IT Technology News and Progent Business Solutions

Microsoft introduced the newest version of Microsoft Communications Server 2007, Microsoft's platform for managing presence awareness, IM infrastructure, remote conferencing, and software-based VoIP. The Release 2 version of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 includes improvements that give IT managers more versatility for managing their communications infrastructure effectively while representing an expandable platform for collaborative work activity.

To lower expenses, improve productivity, and enhance teamwork, the new version of Microsoft Communications Server permits phone audioconferencing to replace expensive outside services with an on-premises audioconferencing bridge that is administered as part of the overall communications environment. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 also now features desktop sharing, which enables users to share their desktop transparently and initiate audio communications and team up with colleagues outside the company on Windows PC, Mac, or Linux computers via a Web-based connection. The new edition of Office Communications Server also enables geographically scattered teams to collaborate by taking part in theme-based dialogues that extend over time. This application supplies participants with an index of all active chat sessions and themes, automatically archives discussions in a file format that addresses compliance requirements, delivers tools to search the complete record of chat on a given theme, and provides filters and alerts to inform someone of recent updates.

The new version of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also includes enhanced support for voice communications and mobile workers. The innovative attendant console permits receptionists or group administrators to manage calls and conferences for other users, establish workflows to direct calls, and handle higher volumes of incoming communications through a software-based interface. A new Session Initiation Protocol trunking capability enables companies to cut expenses by establishing up a straight-through VoIP interface between an IP phone service provider and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 without needing on-premises gateways. Also, Office Communicator Mobile support has been extended to more device platforms including the Nokia S40, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft-certified Engineers Can Assist You to Integrate Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007
A Standard Edition Microsoft Office Communications Server hosts all required services on a single Front End Server. The small investment in hardware and ease of administration make this version is optimal for small and medium-sized companies and for remote offices. Microsoft Office Communications Server relies on Microsoft Windows Server and taps into powerful Windows Server platforms such as Active Directory, Microsoft SQL Server, Operations Manager, and Microsoft Exchange Server. With Office Communications Server, you can add instant collaboration capabilities and presence awareness to popular Microsoft Office applications like as Outlook, Microsoft Office Excel, and Word. Presence awareness from the server can also be incorporated into line-of-business software. Microsoft Communications Server also acts as the presence mechanism for team web sites and web portals, delivering presence and IM access from within Windows SharePoint Services sites.

Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers offer expert technical services for all these areas and can help you in planning and executing a deployment of Office Communications Server in order to maximize the business value of this communications platform. Progent can also help your company to upgrade from Microsoft Live Communications Server to the latest edition of Microsoft Communications Server.

Progent's consultants can help your company to install Microsoft Office Communications Server and integrate a range of Microsoft platforms to take advantage of the presence awareness, IM, and Voice over IP capabilities enabled by Office Communications Server:

Windows Server 2008 Planning and Support
Progent provides a range of Windows Server 2008 planning and maintenance support that can assist small companies to take advantage of Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers can assist your company to understand the ways Windows Server 2008 could improve the business value of your IT system in order to rationalize a migration. Progent can help you test Windows Server 2008 so that you can determine its stability, throughput, and compatibility running realistic applications. Progent can provide consulting for developing a deployment plan, evaluate and improve existing network infrastructure, document backup and recovery processes, analyze security mechanisms and guidelines, help in integrating actual and virtual machines, develop fault-tolerant solutions such as server clustering with Hyper-V, educate your internal IT management staff, and set up automated round-the-clock monitoring processes to track your information system's protection and performance.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Design, Configuration, and Troubleshooting Services
Progent's expert support team can help you design and implement a smooth Microsoft Exchange 2007 migration strategy that avoids network disruption, reduces long-term support demands, and makes your Exchange Server 2007 easy to administer. Progent's Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 support, repair, and design offerings include expertise with the configuration of outside vendor enhancements of Exchange Server 2007 and the design of unified messaging solutions powered by Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server. Services feature integration with your business network, access to handheld computing devices, continual monitoring of efficiency and security, spam protection, security update and revision control, Help Desk Call Center services, per-day data backup, and comprehensive email administration support.

Office SharePoint Server Integration Services
Progent can provide expertise for designing, configuring, and managing successful Microsoft SharePoint Server installations that will dramatically improve important areas of your IT environment including collaboration, web portal, enterprise search, forms-based business operations, delivery of management information, and content control. Progent's Microsoft-qualified consultants can help you to assess the business case for implementing SharePoint Server, provide setup and integration support, assist you to configure Microsoft SQL Server as a back-end database engine, enhance your network infrastructure, set up your off-the-shelf and specialized business programs to operate with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, develop a comprehensive protection strategy that incorporates portal technology, and deliver remote and on-site troubleshooting and Call Center support.

SQL Server 2008 Programming and Support
Progent's SQL Server consultants can help your organization installs SQL Server 2008 properly, and that your SQL-powered data management system is integrated seamlessly with your business applications. Progent offers automated network monitoring to ensure your corporate information system is healthy, and Progent's remote Help Desk is available to offer rapid remediation for SQL-related problems. Progent's certified data security engineers can evaluate your business-wide security processes and technologies and suggest enhancements for more complete protection. Progent's developers can help your company to develop or customize line-of-business applications or eCommerce sites rely on information controlled by Microsoft SQL Server.

Active Directory Consulting and Support Services
Microsoft Windows Active Directory requires extensive practical experience to integrate efficiently across a large corporation. Progent's Microsoft certified Active Directory engineers are experts in designing, integrating, and maintaining complex Microsoft Enterprise Active Directory installations. Progent's fields of expertise with Windows 2003 and 2008 AD include replication issues, multi-domain partition configurations, correcting corrupted AD objects, cleaning up legacy legacy version configuration objects in production AD systems, and fixing failed configurations of Active Directory and AD-integrated applications.

PC Desktop Support Services
Progent's certified desktop support experts offer a wide range of cost-effective support services to assist your business to install, configure, troubleshoot, and manage workstations and laptops powered by Windows. Progent can provide on-premises or remote technical support for single PCs and moble devices or help your business to plan and carry out a company-wide migration to the most current release of Windows. Progent can also configure Microsoft Office or Microsoft Dynamics applications on your workstations so they integrate productively with all Microsoft applications, software from popular vendors, database servers, and key services network-wide. Progent can also provide engineers and technicians to assist you to plan for and implement a company relocation or merger designed to produce the least possible interruption to your productivity.

Wireless Solutions Integration
Progent's consultants provide experience in multiple technologies relevant to mobile connectivity including network architecture, Activesync, wireless security, mobile e-mail, Microsoft Windows Mobile, RIM Blackberry, and wireless software development. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco certified experts can save your company work and money by using their wireless background to help you choose and configure wireless connectivity technologies that make sense for your business. Progent can also optimize your IT infrastructure so that wireless appliances work more reliably.

Urgent Online Technical Support
Progent's Technical Response Center offers nationwide remote support for Windows and Cisco-based small business computer networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Certified support professionals offer phone help and online direct network access to isolate and repair network problems rapidly and economically. The scope of technical expertise available from Progent's team of country-wide support professionals makes it possible to escalate even the toughest problems to appropriate specialists as required.

To learn more details about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft Communications Server 2007, call 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.