IT Connection Newsletter: Number 6
Progent's Certified Experts Offer Microsoft Windows 8 Upgrade and Consulting Services
Windows 8 includes headline features such touch-screen support and a new tile-based Start interface, but Microsoft's latest client operating system also introduces less conspicuous yet significant improvements such as more built-in security, faster startup, enhanced cloud support, better synchronization, and client virtualization. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you evaluate the business benefits related to upgrading existing PCs to Windows 8 or adding new Windows 8 clients to your network.
Windows 8 includes headline features such touch-screen support and a new tile-based Start interface, but Microsoft's latest client operating system also introduces less conspicuous yet significant improvements such as more built-in security, faster booting, expanded connectivity, enhanced cloud support, fault-tolerant storage, better synchronization, advanced backup/recovery, more powerful search, lower power consumption, and client virtualization.
Predictably, some of these enhancements come with a cost. Incorporating Windows 8 into a business network may require that you reconfigure your remote access environment, modify your security scheme, update or replace applications and utilities, and retrain users.
Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you evaluate the business benefits and engineering challenges related to upgrading existing PCs to Windows 8 or adding new Windows 8 clients to your network. Progent can help you to resolve problems encountered during the process of upgrading to Windows 8, adjust your remote connectivity environment and your network infrastructure as needed, redesign your IT security strategy to take full advantage of the security enhancements built into Windows 8, recommend new desktop management procedures in order to simplify administration of all your Windows 8 clients, and provide customized webinar training sessions to bring your IT management staff and your end users up to speed quickly on Windows 8.
For larger organizations, Progent's project managers can help set up test labs to evaluate Windows 8 and design and execute Windows 8 desktop migration plans based on leading practices.
New Features of Windows 8
Windows 8 includes many new features that address a variety of customers ranging from gamers to workstation power users. Many of these features are designed to improve the usefulness and manageability of Windows-based smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Professional and Enterprise versions of Windows 8 have important features that enhance the productivity of users working with mainstream business applications.
These new capabilities, when combined with the latest computer hardware, offer big advantages over previous releases of Windows and should be factored into any ROI calculation. High-value innovations incorporated in Windows 7 include:
- UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
- Client Hyper-V Virtualization
- Storage Spaces
- Windows To Go
- Native Support for USB 3.0
- Improved Multiple Monitor Support
- High Performance File Explorer (to replace Windows Explorer)
- File History
- Support for Near Field Communications (NFC)
Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you follow leading practices in deploying Windows 8 in a production system. For large-scale Windows 8 desktop rollouts, Progent's methodology is one that has proven effective in Windows 7 migrations. This is process is centered on automating the capture and replication of standardized images of operating systems, drivers, and core applications to be deployed in various business groups and a wide range of work environments.
By using Microsoft's advanced deployment tools for Windows 8, Progent can help you achieve a high degree of automation during the rollout process, thereby avoiding the delays and mistakes that often accompany a manual deployment. Progent can help companies with any phase of a Windows 8 rollout and also offers project management services to help you complete your migration on time and within budget.
To control costs, save time, and minimize engineering risk for large-scale migrations, Progent uses Microsoft's deployment automation tools provided with the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). These tools include Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) to create custom baseline images, Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management Tool (DISM) for editing existing images, Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) for uncovering compatibility issues, User State Migration Tool (USMT) for migrating the personal data of individual users, and Volume Activation Management Toolkit (VAMT) for centralized activation management.
For additional information about Progent's consulting services for Windows 8, see Progent's Windows 8 Integration Services for Windows 8.
Contact Progent About Windows 8 Support
To find out more about Progent's Windows 8 integration and support services, call Progent at
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After Hours Part-Time CIO Online Support
Part-Time CIO Computer Consulting
Progent can provide the temporary assistance of a seasoned Chief Information Officer who can offer strategic direction to assist your company pick and support network technology appropriate for your current needs and that can serve as a firm foundation for your growth. Progent's part-time or temporary Chief Information Officer services offer economic advantages to companies trying to optimize the benefits from their network investment but who are without the budget or unwilling to take on one more high-level position to their full-time staff. Because Progent is vendor-neutral, with a sizable team of consultants certified to maintain all major OS platforms and networking technologies plus a wide range and business software, Progent is in a unique situation to offer objective advice along with expert technical support for developing IT solutions that fit the particular needs of your organization.
Troubleshooting Microsoft SQL Server
24x7 Integration Microsoft SQL Server 2014
Progent’s Microsoft certified consultants can offer small and medium size companies expert Microsoft SQL Server help. Microsoft SQL Server is a comprehensive, web-ready database and data analysis platform that opens the door to the rapid development of advanced business applications that can give your business a competitive advantage. SQL Server provides built-in support for XML and can query over the Internet and beyond the firewall. In addition to providing expertise, maintenance and troubleshooting services, Progent’s SQL consultants can help you get the most out of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and Microsoft SQL Server Business Intelligence to increase the productivity and profitability of your information network. Progent can also help you upgrade from older versions of SQL Server to SQL Server 2005.
