Cloud Integration Consulting Services

Microsoft 365 (previously called Office 365) is Microsoft's growing line of productivity software and cloud services available on a monthly or annual subscription basis. Microsoft 365 apps and cloud services are offered in a variety of bundles, known as subscription plans, targeted at markets ranging from individual and households to global enterprises.

Most Microsoft 365 titles can be deployed on multiple devices such as Windows PCs, Macs, tablets, and smartphones. These multi-device applications include versions of Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook. PC-only applications include Microsoft Access and Publisher for desktop publishing. To accommodate customers with multiple devices, many Microsoft 365 subscription plans allow you to put Microsoft 365 apps on several devices. For example, Microsoft 365 Business and ProPlus subscriptions allow each included application to be run on as many as five customer devices.

Progent offers quick and affordable online access to consultants with expert knowledge of Microsoft, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can help you to evaluate the many subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and configure your information system with Microsoft 365 so it delivers the highest possible strategic value. Progent has experience supporting multi-vendor networks that include Windows, Apple macOS or OS X, and Linux technology. Progent can also assist you to build and maintain hybrid environments that seamlessly combine on-premises and cloud resources.

Microsoft 365 Applications and Cloud Services
Microsoft 365 subscription plans are designed for a wide selection of markets including businesses of all sizes, education, government, home and nonprofits. Some packages, like Microsoft 365 Business Essentials, has no applications but only Azure-based services. Others, like Microsoft 365 Business, includes applications but only the OneDrive cloud-based service. The top-of-the-line Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 plan includes seven apps and seven cloud services. Progent's consultants can assist your organization to select an Microsoft 365 plan that's right for your situation, help you to move from outdated editions of Office applications, and help you unify the management of Microsoft 365 and other network resources to create a cost-effective, secure and reliable IT ecosystem.

Key Microsoft 365 Applications
The most obvious difference between Microsoft 365 applications and their corresponding Office editions is that Microsoft 365 apps are subscription based instead of sold. In addition, permanently licensed Office apps are supposed to be run on just one PC or Mac at a time and are not updated automatically or upgraded for free when a major new version comes out. For example, moving from Word 2013 to Word 2019 requires you to purchase another license for Word. Minor releases of Microsoft Office apps are provided Microsoft 365 subscribers sooner than to users of permanently licensed versions. Also, Office suites bought with a permanent license do not include any of the cloud services that are bundled with Microsoft 365.

Applications available with different Microsoft 365 subscription plans include:

Microsoft 365 Word offers the ability to create and view Office files across Windows, Android, Apple Mac, and iOS computers while maintaining a common look and feel. Users can also collaborate on Office documents, see which colleagues are working on various shared documents, and observe updates made by team members as they happen. As with Microsoft 365 Excel and Microsoft 365 PowerPoint, you can instantly share from within your documents. In addition, you can review who has permission to access a given document and who is now working on it. For documents you own, you can quickly change edit rights. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 Word consulting and training services.

Microsoft 365 Excel now allows you to use the powerful Exponential Smoothing (ETS) algorithm to build forecasts for predicting trends based on historical data. New linked data types that access online sources in real time include Stock and Geography. The Stock data type retrieves the latest stock price, change in price, and other stock market information. Geography allows you to select a region and extract current online demographic or economic data such as population or gas costs. As with Microsoft 365 Word and PowerPoint, Microsoft 365 Excel also supports Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) images. These images can be turned, colored, and scaled instantaneously with no deterioration in image quality. Find out about Progent's Microsoft 365 Excel consulting expertise.

Microsoft 365 PowerPoint lets you work with 3D models and includes an enhanced library of animation functions like swinging and rotating. As with Office Excel and Office Word, Microsoft 365 PowerPoint allows you to transform drawings into standard shapes for charts, diagrams, and various other objects. Microsoft 365 PowerPoint for Mac includes the capability to incorporate and format movies from within PowerPoint. PowerPoint's Media Browser utility offers convenient access to a wide range of media sources such as iPhoto albums, iTunes playlists, and iMovie libraries plus shapes, Clip Art, and other graphics.

