Dallas Offsite Workforce Configuration Support

Expanding your remote workforce can have a major impact on IT architecture, cybersecurity, and company processes. Progent has two decades of background assisting small and mid-size businesses to design, deploy, administer, tune, and debug IT networks that incorporate a remote workforce. Progent can help your Dallas company to pick the appropriate tools and follow best practices in creating and operating a secure virtual office ecosystem for teleworkers that promotes teamwork and delivers top business value. Progent offers services ranging from on demand expertise for helping you past challenging IT roadblocks to full project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical initiatives.

Progent's consultants can help Dallas, Texas businesses to succeed with any facet of creating a high-performing work-from-home ecosystem by providing network infrastructure configuration services, IP voice troubleshooting, voice/video conferencing support, collaboration platform customization and training, cloud integration, Call Desk outsourcing, security monitoring, data protection solutions, and unified management.

Infrastructure for Teleworkers
Integrating the network infrastructure required to support a remote workforce can be especially complex if you have to manage a combination of worker-owned equipment like PCs and laptops, routers, and Wi-Fi appliances from different manufacturers and with a mix of OS software and firmware releases. Progent's background delivering remote help for both legacy as well as current IT products in remote office solutions allows you to make cost-effective use of your existing infrastructure and offers ready access to expertise for implement essential upgrades. Services available from Progent to help you to implement a productive work-at-home infrastructure include:

• VPN technology allows you to create a safe tunnel for authenticated at-home employees to use IT assets situated at your corporate datacenter or in the cloud. Progent can help your company to deploy and maintain VPN connections between your at-home workforce and your various IT resources by providing online VPN configuration consulting. For businesses with Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco ASA Firewall experts can help your at-home workers to utilize Cisco's popular AnyConnect client software to provide secure VPN tunneling for a wide range of devices such as Windows, macOS, Apple iOS, Linux, and Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) platforms allow a teleworker to see and use a remote PC's desktop. This technology provides IT managers significant control over the digital ecosystem of telecommuters and offers remote users a consistent and more productive experience. Progent's VDI consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop support and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI solutions.
• Routers connect home computer networks to the Internet and support VPN connections, home Wi-Fi networks, and firewall services. Progent can provide top-tier online support for setting up routers from all major vendors. See router configuration services from Cisco-certified experts.
• Home Wireless networks, often supporting an entire household and guests, are commonly used by telecommuters to access their router for work. This can cause throughput as well as security problems. Progent can help businesses to resolve these issues by delivering services that include Aironet integration expertise, Cisco-certified Meraki wireless installation consulting, and Ubiquiti WiFi access point setup help.
• Internet connectivity solutions impact the speed and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the corporate data center. Mission-critical processes might require redundant Internet access in the event the primary connection fails. Progent can provide expertise for identifying service providers, selecting appropriate bandwidth and data volume offerings, and integrating fault-tolerant Internet connections. Refer to Internet access solutions.

VoIP Integration for Teleworkers
Extending the business phone system to accommodate teleworkers is critical to supporting a productive work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-centric digital PBX products are popular with small and mid-size businesses to server teleworkers. Many larger organizations rely on Cisco's current or legacy platforms for VoIP solutions. Progent can assist businesses of all sizes to design or maintain a telecommuter IP voice service that delivers the flexibility, transparency and protection required for telecommuters. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts offer advanced support to assist businesses optimize their existing Cisco IP voice environments to handle an expanding remote workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) delivers enterprise telephony features to devices such as VoIP phones, media processing platforms, VoIP gateways, and mixed media software deployed across the network. Unified Communications Manager manages other combined media services such as unified messaging, voice/video conferencing, and team collaboration networks. For details about Progent's Unified Communications Manager expertise, see Cisco Unified CM expertise.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's earlier call-processing software and has been replaced by Cisco Unified CM. Progent's consultants can help you to maintain your current CallManager environment or migrate smoothly to Cisco's modern IP telephony solutions. To find out about Progent's expertise for CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP platforms, see CallManager consulting services.
• Cisco IP Gateways enable connectivity with public telephony networks and with clients working outside the corporate firewall such as telecommuters. Progent can provide expert support for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 product lines as well as for current Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway configuration consulting.
• Other VoIP Platforms supported by Progent include Vonage, RingCentral and 8x8. Progent can help you to update your WAN infrastructure to work with these solutions and deliver on-demand integration and debugging expertise.

