Technology News and Progent IT Solutions

Microsoft announced the R2 version of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Microsoft's platform for managing presence awareness, IM infrastructure, video conferencing, and Voice over IP. The R2 version of Microsoft Communications Server features improvements that give network administrators more control for maintaining their communications system efficiently while representing an extensible platform for communications-enabled work activity.

To lower costs, increase productivity, and support teamwork, the latest release of Microsoft Office Communications Server permits dial-in conferencing to replace costly outside services with an in-house audio conferencing software bridge that can be controlled as part of the current communications infrastructure. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also now features desktop sharing, which allows workers to share their PC transparently and launch calls and cooperate with others outside the organization on Windows PC, Macintosh, or Linux computers via a Web-based connection. The latest version of Office Communications Server 2007 also allows geographically scattered teams to work together by taking part in theme-based dialogues that persist over time. This application provides participants with an index of all available discussion sessions and topics, periodically archives chats in an XML format that meets auditing requirements, provides utilities to search the complete record of discussion on a given topic, and offers triggers and alarms to notify people of new posts.

Release 2 of Microsoft Communications Server 2007 also incorporates improved support for voice and mobile workers. The innovative attendant console allows support personnel or group administrators to control phone calls and conferences on behalf of other users, set up processes to direct calls, and handle higher volumes of incoming communications through a user-friendly console. A new SIP trunking feature allows companies to reduce expenses by setting up a direct VoIP connection between an Internet phone service provider and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 without needing on-premises VoIP gateways. In addition, Office Communicator Mobile functionality has been extended to more device platforms including the Nokia S40, RIM Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft-certified Engineers Can Assist Your Company to Deploy Office Communications Server
A Standard Edition Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 manages all required services on a single Front End Server. The minimal expense in hardware and simplicity of management make this configuration is optimal for small and mid-sized businesses and for remote offices. Microsoft Communications Server 2007 is powered by Windows Server and taps into powerful Windows platforms such as Active Directory, SQL Server, Operations Manager, and Microsoft Exchange Server. With Microsoft Communications Server 2007, you can add real-time teamwork features and presence to ubiquitous Office programs like as Outlook, Excel, and Word. Presence information from the server can also be integrated into line-of-business applications. Office Communications Server also serves as the presence mechanism for collaborative sites and web portals, providing presence awareness and Instant Messaging support from within SharePoint Services sites.

Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers can provide professional consulting services for all these areas and can assist you in planning and implementing a rollout of Office Communications Server 2007 so as to optimize the business value of this communications solution. Progent can also help your company to migrate from Microsoft Live Communications Server to the latest version of Office Communications Server.

Progent's IT professionals can assist your company to deploy Office Communications Server and configure a wide of Microsoft technologies to benefit from the presence, Instant Messaging, and VoIP features enabled by Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007:

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Integration
Progent offers a range of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 consulting services that can help small businesses to benefit from Windows Server 2008 R2. Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers can help your company to evaluate the areas where Windows Server 2008 R2 could improve the business value of your information network in order to cost-justify an upgrade. Progent can help you test Windows Server 2008 R2 so that you can determine its reliability, responsiveness, and operability handling realistic workloads. Progent can help with developing a rollout plan, evaluate and enhance existing network infrastructure, document archiving and restoration procedures, evaluate security architecture and policies, help in setting up actual and virtualized servers, design high-availability solutions including failover server clustering, educate your in-house network management staff, and set up proactive 24x7 monitoring operations to ensure your information system's protection and performance.

Exchange Server Planning, Installation, and Troubleshooting Support
Progent's expert consultants can show you how to design and implement a smooth Microsoft Exchange 2007 upgrade plan that avoids productivity disruption, reduces long-term support demands, and makes your Exchange 2007 Server easy to manage. Progent's Exchange 2007 support, troubleshooting, and consulting services include assistance with the integration of outside vendor add-ons to Exchange 2007 Server and the design of unified messaging implementations based on Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server.

SharePoint Server Integration Services
Progent can offer assistance for planning, deploying, and managing successful Microsoft SharePoint Server installations that will dramatically enhance important areas of your company's IT network such as teamwork, intranet portal, corporate-wide search, forms-driven business processes, delivery of management information, and content management. Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers can assist you to evaluate the business case for implementing SharePoint Server, deliver setup and integration expertise, help your business to set up Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as a back-office database engine, enhance your network infrastructure, integrate your off-the-shelf and specialized business programs to operate with Microsoft SharePoint Server, develop a comprehensive protection strategy that includes portal solutions, and provide remote and in-person troubleshooting and Help Desk Call Center support.

SQL Server Integration and Maintenance
Progent's SQL Server engineers can make sure you configures SQL Server 2008 properly, and that your SQL-powered data management solution is incorporated thoroughly with your applications. Progent offers continuous server tracking to ensure your corporate information system is always available, and Progent's online Technical Response Center is ready to offer fast resolutions for SQL-related issues. Progent's certified computer protection experts can assess your business-wide security processes and technologies and suggest improvements for better protection. Progent's programmers can help you to develop or personalize line-of-business applications or web sites utilize databases controlled by SQL Server 2008.

Active Directory Consulting and Support Services
Windows Active Directory requires significant field experience to configure efficiently across a large corporation. Progent's Microsoft certified Active Directory engineers are experienced in designing, deploying, and supporting sophisticated Enterprise AD projects. Progent's areas of expertise with Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Active Directory include replication issues, multi-domain partition configurations, repair of corrupted AD objects, cleaning up residual legacy version configuration objects in online Active Directory systems, and fixing failed installations of AD and AD-associated applications.

Desktop Support Services
Progent's Microsoft-certified desktop support consultants offer a wide array of affordable services to help your business to deploy, integrate, troubleshoot, and administer desktop PCs, notebooks, tablets and smartphones powered by Microsoft Windows. Progent can provide on-premises or online assistance for individual devices or work with your business to design and implement a large-scale rollout of the newest version of Microsoft Windows. Progent can also configure Microsoft Office or Microsoft Dynamics applications on your workstations so they integrate efficiently with other Microsoft applications, software from popular publishers, SQL databases, and key services throughout your network. Progent can also supply consultants and technicians to help your company to prepare for and implement a site relocation or consolidation organized to cause minimal interruption to your business.

Wireless Solutions Integration
Progent's professionals provide experience in a variety of technologies relevant to mobile connectivity including network topology, Activesync, wireless protection, wireless e-mail, Windows Mobile, Research in Motion Blackberry, and mobile application development. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco certified experts can save your business work and expense by applying their wireless experience to help you select and configure mobile access solutions that make sense for your business. Progent can also optimize your IT infrastructure so that wireless data devices perform better.

24-hour Urgent Remote Technical Support
Progent's National Support Center offers national remote support for Windows and Cisco-based small office information networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-certified support engineers offer telephone support and remote direct network access to troubleshoot and resolve technical problems quickly and affordably. The breadth of technical expertise represented by Progent's staff of nationwide support professionals makes it possible to escalate even the toughest problems to competent experts as needed.

For more details about Progent's support services for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, phone 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.