Technology News and Progent IT Solutions

Microsoft began shipping the R2 version of Microsoft Office Communications Server, Microsoft's solution for streamlining presence awareness, instant messaging, remote conferencing, and software-based VoIP. The newest version of Office Communications Server includes enhancements that offer network administrators additional flexibility for managing their communications system efficiently while representing an extensible architecture for collaborative work activity.

To lower costs, improve efficiency, and support collaboration, the latest release of Office Communications Server 2007 permits dial-in audioconferencing to eliminate costly outside services with an in-house conferencing bridge that can be managed as part of a company's existing communications environment. Microsoft Communications Server 2007 also now permits desktop sharing, which enables workers to share their PC seamlessly and initiate calls and collaborate with others external to the organization on Windows PC, Macintosh, or Linux platforms via a Web-based connection. The latest version of Microsoft Office Communications Server also enables geographically dispersed groups to collaborate by participating in topic-based discussions that persist indefinitely. This application provides users with a list of all available discussion rooms and topics, automatically backs up discussions in a file format that meets compliance requirements, provides tools to look through the entire record of discussion on a given topic, and provides filters and alerts to notify people of recent posts.

the new edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server also includes enhanced support for voice and mobile workers. The innovative attendant console allows support personnel or team secretaries to control calls and conferences on behalf of associates, set up processes to route calls, and manage higher volumes of incoming calls via an intuitive software interface. A new SIP trunking capability enables businesses to cut expenses by setting up a straight-through Voice over IP connection between an Internet phone service supplier and Microsoft Communications Server without requiring on-premises gateways. In addition, Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile support now includes more platforms such as the Nokia S40, RIM Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft-certified Consultants Can Help You to Integrate Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007
A Standard Edition Microsoft Communications Server manages all required services on one physical Front End Server. The minimal expense in computer hardware and simplicity of management make this configuration is optimal for small and mid-sized companies and for branch offices. Microsoft Office Communications Server relies on Microsoft Windows Server and taps into powerful Windows Server platforms like as Active Directory, Microsoft SQL Server, Operations Manager, and Exchange Server. With Microsoft Communications Server, you can incorporate instant teamwork capabilities and presence to popular Office programs such as Microsoft Office Outlook, Excel, and Microsoft Word. Presence information generated by your server can also be incorporated into line-of-business software. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also acts as the presence engine for team sites and portals, delivering presence awareness and IM support from within SharePoint sites.

Progent's Microsoft-Gold certified professionals can provide expert technical services for all these technologies and can assist you in planning and implementing a rollout of Office Communications Server 2007 in order to maximize the business value of this IM, presence, and VoIP solution. Progent can also assist you to upgrade from Live Communications Server to the current edition of Microsoft Communications Server.

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

Windows Server 2008 Consulting
Progent provides a variety of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 planning and maintenance support that can help small companies to take advantage of Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers can assist your company to understand the areas where Windows Server 2008 could improve the business value of your network in order to rationalize an upgrade. Progent can help you pilot Windows Server 2008 in order to assess its stability, throughput, and compatibility handling your workloads. Progent can help with creating a deployment strategy, evaluate and enhance your current network environment, document backup and restoration procedures, analyze security mechanisms and guidelines, help in setting up physical and virtual servers, design high-availability strategies such as server and storage clustering with Hyper-V, educate your in-house network administration staff, and deploy automated round-the-clock monitoring processes to ensure your information system's protection and performance.

Microsoft Exchange Server Design, Setup, and Troubleshooting Support
Progent's expert support team can show you how to design and implement an efficient Exchange Server 2007 migration plan that minimizes productivity disruption, simplifies ongoing service demands, and makes your Exchange Server 2007 easy to administer. Progent's Microsoft Exchange 2007 help, repair, and consulting offerings include assistance with the integration of third-party enhancements of Exchange 2007 Server and the creation of unified messaging solutions powered by Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server. Services feature complete incorporation with your network, connectivity with handheld computing devices, continual tracking of efficiency and network security, spam and virus filtering, security update and revision control, Helpdesk services, per-day data backup, and comprehensive messaging administration support.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Consulting and Support
Progent can provide help for designing, configuring, and managing successful Microsoft Office SharePoint Server installations that can significantly improve key aspects of your information network including teamwork, intranet portal, company-wide search, forms-based business processes, delivery of actionable information, and document control. Progent's Microsoft Gold certified consultants can assist you to assess the business case for deploying SharePoint Server, provide setup and integration expertise, assist you to configure SQL Server 2008 as a back-office database engine, enhance your network infrastructure, set up your off-the-shelf and specialized business software to operate with SharePoint Server 2007, develop a comprehensive protection plan that includes web portal solutions, and provide remote and on-site repair and Call Center support.

SQL Server 2008 Consulting Services
Progent's SQL Server engineers can make sure your company installs SQL Server 2008 properly, and that your SQL-based DBM system is integrated thoroughly with your applications. Progent offers automated network monitoring to make sure your business information system is always available, and Progent's remote Technical Response Center is available to provide quick resolutions for SQL-related problems. Progent's certified data protection experts can assess your business-wide security policies and technologies and recommend enhancements for more complete protection. Progent's programmers can help your company to create or customize line-of-business programs or web sites utilize databases managed by SQL Server 2008.

Active Directory Support Services
Microsoft Windows Active Directory requires significant field experience to configure efficiently across an enterprise. Progent’s Microsoft Gold certified Active Directory experts are experts in designing, deploying, and troubleshooting complex Enterprise Active Directory installations. Progent’s fields of proven competence with Microsoft 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 AD systems, and fixing failed installations of AD and Active Directory-associated programs.

PC Desktop Consulting and Support Services
Progent's Microsoft Gold certified desktop support experts can deliver a wide range of cost-effective support services to assist you company to deploy, integrate, repair, and manage desktop PCs and notebooks based on Microsoft Windows. Progent can provide onsite or online assistance for single desktop computers and handheld devices or work with your business to design and carry out a company-wide rollout of the latest version of Windows. Progent can also configure Office or Microsoft Dynamics applications on your client PCs so they communicate productively with all Microsoft applications, products from popular publishers, business servers, and key solutions network-wide. Progent can also supply engineers and technicians to help your company to plan for and implement a site move or consolidation designed to cause minimal disruption of your productivity.

Wireless Technologies Consulting
Progent’s consultants provide experience in multiple technologies relevant to mobile connectivity such as network infrastructure, Activesync, wireless protection, wireless email, Microsoft Windows Mobile, RIM Blackberry, and wireless application programming. Progent's Microsoft certified experts can save your organization time and money by using their wireless background to help you choose and configure mobile connectivity solutions that make sense for your business. Progent can also optimize your network infrastructure so that mobile data devices perform better.

Urgent Remote Technical Support
Progent’s National Support Center offers national remote assistance for Windows and Cisco-based small office information networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Premier support engineers provide phone support and remote direct network connection to isolate and resolve technical problems rapidly and economically. The scope of IT expertise represented by Progent's team of nationwide support professionals allows Progent to escalate even the most difficult problems to appropriate experts as needed.

For additional details concerning Progent's consulting expertise for Office Communications Server 2007, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.