Microsoft 365 Outlook provides significant improvements to prior releases of the Outlook email client app by introducing features like the focused Inbox, automatic downloading of OneDrive cloud attachments, display replies to a conference invitation for people who are not meeting organizers, streamlined email organizing, plus easier group creation and shared calendars. Also, Microsoft 365 Outlook users can have their messages read out loud while the sections being read are highlighted. Microsoft's Office intelligent services, when enabled, allows Microsoft 365 Outlook clients to dictate emails. Microsoft 365 Outlook for Mac now supports push email, online archiving, the ability to suggest an alternative meeting time in response to a meeting request, and multiple calendar display. Full Screen Mode allows multiple open emails and permits subscribers to run two Outlook instances in split-screen. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 Outlook and Outlook on the web consulting and training expertise.

Microsoft 365 OneNote for Windows 10 is incorporated in the majority of Microsoft 365 product bundles, installed by default in Windows 10, and offered for download as a no-cost mobile application. The older OneNote 2016 release, which has some functions not at first provided in OneNote for Windows 10 such as Record Video, is still available at no cost but is no longer being updated with new features. OneNote for Windows 10 sports a new configurable look common across Windows 10, Mac, iOS, Google Android, and Web. Other functionality available only on OneNote for Windows 10 include improved ink-to-text, an alert center that indicates changes in your open and recent notebooks, automatic conversion of freehand drawings into standardized shapes, and a digital ruler to create straight lines and make measurements.

Microsoft 365 Access, available exclusively for PCs, allows you to utilize VBA and a rich library of templates to automate business processes and build advanced forms and management reports. Microsoft 365 Access includes the connector library to extract data from a wide range of leading business applications and data sources for generating quality reports from within the time-tested Access environment. The ability to store Access data in both Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Azure SQL gives you a world-class database plus SQL syntax for Access apps deployed either on premises or in the Microsoft Azure cloud. Microsoft Access 365 now comes with an improved Linked Table Manager, allows you to include new charts and management reports, and permits you to link or import data from Salesforce and Dynamics 365. Find out about Progent's Microsoft 365 Access consulting expertise.

Microsoft 365 Publisher, offered exclusively on Windows PCs, is a leading do-your-own desktop publishing system that leverages the familiar Microsoft Office interface to provide an intuitive platform for developing and sharing modern-looking publications like fliers and white papers that require exact object placement. Since documents can be saved to the cloud, you can deliver a document simply by providing a link. Publisher's wide use and ease of use make it possible to hit deadlines for time-critical projects without needing rely on the availability of a desktop publishing professional for implementing last-minute changes.

Microsoft 365 Cloud Services
Microsoft 365 cloud services allow you to leverage Microsoft's vast cloud infrastructure to host mission-critical servers like Exchange, Teams and Skype for Business. These services provide enterprise-class levels of reliability and security while reducing the substantial investment costs and management effort associated with setting up and supporting complex local datacenters. For cases that call for some servers to be kept onsite for compliance, throughput, or other reasons, most Microsoft 365 virtual server platforms can be deployed using hybrid network models that seamlessly support on-premises and cloud resources.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online provides email hosting and allows mailbox capacity ranging from 50 GB to whatever you can afford. Key features include custom domain addresses, shared calendars and address books, the Outlook Web app, single-click archiving, and simple-to-create collaboration groups. The web-accessible Exchange admin center lets you manage email settings for your company and provides complete control over critical areas including permissions, cybersecurity, mail flow, creating mailboxes and imposing limits, team work, contact lists, Unified Messaging, monitoring and reporting, and backup/recovery. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 Exchange Online configuration and administration expertise.

Microsoft 365 OneDrive is Microsoft's popular file synchronization and share service. Microsoft 365 bundles usually include 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage, enabling you to save, retrieve, and share files across Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, or iOS and Android devices. By transparently syncing your files to your workstation, OneDrive lets you edit documents even when you are offline. OneDrive facilitates sharing and collaboration, tracking all file updates to help prevent consistency issues. You can start a co-authoring project on any computer and move seamlessly to another computer at any time. For enhanced collaboration, a variety of utilities allow you to notate and highlight documents. Advanced discovery features enable you to locate files fast, and analysis tools offer insights like how many people saw or shared a document.

Microsoft 365 Skype for Business Online provides cloud-based voice, video, and conferencing. Skype's Online Plan 1 includes IM, real-time presence, peer-to-peer VoIP, and video calling, plus Skype Connectivity. Online Plan 2 includes scheduled and on-demand conferencing with audio and video calling plus screen and app sharing on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, Windows PCs, and Mac computers. For hybrid networks that combine an on-premises Skype for Business Server with Skype for Business Online services, you can deploy a cohesive solution using a Split Domain implementation. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 Skype for Business solution design and configuration consulting.

Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online integrates content management with intranet publishing to allow businesses to broadcast and share content and to facilitate teamwork. The SharePoint admin center now includes interactive usage reports, Message Center updates, and a Service Health dashboard intended to streamline administrative tasks. Also, you can now connect up-to-date SharePoint team sites to Microsoft 365 Groups, enhancing SharePoint sites with group conversations, calendar, and project planning. Features to support cloud coexistence now include hybrid taxonomy and hybrid auditing plus an updated client-side development model for creating SharePoint environments locally, in hybrid implementations, and in Microsoft 365. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online configuration and development expertise.

Microsoft Teams is the future of Skype for Business, providing a unified hub for conversations, contact lists, and content with persistent threaded chat, file sharing, plus built-in voice and video conferencing. Microsoft has enhanced the cloud infrastructure supporting Teams to provide quicker meeting join times than Skype for Business and to enable integration with Cognitive Services such as transcription, language translation, speech recognition, and AI. Progent can assist you to try out Microsoft 365 Teams to assess the advantages of migrating to this next-generation collaboration technology. Find out about Progent's Microsoft Teams solution design services.

Microsoft 365 Yammer is a social network platform designed to be used inside an organization and limited to users with a verified corporate email address. Postings can be files, links, videos, PowerPoint presentations, and SharePoint content. The Discovery connection makes it easy to find information relevant to your work or concerns as shown based on groups you are a member of, discussions you participate in, and people you communicate with. You can find conversations, files, groups, followers, and other information related to a particular co-worker. Group Insights show you how activities such as posting, viewing, and liking are trending over time. Notifications alert you about pertinent events like updates in your groups, comments in your discussions, and new participants.

Microsoft 365 Power BI is a set of cloud services compatible with Microsoft 365 that enables you to build and share dashboards and custom reports that provide up-to-date insights into vital facets of your business. Microsoft 365 Power BI dashboards can aggregate information from multiple local and external repositories like Excel, on-premises SQL Server Analysis Service, Azure, or popular sources such as QuickBooks, Google Analytics and Salesforce. Dashboards and reports developed on Power BI can be updated in real time via data streaming. You can save and distribute your dashboards in the cloud with OneDrive. Native Power BI Online mobile applications are available for Windows devices plus Apple iOS and Android smartphones. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 Power BI Online development expertise.

Planning Services for Microsoft 365 Migration
Progent offers the services of a Cloud Solutions Architect to help your company to design an efficient move to Microsoft 365 customized for your environment. Prior to proposing this migration project, Progent's cloud consultant will carry out a series of investigative tasks that include running tools like IdFix, the Exchange Best Practices Analyzer (ExBPA), and custom scripts for viewing your AD, messaging, and Mobile Device Management environment. Critical information that cannot be discovered with these techniques will be found via interviews with your IT team.

Activities managed by Progent in developing an efficient Microsoft 365 migration strategy can include:

• Lead a Project Kickoff session with your IT staff to define project objectives, services to be procured/provisioned, customer and contractor responsibilities, schedules, etc.
• Develop a Risk and Issue Tracking document.
• Create an Exchange Hybrid migration plan describing how new services and necessary changes to the IT ecosystem will be made.
• Examine the existing Azure Active Directory Connect Identity Management setup and identify any gaps.
• Identify and develop a plan for mail-enabled applications such as multifunction printers, monitoring systems, and other systems that currently submit SMTP messages.
• Create end-user alerts to be published by your Help Desk.
• Identify existing Exchange mailbox sizes and item counts to help plan for email migrations.
• Examine your network bandwidth reports to verify there is adequate throughput and nominal latency to support Microsoft 365.
• Examine your existing Mobile Device Management system to ensure it will align with the Microsoft 365 services and features.
• Run Microsoft's IdFix utility to surface potential AD issues and uncover duplicate email (SMTP) addresses and UPNs, invalid formatting for object attributes, and UPNs that have non-routable domains.
• Lead an Architecture Review meeting with your IT staff to determine issues that might prevent an efficient migration.
• Develop a plan to allow email to be sent to Dynamic Distribution Groups.
• Provide a list of ports and IP ranges for creating firewall rules.
• Help you to identify mailboxes that have been given elevated rights to another mailbox.
• Create an implementation plan that defines the tasks involved with your migration to Microsoft 365.

