IT Technology News and Progent Solutions

Microsoft began shipping the Release 2 edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Microsoft's solution for unifying presence awareness, IM infrastructure, video conferencing, and IP-based calling. The next version of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 features improvements that offer IT managers additional versatility for managing their communications infrastructure efficiently while representing an extensible architecture for collaborative business processes.

To lower expenses, increase efficiency, and support collaboration, the new release of Microsoft Communications Server 2007 permits dial-in audioconferencing to replace costly outside services with an on-premises conferencing software bridge that can be maintained as part of an organization's current communications environment. Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 also now permits desktop sharing, which enables workers to share their PC seamlessly and initiate calls and collaborate with others outside the organization on Windows PC, Apple Mac, or Linux-powered platforms through a web interface. The new version of Microsoft Communications Server also allows geographically dispersed teams to work together by taking part in theme-based discussions that extend indefinitely. This application supplies participants with a list of all active chat sessions and topics, periodically backs up discussions in a file format that addresses auditing requirements, provides utilities to search the complete record of discussion on a specific topic, and offers filters and alerts to inform people about recent updates.

the latest version of Office Communications Server 2007 also incorporates improved support for voice communications and mobile workers. The new attendant window permits receptionists or group secretaries to control calls and conferences for other users, establish processes to direct phone calls, and handle larger volumes of incoming calls through an intuitive software console. A new SIP trunking capability enables businesses to reduce costs by setting up a direct Voice over IP interface between an Internet telephony service provider and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 without needing in-house VoIP gateways. In addition, Office Communicator Mobile support has been extended to more platforms such as the Motorola RAZR, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft-certified Consultants Can Help Your Business to Integrate Microsoft Communications Server 2007
A Standard Edition Office Communications Server 2007 hosts all required services on one physical Front End Server. The small investment in hardware and ease of administration make this version is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses and for remote offices. Office Communications Server 2007 relies on Microsoft Windows Server and takes advantage of core Windows platforms such as Active Directory, SQL Server, Operations Manager, and Exchange Server. With Office Communications Server 2007, you can incorporate real-time teamwork features and presence to popular Microsoft Office programs like as Outlook, Microsoft Office Excel, and Word. Presence information generated by the server can also be added to line-of-business software. Microsoft Communications Server 2007 also serves as the presence engine for team web sites and portals, delivering presence awareness and IM access from within Windows SharePoint sites.

Progent's Microsoft-certified professionals can provide professional technical services for all these technologies and can help you in designing and executing a rollout of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 so as to optimize the productivity impact of this IM, presence, and VoIP solution. Progent can also help you to migrate from Live Communications Server 2005 to the Release 2 version of Microsoft Office Communications Server.

Progent's consultants can help you to deploy Microsoft Communications Server 2007 and integrate a range of Microsoft platforms to benefit from the presence, Instant Messaging, and Voice over IP features available with Office Communications Server:

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Expertise
Progent provides a range of Windows Server 2008 planning and maintenance support that can assist small businesses to take advantage of Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you to evaluate the ways Windows Server 2008 could improve the productivity of your network in order to cost-justify a migration. Progent can show you how to test Microsoft Windows Server 2008 so that you can assess its reliability, responsiveness, and compatibility handling your workloads. Progent can help with creating a rollout strategy, assess and improve existing network infrastructure, develop backup and restoration processes, evaluate security architecture and guidelines, assist in installing physical and virtualized servers, design high-availability strategies such as server clustering, educate your internal IT management team, and deploy automated server monitoring operations to track system protection and efficiency.

Exchange Server 2007 Design, Configuration, and Troubleshooting Services
Progent's Microsoft certified support team can help you design and deploy an efficient Microsoft Exchange 2007 migration strategy that minimizes productivity downtime, reduces long-term service requirements, and makes your Exchange 2007 Server easy to manage. Progent's Exchange Server 2007 support, repair, and consulting services include expertise with the integration of outside vendor enhancements of Exchange 2007 Server and the design of unified messaging implementations powered by Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Progent's services feature complete incorporation with your network, access to handheld computing products, continual monitoring of performance and network security, spam and virus filtering, patch and service pack management, Helpdesk services, per-day data backup, and comprehensive email administration support.

SharePoint Server Help
Progent can provide help for designing, deploying, and maintaining productive Microsoft SharePoint Server installations that will dramatically enhance important aspects of your company's information system such as teamwork, intranet portal, enterprise search, forms-based business processes, access to actionable intelligence, and content management. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you to evaluate the business benefit for adopting SharePoint Server, deliver configuration and integration support, assist you to set up SQL Server as a back-office database, optimize your network architecture, integrate your standard and specialized business programs to work with Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007, develop a comprehensive security plan that incorporates portal solutions, and deliver online and on-premises repair and Help Desk Call Center support.

SQL Server Consulting Services
Progent's SQL Server experts can make sure your company installs SQL 2008 efficiently, and that your SQL-based RDBM solution is integrated effectively with your application software. Progent can provide automated network monitoring to make sure your corporate network is always available, and Progent's remote Technical Response Center is ready to provide fast solutions for SQL database issues. Progent's certified computer protection consultants can evaluate your company-wide security processes and mechanisms and recommend improvements for more complete regulatory compliance. Progent's application developers can help you to develop or customize line-of-business programs or eCommerce sites rely on information controlled by SQL Server 2008.

Active Directory Support Services
Microsoft Windows Active Directory demands significant hands-on experience to configure efficiently across a large corporation. Progent's Microsoft qualified Active Directory engineers are skilled in planning, integrating, and troubleshooting sophisticated Microsoft Enterprise Active Directory installations. Progent's areas of expertise with Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Active Directory include replication problems, multi-domain partition design, correcting corrupted Active Directory objects, dealing with residual beta version configuration objects in online Active Directory environments, and fixing failed configurations of AD and AD-integrated programs.

PC Desktop Support Services
Progent's Microsoft-certified desktop support consultants offer a broad array of affordable consulting and support services to assist you business to deploy, integrate, repair, and manage workstations and laptops based on Windows. Progent can offer on-premises or remote technical support for single PCs and moble devices or work with you to plan and carry out a network-wide migration to the newest version of Windows. Progent can also configure Microsoft Office or Microsoft Dynamics business applications on your client PCs so they communicate productively with all Microsoft programs, software from popular vendors, SQL databases, and line-of-business solutions network-wide. Progent can also provide consultants and technicians to assist you to prepare for and complete a site move or merger designed to cause the least possible interruption to your business.

Wireless Technologies Planning and Support
Progent's consultants provide experience in a variety of technologies relevant to mobile connectivity including system topology, wireless data synchronization, wireless protection, mobile email, Windows Mobile, Research in Motion Blackberry, and mobile application development. Progent's Microsoft certified experts can save your company time and expense by applying their wireless experience to help you select and configure wireless access solutions that fit the needs of your business. Progent can also optimize your network infrastructure so that wireless handhelds work better.

Emergency Remote Troubleshooting
Progent's National Support Center provides nationwide remote troubleshooting for Windows and Cisco-based small business information networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Premier support experts offer telephone help and remote direct network connection to isolate and resolve network problems rapidly and economically. The breadth of technical expertise available from Progent's staff of nationwide service engineers allows Progent to escalate even the most difficult network issues to appropriate specialists as needed.

To find out additional details concerning Progent's support services for Microsoft Communications Server 2007, phone 1-800-993-9400 or go to Contact Progent.