers a smooth extension of your internal network support resources. Client interaction with the Service Desk, provision of technical assistance, problem escalation, ticket creation and tracking, efficiency measurement, and maintenance of the support database are consistent whether incidents are resolved by your core network support organization, by Progent's team, or by a combination. All end-user support requests are ranked as Level 1, 2 or 3 incidents. Progent handles whatever service levels you select (usually Levels 1 and 3). Initial support calls are routed to your internal support group or to Progent's Technical Response Center (TRC), depending on your requirements. Level 2 or Level 3 issues can be promoted to Progent's Experts Team of subject matter experts (SMEs). The escalation process is transparent to your end users. Your business has unrestricted versatility to extend or shrink your share of technical support activity as needed. Progent takes care of startup installation and onboarding of the professional services automation (PSA) software as well as workflow documentation, validation and education.
A shared ticketing system tracks issues throughout the complete trouble ticket lifecycle
Progent's Technical Response Center
Progent's Technical Response Center has been providing remote IT support for more than two decades and has active clients in every state in the country (see Progent's customer testimonials.) The TRC provides the pool of certified computer experts who can handle Level 1 trouble tickets, which represent the majority of Help Desk support requests. The TRC, like Progent's Experts Team, uses the ConnectWise Manage professional services automation (PSA) software platform to streamline ticketing, status tracking, responsibility delegation, problem escalation and management reporting. This keeps problems from falling through the cracks and gives clients continual visibility of all services provided. The Technical Response Center is committed to 90% in-person answer performance and allows Progent's Shared Help Desk program to offer a 60-minute service-level agreement. Service times are 5am to 7pm Pacific Time on standard work days. Extended support times and on-premises service are offered at additional cost. To learn more about Progent's TRC, refer to The Technical Response Center Customer Commitment.
Service Levels
Progent provides three distinct levels of remote technical help, which are equivalent to industry-recognized Tier 1 through Tier 3 support. You can define which support levels will be provided wholly or in part by Progent's support team and your in-house service group. The depth and scope of Progent's roster of subject matter experts allows fast and effective ticket escalation and makes it possible to rely on Progent as a single source for most support problems at any Tier. In addition, Progent's practice of knowledge transfer allows key service problems to migrate from higher to lower levels as resolution workflows become documented and normalized so they can be performed by less knowledgeable and less expensive support staff.
Service levels are described as:
- Level 1 Support: Filters Service Desk requests and delivers basic technical support and debugging, such as password issues, printer set up, break/fix instructions, ticket routing and escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 support. A Level 1 tech gathers and analyzes information about the user's issue and determines the best way to resolve the problem. Level 1 service may also provide support for familiar Level 2 or Level 3 problems where solutions have already been documented.
- Level 2 Support: Generally handles break/fix, configuration problems, troubleshooting, software deployment, and hardware fixes such as in-house fixes or coordinating depot support. This Level involves escalated issues that Level 1 personnel are not equipped to resolve. Level 2 service can sometimes evolve to Level 3, depending on the issue and the way the Service Desk is structured.
- Level 3 Support: Debugging, configuration, DBA, and repair for OS and applications servers, datacenter, messaging, collaboration, and common infrastructure issues. In addition to possessing the capability to find fixes to novel problems, a Level 3 consultant usually has the most real-world expertise.
Sample of a Ticket Lifecycle
A typical example of a ticket lifecycle is the situation where you want Progent's TRC to triage all support calls. In this scenario, Progent may be tasked with working with all the Level 1 desktop issues your users report. Progent can forward other service requests to your internal network support staff. Your internal network support team would then address the Level 2 requests they have the knowledge and availability to handle and escalate any residual issues to Progent's Level 3 Experts Team.
Example Ticket Lifecycle
A ticket can flow transparently through Progent's TRC, your in-house network support group, and Progent's SME Team
This particular deployment of Progent's Co-managed Help Desk Service has a 4-phase trouble ticket lifecycle:
- Your employees initiate requests for support through the browser-based service portal, a dedicated telephone number, or by sending an email to a dedicated mailbox. This immediately launches an open request in the trouble ticket system.
- Progent's Technical Response Center (TRC) gets the trouble ticket request and determines if it will be serviced or escalated to your in-house Help Desk.
- Your Service Desk gets the escalated open request and determines the best way to service the problem. If needed, your Help Desk can forward the trouble ticket request back to Progent for resolution by Progent's Experts Team.
- Progent gets the revised trouble ticket request, identifies the most appropriate SME from the Experts Team, and tasks the chosen SME to work with your IT staff until the issue is resolved or closed.
