IT Technology News and Progent Solutions

Microsoft announced the next version of Microsoft Communications Server 2007, Microsoft's solution for streamlining presence, instant messaging, teleconferencing, and Voice over IP. The next edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 features enhancements that give network administrators additional flexibility for maintaining their communications infrastructure effectively while representing an extensible platform for collaborative work activity.

To reduce expenses, improve productivity, and promote collaboration, the new version of Microsoft Communications Server 2007 allows dial-in conferencing to eliminate expensive third-part services with an on-premises audioconferencing software bridge that is maintained as part of the current communications infrastructure. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 also now permits desktop sharing, which enables workers to share their PC transparently and initiate audio communications and team up with others external to the organization on PC, Macintosh, or Linux computers via a web interface. The new edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also enables geographically dispersed groups to collaborate by taking part in theme-based dialogues that persist over time. This application provides users with a list of all available discussion rooms and themes, periodically archives chats in a format that addresses compliance requirements, delivers utilities to search the complete history of discussion on a specific theme, and offers filters and alarms to inform someone about new posts.

the new edition of Microsoft Communications Server also includes improved support for voice communications and mobile workers. The new attendant window permits support personnel or team secretaries to control phone calls and conferences for other users, set up workflows to direct phone calls, and handle higher volumes of incoming communications through an intuitive software console. The Session Initiation Protocol trunking feature allows companies to cut expenses by establishing up a direct VoIP connection between an Internet phone service provider and Office Communications Server without needing on-premises VoIP gateways. In addition, Office Communicator Mobile functionality now includes more platforms such as the Nokia S40, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft-certified Engineers Can Assist You to Integrate Microsoft Communications Server
A Standard Edition Microsoft Communications Server hosts all necessary services on a single Front End Server. The minimal investment in computer hardware and simplicity of administration make this version is optimal for small and mid-sized organization and for branch offices. Microsoft Office Communications Server is based on Windows Server and takes advantage of powerful Windows platforms such as Active Directory, SQL Server, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager, and Microsoft Exchange Server. With Microsoft Communications Server, you can add real-time collaboration capabilities and presence awareness to ubiquitous Office applications like as Outlook, Excel, and Word. Presence awareness from your server can also be integrated into productivity applications. Office Communications Server also serves as the presence engine for collaborative sites and portals, delivering presence awareness and IM access from within SharePoint Services sites.

Progent's Microsoft-Gold certified professionals offer professional technical support for all these areas and can help you in planning and implementing an installation of Office Communications Server in order to maximize the productivity value of this communications platform. Progent can in addition help you to upgrade from Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005 to the Release 2 edition of Microsoft Communications Server.

Progent's consulting experts can help your company to deploy Microsoft Communications Server and configure a wide of Microsoft technologies to take advantage of the presence awareness, Instant Messaging, and VoIP features available with Office Communications Server 2007:

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Integration
Progent offers a variety of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 planning and maintenance support that can help small businesses to get the most from Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help your company to understand the areas where Microsoft Windows Server 2008 could improve the productivity of your information network so that you can cost-justify a migration. Progent can show you how to pilot Windows Server 2008 in order to determine its stability, throughput, and compatibility handling realistic applications. Progent can assist with creating a deployment plan, evaluate and improve your current network infrastructure, develop backup and recovery processes, evaluate security mechanisms and guidelines, assist in integrating physical and virtualized servers, develop fault-tolerant solutions such as failover server clustering with Hyper-V, educate your in-house IT administration staff, and deploy automated 24x7 monitoring operations to track system security and efficiency.

Microsoft Exchange Server Planning, Installation, and Troubleshooting Services
Progent's Microsoft certified support team can show you how to design and deploy an efficient Microsoft Exchange 2007 migration plan that avoids network downtime, reduces ongoing service requirements, and makes your Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server easy to administer. Progent's Microsoft Exchange 2007 support, troubleshooting, and consulting services include expertise with the integration of third-party add-ons to Exchange 2007 Server and the design of unified messaging solutions powered by Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server. Services feature complete incorporation with your business network, connectivity with handheld computing products, automated monitoring of efficiency and network security, spam and virus protection, security update and service pack management, Help Desk Call Center services, daily data backup, and full messaging administration support.

SharePoint Server 2007 Consulting and Support
Progent can provide assistance for planning, deploying, and maintaining successful Microsoft SharePoint Server solutions that can dramatically improve key areas of your organization's information network such as collaboration, web portal, corporate-wide search, forms-driven business processes, access to management intelligence, and content control. Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers can help your company to evaluate the business case for deploying SharePoint Server, deliver configuration and integration support, help your business to configure Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as a back-office database, enhance your network architecture, integrate your off-the-shelf and custom application programs to operate with Microsoft SharePoint Server, create a comprehensive security strategy that incorporates web portal technology, and deliver remote and on-premises repair and Help Desk Call Center support.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Programming and Support
Progent's SQL Server consultants can make sure your business installs Microsoft SQL 2008 efficiently, and that your SQL-powered DBM system is incorporated effectively with your applications. Progent can provide automated server tracking to make sure your corporate information system is healthy, and Progent's online Technical Response Center is ready to provide quick resolutions for SQL problems. Progent's certified computer security experts can assess your company-wide security processes and mechanisms and recommend enhancements for more complete regulatory compliance. Progent's application developers can assist you to create or customize line-of-business programs or eCommerce sites utilize databases controlled by SQL Server.

Active Directory Consulting and Support Services
Microsoft Windows Active Directory demands significant practical experience to integrate efficiently across a large corporation. Progent’s Microsoft qualified Active Directory consultants are experienced in planning, integrating, and troubleshooting sophisticated Microsoft Enterprise AD installations. Progent’s areas of proven competence with Windows 2003 and 2008 AD include replication problems, multi-domain partition configurations, correcting corrupted AD objects, dealing with residual beta version configuration objects in online AD environments, and fixing unsuccessful configurations of AD and Active Directory-associated programs.

Desktop Consulting and Support Services
Progent's Microsoft-certified desktop support consultants can deliver a wide array of cost-effective consulting and support services to help your business to install, integrate, repair, and manage desktop PCs and laptops based on Microsoft Windows. Progent can provide onsite or remote help for single PCs and moble devices or help you to plan and carry out a large-scale rollout of the latest release of Microsoft Windows. Progent can also install Microsoft Office or Microsoft Dynamics business applications on your client PCs so they integrate efficiently with other Microsoft programs, software from popular publishers, business servers, and line-of-business solutions network-wide. Progent can also provide engineers and technicians to assist you to prepare for and implement an office move or consolidation organized to produce minimal disruption of your productivity.

Wireless Solutions Consulting
Progent’s consultants provide experience in a variety of disciplines relevant to mobile networking such as system infrastructure, Activesync, wireless protection, mobile email, Microsoft Windows Mobile, RIM Blackberry, and mobile application development. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco certified professionals can save your organization work and money by using their wireless expertise to help you select and configure mobile connectivity solutions that make sense for your company. Progent can also optimize your network infrastructure so that wireless appliances perform better.

Emergency Online Technical Support
Progent’s Technical Response Center offers national remote help for Windows and Cisco-based small business information networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Certified service engineers offer phone support and remote direct network connection to isolate and repair network problems rapidly and affordably. The breadth of IT expertise available from Progent's staff of country-wide support engineers allows Progent to escalate even the most difficult network issues to competent specialists as needed.

To learn more details concerning Progent's consulting support for Microsoft Communications Server, phone 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.