Computer Network Help for Medium-size Companies

Expanding your at-home workforce may have a significant effect on network infrastructure, security/compliance, and company processes. Progent has 20 years of experience assisting small and mid-size businesses to plan, configure, administer, tune, and troubleshoot IT networks that support a remote workforce. Progent can assist your company to select the appropriate technologies and adhere to best practices in building and maintaining a safe virtual ecosystem for teleworkers that promotes teamwork and returns maximum value. Progent offers services that go from as-needed guidance for helping you over challenging IT roadblocks to full project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical initiatives.

Progent can assist you to succeed with any facet of building a high-functioning work-at-home environment by providing infrastructure configuration services, VoIP PBX troubleshooting, video conferencing support, collaboration platform selection and deployment, cloud integration, Call Desk services, endpoint security, backup/restore solutions, and unified management.

Infrastructure for a Remote Workforce
Configuring the physical and software infrastructure needed to support a remote workforce can be especially challenging if you must accommodate a combination of worker-owned hardware like PCs and notebooks, routers, and Wi-Fi appliances from different manufacturers and with a mix of OS software and firmware levels. Progent's experience delivering online support for both legacy and modern IT products in remote office venues enables you to make efficient use of your available infrastructure and offers ready access to top-tire consultants for implement essential upgrades. Services available from Progent to assist your company to create a productive work-at-home infrastructure include:

• VPN connectivity allows you to create a secure connection for authenticated remote employees to use IT resources located at your company data center or in a public cloud. Progent's consultants can assist you to configure and maintain VPN connections between your teleworkers and your key network resources by providing online VPN configuration consulting. For organizations using Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco ASA experts can help your telecommuters to utilize Cisco's AnyConnect software for safe VPN connections for a wide range of endpoint devices including Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure products allow a telecommuter to view and interact with a data center computer's desktop. This technology provides IT managers substantial control over the computing environment of telecommuters and ensures them a familiar work experience. Progent's virtual desktop consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI consulting.
• Routers connect home networks to the Internet and support VPN tunnels, home Wi-Fi connectivity, and firewall services. Progent can provide expert remote consulting for setting up routers from a variety of manufacturers. See router integration support from Cisco-certified consultants.
• Home Wireless networks, often shared by the whole family and guests, are frequently used by at-home employees to access their Internet router for work. This can create throughput and cybersecurity problems. Progent can help you to resolve these issues by providing services that include Aironet configuration consulting, Cisco Meraki WiFi installation expertise, and Ubiquiti WiFi AP integration help.
• Internet access methods affect the speed and availability of connections between at-home workers and the company network. Vital processes might require backup Internet access in case the primary connection fails. Progent can provide expertise for picking Internet service providers, picking sensible bandwidth and data volume bundles, and setting up redundant Internet access. See Internet connectivity integration services.

IP Voice Integration for Teleworkers
Extending the company phone system to include remote users is vital to supporting a productive at-home workforce. A broad range of cloud-based digital PBX platforms are used by small and mid-size businesses to server remote users. Many larger organizations depend on Cisco's modern or legacy products for VoIP management. Progent can assist businesses of any size to design or maintain a telecommuter VoIP service that delivers the versatility, transparency and protection required for teleworkers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts offer advanced support to assist organizations optimize their existing Cisco IP voice environments to support a growing remote workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) extends advanced IP telephony capabilities to devices like IP phones, media processing platforms, VoIP gateways, and multimedia software deployed throughout the network. CUCM supports other combined media services like messaging, voice/video conferencing, and customer interaction networks. For more information about Progent's CUCM support, refer to Cisco Unified Communications Manager consulting services.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been replaced by CUCM. Progent's consultants can help your company to support your current CallManager environment or migrate smoothly to Cisco's modern IP telephony solutions. To find out about Progent's expertise for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other legacy IP voice products, refer to CallManager consulting services.
• Cisco IP Gateways provide connectivity with public telephony networks and with users operating beyond the corporate perimeter like telecommuters. Progent can provide consulting expertise for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 series as well as for current Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway integration expertise.
• Additional VoIP Products supported by Progent's consultants include Vonage, RingCentral and 8x8. Progent can help you to update your WAN infrastructure to work with these solutions and deliver as-needed deployment and troubleshooting expertise.

Video Conferencing for an At-Home Workforce
A wide selection of video conferencing platforms from major technology companies support online discussions, video and voice conferencing, chat sessions, and screen/content sharing for both local workers and at-home workers. Many companies use a mix of products to meet the needs of their different partners and customers. Progent can help you to maintain your current conferencing ecosystem and optimize the productivity of your at-home workforce.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's popular unified communications product that supports real-time presence, instant messaging, voice and video calling and conferencing as well as the transparent integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook. Progent offers the expertise of Microsoft-certified consultants who can help you to configure and manage Skype for Business client software to support your remote workforce. For details about Progent's support services for Skype for Business, see Skype for Business integration services.
• FaceTime is Apple's multiuser video phone app for compatible iOS, iPadOS, iPod and Mac computers and smartphones. FaceTime works over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Later editions of FaceTime support up to 32 simultaneous users for voice/video sessions. To learn more about Progent's support expertise for FaceTime, see Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center supports online 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 including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session capture, plus editing and playback for future reference. For details about Progent's consulting services for Webex as well as for other video conferencing solutions from Cisco, refer to Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
• Teams is Microsoft's next-generation replacement for Skype for Business. Teams provides a hub for conversations, contacts, and information with features such as voice/video conferencing, persistent chat, plus data sharing. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Teams as well as for additional Microsoft 365 products, visit Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Additional Conferencing Platforms supported by Progent's conferencing experts include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver integration and debugging services for these conferencing platforms and assist you to tune your network infrastructure to host them.