After Hours Microsoft Office System Computer Service Companies
Open Now Microsoft Office On-site Support
Progent’s IT outsourcing services provide budget-friendly computer support for small companies. Whether it involves planning network infrastructure, creating an internal Help Desk or using an outside one, rolling out an updated e-mail platform, monitoring your network, or developing an on-line business solution, outsourcing your network technical services can contain expenses and minimize uncertainties, allowing network service expenses to grow in a more moderate and controlled fashion than is feasible by assembling a large, knowledgeable in-house network support organization. Progent’s Outsourcing White Paper and flyers tell you how Progent can help you build a protected and robust network foundation for your critical business software based on Microsoft Windows such as Microsoft Office XP, Office 2003, and Microsoft Office 2000.
24/7 Microsoft SMS Integration
SMS Server 2003 Migration Troubleshooting
Systems Management Server offers added functionality for change and configuration management of Windows-powered networks through SMS Feature Packs. Feature Packs reduce the overall operational expense of managing and deploying software by making it simpler to install system images, control mobile computers, and run management utilities. In addition to alerting you about ways to cut management costs by installing SMS 2003 Feature Packs, Progent's consultants can show you how to plan and implement IT projects that cover processes that Feature Packs are intended to streamline. Progent's migration and update services can minimize spending and eliminate business disruption as you transition to the latest operating systems and applications. Progent's wireless consulting experts can help you develop efficient processes and policies to manage PDAs and smart mobile communication devices so your mobile workforce stays efficient and secure. Progent's CISSP-certified consultants and CISM-certified consulting professionals can show you how to design a security strategy that includes policies, procedures and technologies to keep your IT computer system safe.
Tracking Service Costs Remote Support
24/7 Consultants Service Database
Progent uses an enterprise-class service reporting system that records and organizes detailed documentation for all billed support activities. Unlike some independent consultants or small service firms who provide scant documentation or details of tasks done, every service delivered by Progent is tracked by comprehensive documentation. Every Progent consultant has use of the service documentation sent by each staff member to each customer. The discipline of documenting and organizing support activity allows more effective support and avoids a slew of typical misfortunes such as when a service customer is effectively held hostage to a consultant who won’t let go of the keys to the kingdom.
24-Hour UNIX Technology Professional
Solaris Professional
Progent's Sun Solaris family support services offer small businesses and developers help with administering and supporting Sun Solaris environments that run with Microsoft-based technology. Progent offers your organization contact with Sun Solaris consultants, consulting professionals premier by Microsoft and Cisco, and security specialists with CISSP credentials. This broad array of experience offers you a convenient single consulting firm to show you how to build and maintain a secure and reliable mixed-platform network and communications solution that supports Solaris and Microsoft coexistence by integrating Windows with popular variants of UNIX such as Mac OS X, Sun Solaris, AIX UNIX from IBM, Hewlett Packard HP-UX, BSD, SCO UNIX, and Silicon Graphics IRIX or major Linux variations such as RedHat, SUSE, CentOS, Ubuntu Linux, PCLinuxOS, fedora Linux, Gentoo, Mandrake/Mandriva, Debian GNU/Linux, and Slackware.
SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services Information Technology Consulting
SQL Server Management Studio Support Outsourcing
Progent can provide the expertise of Microsoft-certified consultants and seasoned software programmers, DBAs, project management experts, network infrastructure engineers, disaster recovery/business continuity planning specialists, and security consultants to assist your business to assess the potential advantages of SQL Server 2012 for your organization, install pilot environments at your datacenter or at Progent's lab, design and carry out a smooth transition to SQL Server 2012 from previous releases of SQL Server or from legacy RDBMS platforms, and define a cost-effective and secure network infrastructure that lets you maximize the strategic benefit of Microsoft SQL Server 2012.
Consultants Windows Server 2016 Multi-domain clusters
Microsoft Experts Troubleshooting Windows Server 2016 Health Service
Progent's Microsoft-certified IT experts offer Windows Server 2016 integration consulting services to help organizations of any size to design and implement a smooth upgrade to Windows Server 2016 and Windows Hyper-V 2016 using a local, cloud, or hybrid deployment model. Progent can assist you to evaluate the benefits of Windows Server 2016 for your environment and can help you with any facet of designing, deploying, administering or debugging your Windows Server 2016 and Windows Hyper-V 2016 ecosystem. Progent can help you to benefit from the many innovative disaster recovery and security features of Windows Server 2016 and Hyper-V 2016 such as Windows Containers, Shielded Virtual Machines, Credential Guard, Just In Time Privileged Access Management, Virtual Machine load balancing, Storage Replica, plus multi-domain clusters.
Urgent Excel for Mac PivotTables Computer Consulting
SharePoint and Mac Troubleshooting
Microsoft Office for Mac allows Apple Macintosh users to receive the benefits of the world's most popular office productivity programs. Progent's Apple-certified Macintosh consultants can help you configure Microsoft Office for Macintosh on a mixed-platform network that incorporates Apple OS X and Windows computers so that Macintosh users can access the latest capabilities of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage in order to share information and system resources with co-workers who run Windows. Progent's consultants have experience with both Apple Macintosh and Windows technology and can provide service for environments that combine Apple Macintosh with Windows computers with complete resource sharing, or networks which carefully restrict sharing between Apple Mac and Windows systems.
ISA Server Specialist
ISA 2004 Firewall On-site Support
Progent's Microsoft-certified Forefront TMG and Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 experts can help you to plan, deploy, and manage a configuration of Forefront TMG or Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 on your network that provides the firewall protection, performance and manageability that your business needs.
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