IT Connection Newsletter: Number 6
Progent's Certified Experts Offer
Windows 8 Upgrade and Integration 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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An index of content::
Office 365 and iPhones Technology Consulting Services
24-7 Microsoft Certified Partner Computer Consulting Office 365 migration PowerShell
Office 365 is Microsoft's extensive family of productivity applications and cloud-hosted services offered on a subscription basis. Office 365 apps and cloud-based services are available in an array of subscription plans intended for customers from students and home offices to enterprises. Progent can provide quick and easy online access to specialists with expertise in Microsoft, macOS, Apple iOS, and Android platforms. Progent can assist you to evaluate the many subscription options offered with Office 365 and integrate your information network with Office 365 so you realize top business value. Progent supports multi-platform environments that incorporate Windows, macOS, and Linux technology. Progent can also help you to build and manage hybrid ecosystems that transparently combine on-premises and cloud-based resources.
Call Desk Management Services Information Technology Consulting
Support Desk Management Services Consulting
Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer a complete solution that handles all aspects of online desktop technical support from service requests through ticketing, screen sharing, status tracking, problem resolution, and reporting. Help Desk services are offered at a significant discount off Progent's regular desktop service rates, and Progent offers the option of rapid as-needed escalation to subject matter experts to handle the most issues.
ProSight Remote Infrastructure Management Technical Consultant
Support and Help ProSight Remote Infrastructure Monitoring
ProSight WAN Watch is an infrastructure management service that makes it simple and affordable for smaller businesses to map, track, enhance and troubleshoot their networking appliances such as switches, firewalls, and load balancers plus servers, endpoints and other networked devices. Using state-of-the-art RMM technology, WAN Watch ensures that network maps are always current, copies and displays the configuration information of almost all devices connected to your network, monitors performance, and sends notices when problems are detected. By automating complex network management processes, ProSight WAN Watch can cut hours off ordinary tasks such as making network diagrams, reconfiguring your network, locating appliances that need critical software patches, or isolating performance bottlenecks.
Wi-Fi IP phone integration Remote Support
Wi-Fi VoIP phone integration Outsourcing
Progent's Wi-Fi VoIP phone configuration and troubleshooting consultants can provide remote and on-premises support to help you build and manage a Cisco wireless VoIP phone solution by providing integration services that can range from troubleshooting the set up of a wireless IP phone or access point to providing project management outsourcing or co-sourcing for modernizing the Wi-Fi architecture of a campus.
Engineer Monitoring and Reporting
24 Hour Microsoft System Center Operations Manager Consultant Services
Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants have more than 10 years of experience designing, implementing, enhancing and fixing Microsoft SCOM solutions and can provide companies of all sizes advanced online or onsite consulting services for System Center 2012 Operations Manager. Progent can assist your company to design a topology for System Center 2012 Operations Manager servers that provides the performance and resilience required to watch over your IT resources effectively, whether your infrastructure are on-premises, in the cloud, or a hybrid environment. Progent's SCOM consultants can also help you to import and set up System Center 2012 Operations Manager management packs based on leading practices for tracking network fabric and both Microsoft and 3rd-party apps and services. Also, Progent can deliver responsive online or on-premises troubleshooting to help you to fix serious issues detected by System Center 2012 Operations Manager.
Services Exchange Server Migration
Exchange 2010 Migration Engineer
Progent's Microsoft-certified consulting experts can help your organization to determine the value of Microsoft Exchange 2010 for your company and can assist you to plan and carry out an efficient upgrade to Microsoft Exchange 2010 from Microsoft Exchange 2003 or Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 that will offer quick ROI by increasing your productivity, lowering the cost of hardware and support, simplifying management, and integrating your key communications platforms.
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