Technology News and Progent IT Solutions

Microsoft announced the newest version of Microsoft Communications Server, Microsoft's solution for unifying presence awareness, instant messaging, video conferencing, and software-based VoIP. The next version of Microsoft Communications Server features improvements that offer IT organizations additional control for supporting their communications infrastructure effectively while providing an extensible platform for collaborative business activity.

To reduce costs, increase productivity, and promote collaboration, the new edition of Microsoft Communications Server 2007 allows dial-in conferencing to replace costly outside services with an on-premises conferencing software bridge that is controlled as part of the overall communications environment. Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 also now features desktop sharing, which allows users to share their desktop seamlessly and launch calls and cooperate with others outside the organization on Windows PC, Apple Mac, or Linux-powered platforms through a Web-based connection. The latest edition of Microsoft Communications Server 2007 also allows geographically dispersed groups to work together by taking part in topic-based dialogues that extend over time. This tool provides users with an index of all available discussion rooms and topics, periodically archives discussions in an XML format that meets compliance requirements, delivers utilities to search the entire record of chat on a specific topic, and provides triggers and alerts to notify someone about recent updates.

Release 2 of Microsoft Communications Server 2007 also includes enhanced support for voice and mobility. The innovative attendant console allows receptionists or group administrators to control phone calls and conferences for other users, set up processes to route calls, and manage larger numbers of incoming communications through a software-based console. The SIP trunking feature enables companies to cut costs by setting up a straight-through Voice over IP connection between an Internet telephony service supplier and Microsoft Communications Server 2007 without requiring on-premises gateways. Also, Office Communicator Mobile support now includes more platforms such as the Motorola RAZR, RIM Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft Gold certified Engineers Can Assist Your Company to Deploy Microsoft Communications Server 2007 Release 2
A Standard Edition Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 hosts all necessary services on one physical Front End Server. The minimal investment in computer hardware and simplicity of administration make this configuration is optimal for small and medium-sized organization and for remote offices. Office Communications Server 2007 is based on Microsoft Windows Server and takes advantage of powerful Windows Server technologies like as Active Directory, Microsoft SQL Server, Operations Manager, and Microsoft Exchange Server. With Office Communications Server 2007, you can incorporate real-time teamwork features and presence awareness to ubiquitous MS Office applications like as Outlook, Excel, and Microsoft Word. Presence information generated by the server can also be added to productivity applications. Microsoft Office Communications Server also serves as the presence engine for collaborative web sites and web portals, providing presence awareness and Instant Messaging access from within Windows SharePoint Services sites.

Progent's Microsoft-Gold certified professionals can provide expert technical services for all these technologies and can assist you in planning and executing an installation of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 in order to optimize the productivity impact of this IM, presence, and VoIP platform. Progent can in addition help you to upgrade from Live Communications Server 2005 to the Release 2 edition of Office Communications Server 2007.

Progent's IT professionals can help you to install Microsoft Communications Server and configure a range of Microsoft platforms to take advantage of the presence, Instant Messaging, and Voice over IP features available with Microsoft Communications Server 2007:

Windows Server 2008 Consulting
Progent offers a range of Windows Server 2008 consulting and maintenance services that can help small organizations to benefit from Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft Gold certified consultants can help you to understand the ways Microsoft Windows Server 2008 could improve the business value of your IT system so that you can rationalize a migration. Progent can show you how to test Windows Server 2008 so that you can determine its stability, performance, and compatibility handling your applications. Progent can provide consulting for developing a deployment strategy, evaluate and enhance existing network environment, develop backup and recovery processes, analyze security mechanisms and policies, help in setting up physical and virtual servers, develop fault-tolerant solutions such as server clustering, educate your in-house network administration team, and deploy automated round-the-clock monitoring processes to ensure system protection and efficiency.

Exchange Server 2007 Design, Setup, and Troubleshooting Services
Progent's expert support team can show you how to define and implement an efficient Exchange Server 2007 migration plan that minimizes productivity downtime, simplifies long-term service demands, and makes your Exchange Server 2007 easy to administer. Progent's Microsoft Exchange 2007 support, troubleshooting, and design services include assistance with the integration of outside vendor add-ons to Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server and the design of unified messaging solutions powered by Exchange Server 2007. Services feature integration with your business network, access to mobile communication devices, automated monitoring of efficiency and security, spam filtering, security update and service pack management, Helpdesk support, daily backup, and full email management services.

Microsoft SharePoint Server Integration Services
Progent can offer assistance for designing, deploying, and maintaining successful Microsoft SharePoint Server installations that can dramatically enhance key areas of your organization's information environment such as teamwork, web portal, enterprise search, forms-based business processes, delivery of business intelligence, and document management. Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers can assist you to evaluate the business benefit for implementing SharePoint Server, deliver setup and integration expertise, assist your business to set up Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as a back-office database, optimize your network infrastructure, set up your standard and custom application programs to operate with Office SharePoint Server 2007, create a company-wide protection strategy that includes portal technology, and provide remote and on-site troubleshooting and Call Center support.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Design and Support
Progent's SQL Server engineers can make sure your business installs SQL 2008 properly, and that your SQL-powered DBM solution is incorporated thoroughly with your applications. Progent offers 24x7 server monitoring to ensure your business information system is working efficiently, and Progent's remote Help Desk is available to provide fast solutions for SQL-related problems. Progent's certified computer security engineers can assess your business-wide security policies and mechanisms and suggest improvements for better regulatory compliance. Progent's programmers can help you to develop or customize business applications or web sites utilize databases managed by SQL Server.

Windows Active Directory Consulting and Support Services
Windows Active Directory demands extensive field experience to configure efficiently across an enterprise. Progent's Microsoft Gold certified Active Directory engineers are experts in designing, deploying, and troubleshooting complex Microsoft Enterprise AD installations. Progent's fields of proven competence with Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Active Directory include replication issues, multi-domain partition configurations, repair of corrupted AD objects, cleaning up legacy beta version configuration objects in online Active Directory systems, and repair of unsuccessful installations of AD and Active Directory-integrated programs.

PC Desktop Consulting and Support Services
Progent's certified desktop support experts can deliver a broad range of affordable support services to assist your business to deploy, configure, repair, and manage desktop PCs and notebooks powered by Windows. Progent can offer on-premises or online help for single PCs and moble devices or help your business to plan and implement a company-wide migration to the most current version of Windows. Progent can also configure Microsoft Office or Microsoft Dynamics business applications on your client PCs so they communicate efficiently with other Microsoft applications, software from third-party vendors, database servers, and line-of-business solutions throughout your network. Progent can also supply consultants and technicians to help you to prepare for and complete a site relocation or consolidation organized to produce the least possible disruption of your business.

Wireless and Mobility Technologies Planning and Support
Progent's consultants offer expertise in a variety of disciplines relevant to mobile connectivity such as system infrastructure, Activesync, wireless protection, mobile e-mail, Microsoft Windows Mobile, RIM Blackberry, and mobile software development. Progent's certified experts can save your organization work and money by applying their wireless experience to help you choose and integrate mobile access solutions that fit the needs of your business. Progent can also optimize your IT architecture so that mobile data devices work better.

Urgent Online Troubleshooting
Progent's Technical Response Center provides nationwide remote troubleshooting for Windows and Cisco-based small business IT networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Premier service experts offer telephone help and remote secure computer connection to troubleshoot and resolve network problems rapidly and economically. The breadth of technical expertise represented by Progent's team of country-wide service professionals allows Progent to escalate even the toughest network issues to competent specialists as required.

To learn more details about Progent's support services for Office Communications Server, phone 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.