It is important to note that all groups that handle the trouble ticket can examine and edit the information, and the trouble ticket system immediately alerts your end users about updates to ticket status. As a result of the thorough, shared reporting process enforced by the ticketing platform, frequent technical problems that at first call for a high-level of expertise can eventually move to a lower Tier for faster and less expensive remediation.
Highlights of Progent's Help Desk Service
Important aspects of Progent's Co-managed Help Desk offerings are:
- Pooled desktop help from Progent's Technical Response Center (TRC) staff
- Level 1 online support provided 5 days a week, 5am-7pm Pacific Time, 60 Minute SLA
- Special hourly support rate and per-minute granularity for Level 1 desktop support for end users
- Typical cost of Level 1 support is approximately $18 per user per month
- Level 2 and Level 3 help from Progent SME available as an option at Progent's normal consulting rates
- De-escalation permits problems that initially require Level 2 or 3 support to migrate to a lower, less costly Tier once procedures are documented
- StreamlineIT includes a complete version of ConnectWise Manage with multi-tenant security
Specifics of Progent's Shared Call Desk Program
Progent's Shared Service Desk program is designed to provide a flexible, co-operative call center system for mid-size businesses. Specifics of this service offering, with Progent providing Level 1 support, include:
- Offered only in the United States and territories
- One-time startup fee based on complexity of the deployment
- Beginning day one, Progent assigns you a Technical Resource Center (TRC) Coordinator and a TRC Service Lead to resource, appoint and communicate with your team and your clients. The TRC Service Lead will work with you to create a What Goes Where document to help seamlessly escalate issues to your team or de-escalate back to Progent's team of engineers.
- Live Answer of incoming service calls to Progent Technical Response Center (TRC) with a target of 90% Live Answer of all calls
- After deciding if server or network infrastructure support is needed, some requests will be passed to Level 2 or 3 support
- All support requiring Level 2 or Level 3 service will be worked on by a Progent SME pending customer authorization
- 1 hour SLA for Level 1 desktop support in most cases
- Level 1 Service is for end users and covers Windows-based computers and Apple systems
- Progent Level 2 or Level 3 support will be charged at standard hourly consulting rates
- Progent will provide personnel - Technical Response Center desktop engineers during standard hours, Level 2 and 3 as needed
- Progent will provide a toll-free phone number and email mailbox for incoming support requests
- Free Remote Control software with screen sharing for efficient IT support
- Free ProSight IT Asset Management system for professional IT documentation management
- All Level 1 remote service is billed at a special desktop hourly rate with one-minute granularity
- All Level 1 support is done remotely, no on-premises support included
- All on-premises work will be billed at regular consulting rates
- All onsite work will have an added fixed charge as well as any documented travel expenses
- All travel expense estimates will be provided and need client agreement before work or travel will be performed
- Contracted projects and separate Statements of Work (SoWs) will include their own estimates and costs stipulated and will be undertaken only after approval by customer
Graduated Onboarding
Progent's proven deployment process permits your organization to move smoothly to a co-managed Help Desk and a modern ticketing and reporting system. Major steps in the deployment procedure for Progent's Shared Service Desk include:
Initial Steps
- Create your personalized Help Desk environment, including your in-house team, service locations, and user information
- Progent will work closely with your company's service team to analyze current incoming support requests
- Configure your incoming support request service to include email, software agents, and a dedicated telephone number
Subsequent Phases
- Progent delivers trouble ticket management education for your company's support team
- Work together to define core workflow and ticket escalation processes
- Integrate all your groups and resources that will deliver support
- Develop the introduction message and promotion of the new Service Desk environment
- Select a defined location or small groups to onboard initially
- Bring additional users into the solution at a workable pace
Tuning
- Study reports and system setup for efficient information and workflow
- Create additional reports or fields required to improve the detection or monitoring of common issues
- Identify key information that could allow a better success percentage for Level 1 support calls
Go Live
- All clients have been introduced to the support desk and can access it
- All relevant client and hardware data is populated in the support system
- You can exchange and administer trouble tickets smoothly between your in-house team and Progent
- You are able to track support performance
Benefits of Progent's Co-managed Help Desk Services
Progent's Shared Help Desk service delivers an array of advantages that allow you to give end users fast and effective IT support while simultaneously cutting expenses and reducing administrative hassle. Advantages of Progent's Shared Help Desk services include:
- Keep total control over your IT support issues: you choose what tickets are escalated to Progent's service group or taken care of by your in-house support team.