Voice/Video Conferencing for Telecommuters
A wide selection of video conferencing products from leading vendors support virtual meetings, video conferencing, chat sessions, and content sharing for both onsite workers and at-home workers. Many organizations utilize a mix of conferencing products to accommodate their different partners and clients. Progent can help you to manage your existing voice/video conferencing ecosystem and enhance the productivity of your at-home employees.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications platform that supports presence, instant messaging, voice and video calling and conferencing as well as the seamless integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent can provide the skills of Microsoft-certified consultants who can assist you to deploy and maintain Skype for Business client software to support your at-home employees. For details about Progent's support expertise for Skype for Business, refer to Skype for Business consulting experts.
• FaceTime is Apple's group video phone platform for compatible iOS, iPadOS, iPod and Mac computers and smartphones. FaceTime runs over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Newer versions of FaceTime allow as many as 32 concurrent users for video sessions. For details about Progent's support services for FaceTime, visit Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center provides remote conferencing for virtually all computing devices. Offered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex services include sharing specific content or computer screens, presentations that incorporate rich media such as Microsoft PowerPoint, session recording, plus editing and playback for future reference and training. For details about Progent's support services for Webex as well as for additional IP video products from Cisco, visit Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
• Teams is Microsoft's follow-up for Skype for Business. Teams acts as a portal for conferencing, contacts, and content with capabilities such as voice/video conferencing, threaded chat, plus file sharing. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Teams and for additional Office 365 apps, refer to Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Other Conferencing Apps supported by Progent's conferencing experts include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver configuration and troubleshooting expertise for these conferencing platforms and assist your business to tune your WAN architecture to run them.

Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Software for Teleworkers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are tightly integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office suites, providing a rich ecosystem of productivity apps that create a consistent user experience for exchanging information throughout multiple sites and on a broad range of endpoints. Progent has provided remote consulting services for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange since their first publication and can assist your company to deploy these flagship collaboration platforms to maximize the productivity of your at-home workers.

SharePoint uses web sites to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing by providing policy-driven access to data, workflow, and tools for searching through company-wide information silos. SharePoint permits you to build protected web portals that enables at-home workforce to see and update aggregated corporate intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts. For information about Progent's SharePoint support services, go to SharePoint configuration and development consulting.

Exchange and Exchange Online offer secure collaboration features including public folders, shared mailboxes, and shared calendars and contacts. Progent's Microsoft certified Exchange experts can show you how to activate and utilize these features for your at-home workers. For details about Progent's Exchange expertise, refer to integration consulting services for Exchange.

OneDrive is Microsoft’s shared cloud-based storage service, similar to GoogleDrive. Remote workers can save files to the OneDrive service, and colleagues can retrieve them securely through a browser. Provided with Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows home employees to co-author documents. Revisions created offline are automatically uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. For details about Progent's support services for OneDrive, refer to Onedrive integration consulting.

Public Cloud Integration Services for Remote Workers
Progent can provide advanced remote assistance for enabling organizations to build, maintain and repair cohesive network architectures that incorporate internal data centers, telecommuters, branch offices, plus cloud resources. Progent can provide top-tier consultant for all modes of public cloud service delivery such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help teleworkers fix problems with cloud access, authentication, and cybersecurity.

Microsoft Azure is a popular family of public cloud services that enables you to utilize IT infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical applications hosted on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Microsoft Azure features more than 100 services services including the ability to host Windows and Linux-based virtual machines, on-demand cloud storage, email and messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and backup/restore. Progent can assist your organization to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate cloud-based storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure Active Directory, and design backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to establish secure connections to Azure for at-home workers by setting up and troubleshooting firewall appliances and VPN tunnels. To learn about Progent's expertise for Azure, visit Microsoft Azure consulting.

