IT Technology News and Progent Solutions

Microsoft began shipping the newest edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server, Microsoft's solution for managing presence awareness, instant messaging, web conferencing, and software-based VoIP. The latest version of Microsoft Communications Server features enhancements that give IT organizations more flexibility for maintaining their communications system efficiently while providing an expandable architecture for collaborative business activity.

To lower costs, increase efficiency, and support collaboration, the new Release 2 of Microsoft Office Communications Server permits dial-in audioconferencing to eliminate expensive third-part services with an in-house audioconferencing software bridge that can be maintained as part of an organization's existing communications infrastructure. Office Communications Server 2007 also now features desktop sharing, which allows users to share their desktop seamlessly and launch calls and cooperate with colleagues external to the organization on PC, Macintosh, or Linux platforms through a web interface. The new version of Microsoft Communications Server also allows geographically scattered teams to collaborate by participating in theme-based dialogues that persist over time. This application provides participants with an index of all active discussion rooms and topics, automatically backs up chats in a format that addresses compliance regulations, delivers tools to search the entire record of chat on a specific topic, and offers triggers and alerts to inform someone of new posts.

the latest edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server also includes improved support for voice communications and mobile workers. The innovative attendant console allows receptionists or group administrators to control phone calls and conferences for associates, establish processes to route phone calls, and handle higher volumes of incoming communications through an intuitive software console. A new SIP trunking feature allows companies to cut costs by setting up a straight-through VoIP interface between an IP telephony service supplier and Microsoft Communications Server without needing in-house gateways. In addition, Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile support now includes new device platforms such as the Nokia S40, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft Gold certified Consultants Can Help Your Company to Integrate Office Communications Server 2007
A Standard Edition Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 hosts all necessary services on one physical Front End Server. The minimal expense in computer hardware and ease of administration make this version is optimal for small and mid-sized businesses and for remote offices. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 is powered by Microsoft Windows Server and takes advantage of powerful Windows technologies like as Active Directory, SQL Server, System Center Operations Manager, and Exchange Server. With Office Communications Server 2007, you can incorporate instant collaboration features and presence awareness to ubiquitous MS Office applications such as Microsoft Office Outlook, Excel, and Microsoft Word. Presence awareness from your server can also be added to line-of-business applications. Office Communications Server 2007 also serves as the presence engine for collaborative sites and web portals, providing presence awareness and Instant Messaging access from within SharePoint Services sites.

Progent's Microsoft-Gold certified engineers can provide expert technical support for all these technologies and can help your company in designing and executing an installation of Microsoft Communications Server so as to maximize the productivity value of this IM, presence, and VoIP platform. Progent can also assist your company to upgrade from Microsoft Live Communications Server to the current version of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007.

Progent's consultants can assist your company to deploy Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and configure a range of Microsoft technologies to benefit from the presence, IM, and VoIP features available with Office Communications Server 2007:

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Support
Progent provides a range of Windows Server 2008 consulting and maintenance support that can assist small companies to get the most from Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft Gold certified consultants can help your company to evaluate the areas where Microsoft Windows Server 2008 could enhance the business value of your IT system in order to rationalize a migration. Progent can show you how to pilot Windows Server 2008 so that you can determine its stability, performance, and compatibility handling your applications. Progent can provide consulting for creating a rollout plan, assess and improve existing network infrastructure, document archiving and restoration processes, analyze security mechanisms and policies, assist in installing actual and virtual servers, develop fault-tolerant solutions such as failover server clustering, train your internal network administration team, and set up automated server and network monitoring operations to ensure your information system's security and performance.

Exchange Server 2007 Planning, Installation, and Maintenance Support
Progent's expert support team can show you how to design and implement an efficient Microsoft Exchange 2007 migration plan that minimizes productivity disruption, simplifies ongoing support demands, and makes your Exchange 2007 Server easy to manage. Progent's Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 help, repair, and design services include assistance with the configuration of third-party enhancements of Exchange Server 2007 and the creation of unified messaging implementations powered by Exchange 2007 Server. Progent's services feature integration with your business network, access to handheld communication devices, continual monitoring of efficiency and security, spam and virus filtering, patch and service pack management, Helpdesk services, daily data backup, and full messaging management services.

Office SharePoint Server Help
Progent can offer help for planning, configuring, and managing productive SharePoint Server solutions that will significantly improve important areas of your information system such as teamwork, intranet portal, company-wide search, forms-driven business operations, access to actionable intelligence, and content management. Progent's Microsoft Gold certified consultants can assist you to assess the business benefit for implementing Office SharePoint, deliver configuration and installation expertise, assist your business to configure Microsoft SQL Server as a back-end database, optimize your network architecture, integrate your standard and custom application software to operate with SharePoint Server, create a comprehensive security strategy that incorporates web portal solutions, and provide remote and in-person repair and Help Desk services.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Programming and Support
Progent's SQL Server engineers can help your small business configures Microsoft SQL 2008 properly, and that your SQL Server RDBM system is integrated effectively with your business applications. Progent can provide automated network monitoring to make sure your corporate information system is healthy, and Progent's online Help Desk is ready to provide rapid remediation for SQL-related problems. Progent's certified data protection consultants can assess your company-wide security processes and technologies and recommend improvements for better protection. Progent's programmers can assist you to create or personalize business programs or eCommerce sites rely on information controlled by Microsoft SQL Server.

Windows Active Directory Consulting and Support Services
Windows Active Directory requires extensive field experience to configure optimally across an enterprise. Progent’s Microsoft certified Active Directory experts are experienced in designing, deploying, and troubleshooting complex Microsoft Enterprise AD installations. Progent’s areas of expertise with Windows 2003 and 2008 AD include replication problems, multi-domain partition design, repair of corrupted AD objects, dealing with legacy beta version configuration objects in production Active Directory systems, and repair of failed configurations of Active Directory and Active Directory-integrated applications.

PC Desktop Consulting and Support Services
Progent's Microsoft-certified desktop support experts can deliver a broad array of cost-effective services to assist you business to deploy, integrate, troubleshoot, and manage desktop PCs and notebooks based on Microsoft Windows. Progent can provide onsite or remote help for individual PCs and handheld devices or work with you to plan and implement a company-wide migration to the latest version of Microsoft Windows. Progent can also install Microsoft Office or Microsoft Dynamics programs on your workstations so they integrate productively with all Microsoft applications, software from popular vendors, business servers, and key services throughout your network. Progent can also provide engineers and technical workers to help you to prepare for and complete an office move or merger organized to cause minimal disruption of your business.

Wireless and Mobility Solutions Consulting
Progent’s consultants offer expertise in multiple technologies related to mobile networking such as system topology, wireless data synchronization, wireless security, wireless email, Windows Mobile, Research in Motion Blackberry, and wireless software programming. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco certified consultants can save your business time and expense by using their wireless background to show you how to choose and integrate mobile access technologies that make sense for your company. Progent can also optimize your IT architecture so that mobile PDAs perform more reliably.

Urgent Online Technical Support
Progent’s National Support Center offers national remote support for Windows and Cisco-based small business IT networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Certified support engineers provide telephone help and remote direct computer connection to isolate and repair network problems rapidly and economically. The breadth of IT experience available from Progent's staff of nationwide support professionals makes it possible to escalate even the most difficult network issues to competent experts as needed.

For more information concerning Progent's consulting and support services for Office Communications Server, call 1-800-993-9400 or go to Contact Progent.