- Quick availability of supplemental IT service professionals when and if you need them: Progent's professional services automation software programmatically routes in-house tickets or permits you manually forward to Progent's TRC.
- Efficiency: Progent's Call Desk experts will review your incoming support requests and propose missing information that would allow an improved success rate for typical desktop issues. Progent's IT support experts can also help you to improve tag management to speed up solutions.
- Transparency: Progent's Co-managed Help Desk is a seamless extension of your internal Help Desk with centralized ticketing and documentation so no ticket falls through the cracks.
- Happy employees: Users can monitor the progress of their IT service calls quickly and easily.
- Management analytics: You have the measurements, accountability, and performance monitoring of an advanced PSA system to help you to create a custom Help Desk environment that delivers maximum business value.
- Focus on your core business activities, not IT support requests and unhappy end-users: Your IT management personnel escape being bogged down trying to manage ordinary support calls.
To see a cost analysis of Call Desk outsourcing vs. supporting an inhouse Call Center, refer to outsourced Help Desk advantages.
Check Out Progent's White Paper: Is Co-managed IT a Good Idea?
Even though supporting your own self-sufficient internal IT services staff can be a burden from the budgetary standpoint, plenty of organizations prefer that approach because it provides them greater control over their information system management. Yet did you know that you can continue to leverage the benefits of a managed services firm within the co-managed IT service approach. The co-managed services model allows you to keep in control over your network infrastructure while supplementing your in-house IT services staff simply and affordably.
For details, see our white paper: Is co-managed IT a good idea? (PDF - 632 KB).
Download Progent's Shared Service Desk Datasheet
To view a one-page datasheet in PDF format describing Progent's Co-managed Help Desk, see:
Progent's Co-managed Service Desk Datasheet. (PDF - 108 KB)
Progent's ProSight Line of Managed Services
Progent has packaged the ProSight suite of remote monitoring and management (RMM) services to automate critical activities related to network management, cybersecurity and upkeep. These RMM services can be used with Progent's Shared Help Desk service by deploying agent apps on computers to be monitored and managed. Alerts sent by these software agents can be forwarded automatically to Progent's Technical Response Center, processed through the ticketing and monitoring platform, and triaged for Level 1, 2 or 3 treatment.
Examples of ProSight RMM packages include:
- ProSight LAN Watch: Network, Server, and Endpoint Monitoring Services
ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's network, server, and endpoint monitoring managed service that uses advanced remote monitoring and management techniques to help keep your network running at peak levels by checking the health of vital assets that power your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers a problem, an alarm is sent immediately to your specified IT staff and your Progent engineering consultant so all looming issues can be resolved before they have a chance to disrupt productivity. ProSight LAN Watch is National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) compliant. Find out more details about ProSight LAN Watch network, server, and endpoint remote monitoring consulting.
- ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Unified RMM Solution for Networks, Servers, and Desktops
ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software offers a unified, cloud-driven platform for managing your client-server infrastructure by providing an environment for streamlining common tedious tasks. These include health checking, patch management, automated repairs, endpoint deployment, backup and recovery, anti-virus defense, remote access, standard and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint profile reports, and troubleshooting support. When ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM uncovers a serious issue, it transmits an alarm to your specified IT personnel and your assigned Progent technical consultant so that potential issues can be fixed before they impact your network. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop remote monitoring consulting.
- ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure monitoring and management service that makes it easy and affordable for small and mid-sized businesses to map out, track, optimize and troubleshoot their networking appliances such as routers and switches, firewalls, and wireless controllers as well as servers, printers, endpoints and other networked devices. Incorporating cutting-edge Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology, ProSight WAN Watch ensures that infrastructure topology maps are always updated, copies and displays the configuration of virtually all devices on your network, tracks performance, and sends alerts when problems are detected. By automating complex network management activities, WAN Watch can cut hours off common tasks such as making network diagrams, expanding your network, finding devices that need important software patches, or identifying the cause of performance bottlenecks. Learn more about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure monitoring and management consulting.
- ProSight Reporting: Real-time and In-depth Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Platforms
ProSight Reporting is a growing line of in-depth management reporting utilities created to work with the leading ticketing and remote network monitoring programs such as ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting incorporates Microsoft Graph and features color coding to highlight and contextualize key issues such as inconsistent support follow-through or machines with missing patches. By identifying ticketing or network health concerns clearly and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting enhances productivity, lowers management hassle, and saves money. For more information, see ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring applications.
- ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS): Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery
Progent has worked with leading backup technology companies to produce ProSight Data Protection Services, a portfolio of offerings that deliver backup-as-a-service. ProSight DPS services automate and track your data backup processes and enable transparent backup and rapid restoration of vital files/folders, applications, system images, and virtual machines. ProSight DPS lets you avoid data loss resulting from hardware breakdown, natural calamities, fire, malware like ransomware, user error, malicious employees, or software bugs. Managed services available in the ProSight DPS product line include ProSight Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro Office 365 Backup, ProSight DPS ECHO Backup based on Barracuda purpose-built storage, and ProSight MSP360 Hybrid Backup. Your Progent service representative can assist you to determine which of these fully managed services are best suited for your IT environment.
- ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam and virus filtering service that incorporates the technology of leading data security companies to deliver centralized control and comprehensive security for all your inbound and outbound email. The hybrid structure of Progent's Email Guard combines a Cloud Protection Layer with an on-premises gateway device to provide advanced defense against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-based malware. Email Guard's Cloud Protection Layer serves as a preliminary barricade and keeps the vast majority of threats from reaching your security perimeter. This decreases your vulnerability to inbound threats and saves system bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's on-premises security gateway appliance adds a deeper layer of inspection for inbound email. For outgoing email, the on-premises security gateway provides anti-virus and anti-spam filtering, DLP, and email encryption. The local security gateway can also assist Microsoft Exchange Server to monitor and protect internal email traffic that stays within your corporate firewall. For more details, see ProSight Email Guard spam and content filtering.
- ProSight Multi-Factor Authentication with Duo: Identity Validation, Endpoint Remediation, and Protected Single Sign-on (SSO)
Progent's Duo MFA service plans incorporate Cisco's Duo technology to defend against compromised passwords through the use of two-factor authentication. Duo enables single-tap identity verification on Apple iOS, Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, when you log into a protected application and enter your password you are requested to verify your identity on a device that only you possess and that uses a separate network channel. A broad range of devices can be utilized as this added form of authentication such as a smartphone or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You may register several validation devices. For details about ProSight Duo identity validation services, refer to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services.
- ProSight Co-Managed Support: Outsourced and Shared Call Center Services
Progent's Shared Help Desk Service offers a transparent extension of your in-house support resources. End user interaction with the Help Desk, delivery of support, issue escalation, ticket generation and updates, performance measurement, and management of the service database are cohesive regardless of whether issues are taken care of by your corporate support resources, by Progent's team, or both. Your business has unrestricted flexibility to expand or shrink your share of technical support activity as circumstances demand. Progent takes care of startup deployment and provisioning of the professional services automation (PSA) software plus workflow documentation, validation and education. To learn more about ProSight Shared Help Desk, go to ProSight Co-Managed Call Desk.
- ProSight Active Security Monitoring: AI-based Threat Analysis and Ransomware Defense:
Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring is an endpoint protection (EPP) service that utilizes cutting edge behavior-based machine learning technology from SentinelOne to guard physical and virtual endpoints against new malware assaults such as ransomware and file-less exploits, which routinely evade traditional signature-matching AV tools. ProSight Active Security Monitoring safeguards local and cloud-based resources and provides a single platform to manage the complete malware attack lifecycle including blocking, infiltration detection, mitigation, cleanup, and forensics. Top features include one-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and real-time system-wide immunization against new attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. Read more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring endpoint protection and ransomware defense with SentinelOne technology.
- Patch Management: Patch Management Services:
Progent's managed services for patch management provide businesses of all sizes a flexible and cost-effective solution for evaluating, validating, scheduling, applying, and tracking software and firmware updates to your ever-evolving IT system. Besides maximizing the security and functionality of your computer network, Progent's software/firmware update management services allow your IT staff to focus on more strategic projects and activities that deliver the highest business value from your information network. Read more about Progent's software/firmware update management support services.
Why Choose Progent?
As a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner, Progent offers your clients quick and convenient contact with a seasoned Help Desk team ready to provide IT assistance. Progent has decades of background delivering online support for IT systems built on Microsoft technology. Progent's emphasis is on earning the Call Desk a positive image as a valuable factor in your company's success. Progent attempts to resolve and not merely monitor issues, and Progent's goal for established clients is to fix 80% or more of Service Desk problems on the first call. First-call success is a key factor in lowering Call Desk costs, improving the reputation of the IT group in general and the Help Desk in particular, and increasing end-user productivity and satisfaction.
Get Started with Progent's Co-managed Network Help Desk Services
To learn more about Progent's Co-managed IT Help Desk Services, phone 800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.