ProSight Remote Management and Monitoring Services
Progent offers a family of low-cost, flat-rate managed services intended to enable small and mid-size organizations to benefit from the same cutting-edge technology deployed by many of the world's leading corporations. The ProSight portfolio of IT management outsourcing services addresses all critical aspects of modern networking including email protection, security and compliance, automated backup/recovery, network infrastructure monitoring and management, virtual server cloud hosting, and IT asset documentation management. Learn more about Progent's remote management and monitoring (RMM) services.

Contact Progent for Microsoft 365 Integration and Support
If you are trying to find a Microsoft 365 consultant, call Progent at 800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

Cloud Integration Solutions from Progent
The choices offered for public cloud services are expanding continually, making it difficult for information system managers to determine the right cloud strategy for their organization. Progent has worked extensively assisting companies ranging from startups to large enterprises to plan, implement, and maintain hybrid networks that integrate various cloud products and services from leading public clouds. Progent's cloud integration experts can help you to understand the relative advantages and pitfalls of competing public cloud options and can help you build a cloud-based or hybrid ecosystem that provides maximum competitive value.

Public cloud products and services supported by Progent's consultants include:

Progent's Microsoft Azure integration experts can assist you with any phase of Microsoft Azure migration including needs analysis, prerequisites evaluation, solution architecture, pilot testing, deployment, automated management, performance tuning, license management, disaster recovery preparedness, security policy enforcement, and compliance validation. Progent can assist your IT staff to set up and troubleshoot firewalls and VPN tunnels so that your clients can securely connect to Azure-based resources, and Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you integrate key Microsoft technologies to run in the cloud including Microsoft Windows Server, Exchange, SQL Server and Skype for Business. Progent can also help you to create a hybrid ecosystem that seamlessly integrates on-premises datacenters with Azure resources.

Microsoft allows you to create seamless hybrid networks that combine Microsoft 365 Exchange Online and local Exchange deployments. This permits you to have certain mailboxes located on your physical datacenter and other mailboxes resident on Microsoft 365. Progent's certified Exchange consulting team can help your organization with any facet of planning, implementing and debugging your hybrid Exchange network. Progent's Exchange consultants can deliver as-needed support to help you through challenging technical problems and also can provide extensive project management outsourcing to make sure your hybrid Exchange initiative is carried out on time and on budget. To learn more about Progent's online consulting support for integrating Microsoft 365 Exchange and on-prem Exchange systems, see Microsoft 365 Exchange Online integration with on-prem Exchange.

Progent's Amazon Web Services (AWS) integration consultants can provide cost-effective remote consulting to help businesses of any size to access Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud services such as Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) for virtual machine hosting, Amazon S3 for expandable low-latency storage, and Amazon Glacier for low-cost archival storage. Progent can help your IT team with every phase of Amazon AWS migration and troubleshooting including requirements analysis, readiness evaluation, architectural design and review, pilot testing, deployment, administration, performance optimization, software license management, backup/restore solutions, and security strategies. Progent offers advanced expertise with firewall configuration and VPN technology and can show you how to deploy all-cloud or hybrid networking models that efficiently incorporate Amazon AWS services. Progent offers occasional expertise or Progent can deliver project management outsourcing to help you migrate smoothly to the Amazon AWS platform.

Amazon Marketplace Web Service (Amazon MWS) is a library of APIs that enables Amazon sellers to improve the efficiency of their business processes by automating key sales activities such as listings, orders, payments, fulfillment, and reports. By leveraging Amazon's extensive online selling environment and automating their sales, merchants can expand their reach, reduce their operating costs, improve reaction time to customers, and increase their bottom line. Progent's Amazon Marketplace Web Service (Amazon MWS) consultants can work with your development staff and provide application programming, workflow integration, project management support, and mentoring to help you cut development time and costs and get to market quickly.

Progent's Google Cloud Platform integration experts can provide cost-effective online and on-premises consulting to assist companies of any size to migrate any part of their core network resources to Google Cloud Platform services. This can save time and hardware costs and allow access to Google's state-of-the-art AI and machine learning technology. Progent can assist you with every aspect of Google Cloud Platform integration including requirements analysis, preparedness evaluation, system design and review, pilot testing, deployment, administration, performance optimization, software license management, backup/restore solutions, and security strategies.