Office 365, now called Microsoft 365, is Microsoft's growing family of client productivity software and cloud-based services available on a subscription basis. Microsoft apps and cloud services are marketed in a variety of bundles intended for users ranging from individuals and small offices to large corporations. Progent offers fast and affordable online contact with experts familiar with Microsoft 365-compatible clients running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent can assist your business to evaluate the various subscription bundles available for Office 365 and deploy 365 applications for your teleworkers to achieve top business value. To learn about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft Office 365, refer to Microsoft Office 365 consulting support.

Office 365 Exchange Online is among the most popular applications in Azure-hosted Office 365 product line. Exchange Online provides the advantages of reduced spending for data center infrastructure, easier management, on-demand scaling, high availability, and other advantages inherent with public clouds. Microsoft has designed Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to operate transparently with on-premises Exchange environments, enabling you to build hybrid networks. Progent's Exchange experts are available for occasional help to guide you past tough technical bottlenecks and can also provide comprehensive project management outsourcing to ensure your teleworkers have easy and safe access to your Exchange Online deployment. For details Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, visit Office 365 Exchange Online configuration and support consulting.

Amazon AWS is a trailblazer in the public cloud computing market and is the world's biggest source of cloud services. Progent offers fast and affordable online contact with cloud integration consultants who can help your business to plan, implement, manage, and debug hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud services with local data centers and with other public clouds like Microsoft Azure. Progent also offers access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to help you to build a high-uptime network model to make sure your users have a productive computing environment whether they are working from your headquarters, a branch office, from home, or on the move. To find out about Progent's consulting expertise for Amazon AWS, visit Amazon AWS consulting support.

Google Cloud Platform is a popular suite of public cloud services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can help your business to scale your current IT resources with the Google Cloud Platform, and Progent's database experts can help you make your mission-critical apps cloud ready so your telecommuters can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent can help your business to deploy VMs on GCP Compute Engine, design an efficient storage solution with Google Cloud Storage services, and simplify identity control for at-home workers with GCP Cloud Identity services. Progent's consultants can also assist your business to use GCP's management technology to administer and track your Google Cloud ecosystem. For details, refer to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) consulting expertise.

Help Desk Support for Teleworkers
A sudden, company-wide changeover to a teleworker workforce, which could be activated by an epidemic or as an element of a business continuity preparedness plan, can overwhelm even a well-staffed internal Support Desk. Progent's Call Center services make it possible for businesses of any size to outsource or augment their Support Desk with Progent's online Technical Response Center services.

• Progent's Standard Help Desk Call Center services leverage Progent's nationwide network of online technical support specialists along with world-class trouble ticketing and tracking technology to offer an affordable, advanced Help Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide an end-to-end solution that addresses all facets of online Level 1 PC support from initial help requests through ticket generation, screen sharing, problem resolution, and incident reporting. A web-based User's Service Portal allows teleworkers to monitor or edit the status of their current trouble tickets, add information, and append screen captures or relevant files. Technical support services are provided at a substantial discount off Progent's ordinary Level 1 technical support charges, and Progent makes available the option of fast hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 support experts to deal with advanced issues. To find out more, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small and mid-size companies.
• Progent's Call Center Augmentation Service enables you to augment your current Call Desk team by sharing responsibilities for Support Desk support seamlessly between your regular IT support staff and Progent's extensive team of PC support technicians and subject matter specialists. Progent's shared Call Desk service is based on a collaborative support solution utilizing the number one professional services automation tool for handling service requests and ticketing, establishing ownership, tracking progress, and producing reports. To learn how Progent's Support Desk Augmentation Services can enable your business to deliver best-in-class desktop support to your at-home employees, go to Progent's Help Desk Call Center supplementation Services.

Cybersecurity for At-Home Workers
At-home workers often run their own equipment and work in an unsecured environment. This worsens their vulnerability to cyber attacks and demands careful deployment of security appliances, remote monitoring, and the enforcement of policies that follow leading practices. Progent's veteran team of certified data security experts can help your company to design, deploy and administer a modern cybersecurity solution that safeguards critical information in IT networks that incorporate at-home workers.

