IT Technology News and Progent Solutions

Microsoft unveiled the Release 2 edition of Microsoft Communications Server, Microsoft's platform for managing presence, instant messaging, remote conferencing, and Voice over IP. The newest version of Office Communications Server 2007 includes improvements that give IT managers additional control for maintaining their communications system effectively while providing an extensible architecture for collaborative business activity.

To reduce costs, increase productivity, and promote teamwork, the latest version of Office Communications Server 2007 permits phone audioconferencing to eliminate expensive outside services with an on-premises conferencing bridge that can be administered along with the existing communications infrastructure. Microsoft Communications Server 2007 Release 2 also now permits desktop sharing, which allows workers to share their desktop seamlessly and initiate audio communications and cooperate with others external to the company on Windows PC, Mac, or Linux platforms through a web connection. The new edition of Office Communications Server also allows geographically dispersed groups to collaborate by taking part in topic-based discussions that extend indefinitely. This application provides participants with a list of all available discussion rooms and themes, periodically backs up chats in a format that addresses compliance regulations, provides utilities to search the entire record of chat on a specific topic, and provides filters and alarms to notify someone of new updates.

Release 2 of Microsoft Communications Server also includes improved support for voice and mobile workers. The innovative attendant window allows support personnel or group secretaries to control calls and conferences on behalf of associates, set up workflows to direct phone calls, and handle larger numbers of incoming communications via a software-based interface. The SIP trunking capability enables companies to reduce costs by establishing up a direct Voice over IP connection between an Internet telephony service provider and Office Communications Server without requiring on-premises gateways. In addition, Office Communicator Mobile support has been extended to new platforms including the Nokia S40, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft Gold certified Engineers Can Help Your Company to Deploy Microsoft Communications Server
A Standard Edition Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 manages all required services on one physical Front End Server. The minimal expense in computer hardware and simplicity of administration make this configuration is ideal for small and mid-sized organization and for remote offices. Microsoft Office Communications Server relies on Windows Server and taps into core Windows Server technologies such as Active Directory, Microsoft SQL Server, System Center Operations Manager, and Microsoft Exchange Server. With Office Communications Server 2007, you can incorporate real-time teamwork capabilities and presence to ubiquitous MS Office applications such as Microsoft Office Outlook, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office Word. Presence information from the server can also be integrated into productivity applications. Microsoft Communications Server also acts as the presence mechanism for collaborative sites and web portals, providing presence awareness and IM access from within SharePoint Services sites.

Progent's Microsoft-certified professionals offer expert consulting support for all these areas and can help you in designing and implementing a deployment of Office Communications Server in order to maximize the business value of this IM, presence, and VoIP solution. Progent can also assist your company to migrate from Live Communications Server 2005 to the Release 2 version of Office Communications Server 2007.

Progent's IT professionals can assist your company to install Office Communications Server and configure a wide of Microsoft platforms to take advantage of the presence awareness, Instant Messaging, and VoIP features enabled by Office Communications Server 2007:

Windows Server 2008 Planning and Support
Progent offers a range of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 planning and maintenance support that can assist small companies to benefit from Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft Gold certified consultants can help your company to understand the ways Microsoft Windows Server 2008 could enhance the business value of your IT system in order to rationalize a migration. Progent can show you how to test Windows Server 2008 in order to determine its stability, responsiveness, and operability running your workloads. Progent can help with creating a rollout plan, assess and improve your current network environment, develop archiving and recovery procedures, analyze security architecture and guidelines, assist in integrating actual and virtual servers, design high-availability solutions such as server and storage clustering, train your internal IT administration staff, and set up proactive server and network monitoring processes to track your information system's security and efficiency.

Exchange Server 2007 Planning, Configuration, and Maintenance Services
Progent's Microsoft certified support team can help you define and deploy a smooth Exchange Server 2007 migration plan that avoids network downtime, reduces ongoing support demands, and makes your Exchange 2007 Server easy to manage. Progent's Exchange Server 2007 help, troubleshooting, and consulting offerings include assistance with the configuration of outside vendor enhancements of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and the design of unified messaging implementations based on Exchange 2007 Server. Services feature integration with your business network, access to mobile communication products, automated monitoring of efficiency and security, spam filtering, security update and revision management, Help Desk Call Center services, daily backup, and full email administration services.

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007 Consulting and Support
Progent can offer assistance for planning, deploying, and maintaining productive SharePoint Server solutions that will dramatically enhance key areas of your organization's IT system including collaboration, intranet portal, enterprise search, forms-driven business operations, delivery of business information, and content control. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you to evaluate the business case for deploying SharePoint Server, deliver configuration and installation expertise, help you to set up SQL Server as a back-end database, enhance your network infrastructure, set up your off-the-shelf and custom application programs to work with Microsoft SharePoint Server, develop a comprehensive security strategy that incorporates web portal technology, and provide remote and in-person repair and Help Desk Call Center support.

SQL Server Consulting Services
Progent's SQL Server consultants can make sure your small business configures Microsoft SQL Server 2008 properly, and that your SQL-based database system is incorporated effectively with your business applications. Progent can provide 24x7 network monitoring to ensure your business network is always available, and Progent's online Help Desk is ready to provide fast resolutions for SQL database issues. Progent's certified data security experts can evaluate your business-wide security policies and technologies and recommend improvements for more complete protection. Progent's developers can assist your company to develop or personalize line-of-business programs or eCommerce sites utilize information controlled by Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

Active Directory Consulting and Support Services
Microsoft Windows Active Directory demands extensive field experience to integrate optimally across an enterprise. Progent's Microsoft qualified Active Directory consultants are experienced in planning, integrating, and maintaining sophisticated Enterprise Active Directory projects. Progent's fields of expertise with Windows 2003 and 2008 Active Directory include replication issues, multi-domain partition design, repair of corrupted Active Directory objects, cleaning up legacy legacy software configuration objects in online Active Directory systems, and fixing unsuccessful configurations of AD and Active Directory-associated applications.

PC Desktop Consulting and Support Services
Progent's Microsoft Gold certified desktop support experts offer a wide array of cost-effective consulting and support services to help you business to deploy, integrate, repair, and administer desktop PCs and laptops powered by Microsoft Windows. Progent can offer on-premises or online help for single PCs and handheld devices or help your business to plan and implement a network-wide migration to the most current release of Windows. Progent can also configure Office or Microsoft Dynamics programs on your workstations so they communicate productively with all Microsoft programs, products from third-party vendors, database servers, and line-of-business services network-wide. Progent can also provide engineers and technicians to help you to prepare for and implement a company move or merger designed to cause the least possible interruption to your business.

Wireless and Mobility Solutions Integration
Progent's professionals offer expertise in multiple disciplines relevant to mobile networking including network infrastructure, Activesync, wireless protection, mobile e-mail, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Research in Motion Blackberry, and wireless software programming. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco certified consultants can save your business time and money by applying their wireless experience to help you choose and integrate wireless access technologies that fit the needs of your business. Progent can also optimize your IT infrastructure so that wireless appliances perform better.

Emergency Remote Troubleshooting
Progent's Technical Response Center offers nationwide remote support for Windows and Cisco-based small office computer networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Premier service engineers provide phone support and online secure computer access to isolate and resolve technical problems quickly and affordably. The breadth of IT experience available from Progent's staff of country-wide service professionals allows Progent to escalate even the most difficult network issues to appropriate experts as needed.

To find out additional details about Progent's consulting support for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, call 1-800-993-9400 or see Contact Progent.