Technology News and Progent Solutions

Microsoft debuted the R2 version of Microsoft Office Communications Server, Microsoft's platform for managing presence, instant messaging, web conferencing, and Voice over IP. The Release 2 version of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 features enhancements that offer IT organizations additional flexibility for supporting their communications infrastructure effectively while representing an extensible platform for collaborative work processes.

To reduce expenses, improve efficiency, and promote teamwork, the latest release of Microsoft Communications Server 2007 permits dial-in conferencing to replace expensive third-part services with an in-house conferencing bridge that can be controlled as part of the existing communications infrastructure. Microsoft Office Communications Server also now features desktop sharing, which allows workers to share their desktop transparently and initiate calls and collaborate with colleagues external to the organization on Windows PC, Apple Mac, or Linux-powered platforms via a Web-based connection. The latest edition of Office Communications Server also enables geographically scattered teams to collaborate by taking part in theme-based dialogues that extend indefinitely. This tool provides users with a list of all active discussion sessions and themes, periodically archives discussions in a format that addresses auditing regulations, provides tools to look through the complete record of chat on a specific theme, and offers filters and alarms to inform people of new posts.

the new edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also includes enhanced support for voice communications and mobile workers. The innovative attendant window permits support personnel or group administrators to manage calls and conferences on behalf of associates, establish processes to direct phone calls, and manage larger numbers of incoming calls via a user-friendly console. A new SIP trunking capability allows businesses to reduce costs by establishing up a direct VoIP interface between an IP phone service supplier and Office Communications Server 2007 without needing in-house gateways. In addition, Office Communicator Mobile functionality now includes new device platforms including the Nokia S40, RIM Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft Gold certified Consultants Can Help Your Company to Benefit from Office Communications Server
A Standard Edition Microsoft Office Communications Server manages all necessary services on a single 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. Microsoft Office Communications Server relies on Windows Server and takes advantage of powerful Windows Server platforms like as Active Directory, SQL Server, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager, and Exchange Server. With Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, you can incorporate instant teamwork features and presence to ubiquitous MS Office programs such as Outlook, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office Word. Presence awareness from your server can also be incorporated into line-of-business software. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also acts as the presence engine for collaborative sites and portals, providing presence and Instant Messaging support from within SharePoint Services sites.

Progent's Microsoft-Gold certified professionals can provide professional consulting support for all these areas and can assist your company in designing and implementing an installation of Microsoft Communications Server in order to optimize the productivity impact of this IM, presence, and VoIP solution. Progent can in addition assist you to migrate from Live Communications Server to the Release 2 version of Office Communications Server 2007.

Progent's IT professionals can assist your company to install Microsoft Communications Server and configure a range of Microsoft platforms to benefit from the presence, Instant Messaging, and Voice over IP features enabled by Microsoft Communications Server:

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Integration
Progent offers a variety of Windows Server 2008 planning and integration support that can assist small businesses to get the most from Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft Gold certified consultants can help you to understand the areas where Windows Server 2008 could improve the productivity of your IT system in order to cost-justify a migration. Progent can help you test Windows Server 2008 so that you can determine its stability, responsiveness, and compatibility handling realistic applications. Progent can assist with developing a rollout plan, assess and improve your current network infrastructure, document backup and restoration processes, evaluate security mechanisms and guidelines, assist in setting up actual and virtualized servers, design fault-tolerant solutions such as server clustering, educate your in-house IT administration staff, and deploy proactive round-the-clock monitoring operations to track system security and efficiency.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Design, Setup, and Maintenance Support
Progent's expert support team can help you design and implement a smooth Microsoft Exchange 2007 upgrade plan that minimizes productivity downtime, reduces long-term service requirements, and makes your Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server easy to manage. Progent's Exchange Server 2007 help, troubleshooting, and design services include expertise with the integration of outside vendor add-ons to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and the design of unified messaging implementations powered by Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Services feature integration with your network, connectivity with mobile computing products, automated monitoring of efficiency and security, spam and virus filtering, patch and service pack control, Help Desk Call Center services, per-day backup, and comprehensive messaging administration support.

SharePoint Server Help
Progent can provide help for planning, deploying, and maintaining successful Microsoft Office SharePoint Server solutions that will dramatically improve key areas of your IT environment such as collaboration, intranet portal, corporate-wide search, forms-driven business processes, access to business intelligence, and document management. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you to evaluate the business benefit for adopting Office SharePoint, provide setup and integration support, help you to configure Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as a back-end database engine, enhance your network infrastructure, set up your off-the-shelf and custom business software to operate with SharePoint Server 2007, create a company-wide security plan that includes web portal solutions, and provide online and on-premises repair and Call Center support.

Microsoft SQL Server Programming and Support
Progent's SQL Server consultants can help your small business configures Microsoft SQL Server 2008 efficiently, and that your SQL-based data management system is integrated effectively with your applications. Progent can provide automated network tracking to make sure your business information system is always available, and Progent's remote Technical Response Center is available to provide fast solutions for SQL-related problems. Progent's certified computer protection engineers can evaluate your company-wide security policies and mechanisms and suggest enhancements for more complete protection. Progent's developers can assist your company to create or customize business applications or eCommerce sites utilize databases managed by Microsoft SQL Server.

Windows Active Directory Support Services
Windows Active Directory requires significant hands-on experience to configure efficiently across an enterprise. Progent's Microsoft qualified Active Directory consultants are experienced in designing, deploying, and troubleshooting sophisticated Microsoft Enterprise Active Directory projects. Progent's fields of expertise with Windows 2003 and 2008 AD include replication issues, multi-domain partition configurations, correcting corrupted Active Directory objects, cleaning up residual beta version configuration objects in online Active Directory environments, and fixing failed installations of AD and AD-associated applications.

Desktop Consulting and Support Services
Progent's Microsoft-certified desktop support experts offer a broad array of cost-effective services to assist your company to deploy, configure, repair, and manage desktop PCs and laptops based on Microsoft Windows. Progent can offer onsite or remote help for single PCs and moble devices or work with your business to design and carry out a large-scale migration to the newest version of Windows. Progent can also configure Office or Microsoft Dynamics programs on your workstations so they communicate productively with all Microsoft programs, products from popular vendors, SQL databases, and line-of-business services throughout your network. Progent can also provide consultants and technical workers to help you to prepare for and implement an office relocation or consolidation organized to cause minimal interruption to your business.

Wireless Solutions Integration
Progent's consultants offer experience in multiple technologies related to mobile connectivity including network topology, Activesync, wireless protection, mobile email, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Research in Motion Blackberry, and mobile application development. Progent's certified professionals can save your organization work and expense by applying their wireless expertise to help you select and configure mobile networking solutions that make sense for your company. Progent can also tune your network infrastructure so that mobile data devices perform better.

Urgent Online Technical Support
Progent's National Support Center offers nationwide remote troubleshooting for Windows and Cisco-based small office computer networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Certified support experts provide telephone help and online direct computer connection to troubleshoot and repair network problems rapidly and affordably. The scope of technical expertise available from Progent's team of nationwide service engineers makes it possible to escalate even the most difficult problems to competent specialists as required.

To learn additional details concerning Progent's consulting support for Office Communications Server 2007, phone 1-800-993-9400 or go to Contact Progent.