• Firewalls allow companies to build a network environment that can be securely utilized by local users as well as by an at-home workforce, mobile employees, vendors, clients, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall appliances allow you to assign and manage appropriate permissions to various groups of users and to scale your IT network and adjust your security as your company evolves and as network attacks become increasingly sophisticated. Progent works with both current and legacy security devices from all major vendors including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To learn more about Progent's firewall integration expertise, refer to firewall support expertise.
• Remote Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it easy to watch over the disparate computers used by remote workers and either reject or identify and mitigate the latest threats like ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint agent is installed on each secured endpoint, monitoring all activity and utilizing advanced AI technology to detect zero-day threats at inception. When an attack is discovered, ProSight ASM instantly isolates the targeted device from the network to contain the threat. Since the ProSight Active Security Monitoring software agent is self-contained, endpoints stay protected even when they are not connected to the Internet. To find out more about ProSight ASM, see remote endpoint security monitoring for at-home workers.
• Security Audits can assess the vulnerability of your information system to all classes of external and internal security attacks for a network that includes telecommuters. Progent can run online, automated cybersecurity inventory software for rapidly and affordably detecting a wide variety of security gaps that can be found over the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment experts, which can be provided by security experts with top certifications including CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can help your company to audit your procedures and governance policies and assess your network architecture to allow you to implement top-level protection for your at-home workers.

Data Protection for Remote Workers
Data Protection covers saving and restoring critical information so as to prevent data loss and minimize restoration time and effort in case of storage problems due to equipment issues, software hiccups, operator mistakes, malware, or any other reason. Dependable data protection solutions can be particularly difficult to architect and manage in hybrid networks that incorporate local data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.

• Backup/Restore solutions for remote workers must cover multiple types of user-owned endpoints. Progent can provide fast remote access to experts knowledgeable about a broad range of products for backing up Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktop computers as well as laptops, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Leading backup/recovery solutions supported by Progent's backup/recovery consultants include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Mozy, and Time Machine. To protect resources spread throughout a wide area network, Progent offers ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a managed backup/recovery subscription service that utilizes cloud-based storage and includes granular recovery and unified management.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity strategies commonly anticipate scenarios that call for a temporary switch to telecommuting. Progent's expert disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planning specialists can help your business to produce, document and validate a DR/BC plan that addresses the process of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft has rebranded and reshuffled its endpoint management products under the name Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud-based management of mobile and remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing onsite computers. Endpoint Manager offers a unified platform for protecting critical information by controlling onsite, mobile, and at-home endpoint devices.

Microsoft Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Microsoft Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and protecting remote computers and applications. Managed endpoint devices can be user owned or company owned. IT admins managing the enrolled endpoint devices of at-home workers can use Intune to deploy and validate applications on managed devices, push patches and certificates, configure rules for accessing information and networks, set passwords, create VPN connections, control how home-based workers share data, establish threat defense, verify compliance, and erase corporate data from lost, stolen or decommissioned devices. Microsoft Intune runs with Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS endpoints. To find out about Intune and how Progent can help you to use this platform to administer the devices of your at-home workers, visit Intune remote device management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich centralized Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform that helps network administrators to keep off-premises endpoints current and secure. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for unified endpoint management combined with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery platform for access control, application management, and setup management of endpoints. Workspace ONE operates with endpoints powered by Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or leading distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is offered by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-site deployment through a perpetual license. Key capabilities of VMware Workspace ONE include fast remote deployment of out-of-the-box notebooks, immediate onboarding of new users, policy setting and enforcement for all classes of devices, aggregated management reporting and analytics, email encryption, and tight integration with Microsoft applications and cloud-based products. To learn about Progent's support services for VMware Workspace ONE, refer to VMware Workspace ONE mobile device management consultants.

Contact Progent for At-Home Worker Expertise
To get in touch with Progent about creating and maintaining an efficient telecommuter solution for your Dallas, Texas organization, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.