Microsoft Collaboration Platforms for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft's collaboration products are closely integrated with Microsoft's popular Office and Microsoft 365 families, providing a rich environment of applications that deliver a consistent user experience for exchanging information across a corporate network and on a wide range of endpoint computers. Progent has provided online consulting services for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange since their first releases and can assist businesses to tune these flagship collaboration platforms to maximize the productivity of your at-home workforce.

SharePoint utilizes web entities to allow collaboration and information delivery by offering policy-based access to content, business processes, and tools for searching through enterprise-wide information silos. SharePoint permits you to create secure web portals that allows at-home workforce to see and edit consolidated business intelligence via Wikis, Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts (Widgets). For details about Progent's SharePoint consulting expertise, 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 support services, go to integration consulting for Exchange Server.

OneDrive is Microsoft's collaborative cloud-based storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. Remote workers can store files to OneDrive, and co-workers can share them securely via a web browser. Provided with Office and Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows home workers to jointly author documents. Edits made offline are uploaded when you go back online. To learn about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft OneDrive, visit Microsoft Onedrive configuration experts.

Public Cloud Integration Services for Telecommuters
Progent offers fast and affordable remote assistance for enabling businesses to build, maintain and optimize cohesive network architectures that incorporate physical data centers, telecommuters, branch offices, and cloud resources. Progent offers top-tier consultant for all modes of cloud service delivery such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help teleworkers fix problems with public cloud connectivity, authentication, and cybersecurity.

Azure is a leading family of public cloud software and services that allows you to use infrastructure, servers, and critical apps hosted on Microsoft's massive cloud. Microsoft Azure offers over one hundred cloud-based services such as the ability to host Windows and Linux-powered virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, email and messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can help your organization to set up virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity management with Azure AD, and design data backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to establish protected connections to Azure for telecommuters by setting up and troubleshooting firewall appliances and VPN tunnels. For information about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft Azure, visit Azure expertise.

Microsoft 365, formerly called Office 365, is Microsoft's growing family of client productivity software and cloud services offered by subscription. Office apps and services are marketed in a variety of bundles intended for customers ranging from students and small offices to large enterprises. Progent can provide fast and affordable online access to consultants familiar with Microsoft 365-compatible devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can assist you to assess the numerous subscription plans available for Microsoft 365 and deploy 365 applications for your teleworkers to achieve top business value. To learn about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365, refer to Microsoft 365 integration services.

Exchange Online is one of the most popular cloud-based applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product line. Exchange Online offers the benefits of reduced costs for data center infrastructure, simplified management, on-demand scaling, high availability, and other advantages inherent with cloud computing. Microsoft has designed Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to run transparently with on-premises Exchange environments, allowing you to build hybrid cloud/onsite networks. Progent's Exchange experts can provide as-needed assistance to get you past challenging technical roadblocks and also offer end-to-end project management outsourcing to ensure your at-home workers have easy and secure access to your Exchange Online environment. To learn Progent's consulting expertise for Exchange Online, see Microsoft 365 Exchange Online configuration and troubleshooting consulting.

Amazon AWS is a trailblazer in the public cloud market and is the industry's leading source of cloud services. Progent can provide fast and affordable online access to cloud integration consultants who can assist your business to plan, deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot hybrid information networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud services with on-premises resources and with other public clouds such as Microsoft Azure. Progent also can provide the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to assist you to create a high-uptime network architecture so your employees have a consistent computing environment regardless of whether they are working from your main office, a branch office, from home, or on the move. For information about Progent's support services for Amazon AWS, go to Amazon AWS consulting expertise.

Google Cloud is a popular suite of public cloud services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco consulting experts can help your organization to extend your existing IT assets with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA experts can show you how to make your critical applications cloud ready so your telecommuters can take full advantage of Google Cloud services. Progent's consultants can help your organization to deploy virtual machines on GCP Compute Engine, plan an efficient storage system with Google Cloud Storage services, and streamline access control for teleworkers with GCP Cloud Identity services. Progent's experts can also help you to use GCP's management technology to control and monitor your GCP environment. To find out, visit Google Cloud Platform (GCP) consulting expertise.

Help Desk Services for At-Home Workers
An emergency, organization-wide changeover to a from-home workforce, which could be driven by an epidemic or as an element of a disaster recovery/business continuity plan, can overstretch even the most efficient internal Support Desk. Progent's Call Center services allow businesses to outsource or expand their Call Desk with Progent's online Technical Response Center services.

• Progent's Standard Help Desk services utilize Progent's extensive network of remote technical support experts combined with world-class ticketing and follow-up software to provide an affordable, modern Call Center. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide an end-to-end solution that handles all facets of online Level 1 desktop support from initial help requests to ticket creation, screen sharing, problem resolution, and reporting. A web-based User's Service Portal allows from-home workers to monitor or update the status of their active trouble tickets, add details, and upload screen captures and attachments. Technical support services are provided at a significant price reduction off Progent's normal 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 complex problems. To find out more, visit Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services for small businesses.
• Progent's Call Desk Augmentation Service enables your business to augment your current Support Desk staff by sharing delivery of Support Desk support services transparently between your regular IT support staff and Progent's extensive roster of desktop support engineers and subject matter specialists. Progent's shared Help Desk service uses a co-sourcing support solution utilizing the leading professional services automation platform for managing help requests and trouble tickets, assigning responsibility, tracking progress, and generating reports. For information about how Progent's Support Desk Supplementation Services can enable your company to deliver world-class desktop support to your teleworkers, refer to Progent's Support Desk augmentation Services.

Cybersecurity for Telecommuters
Work-from-Home (WFH) employees commonly utilize their own devices and usually work in an unsecured physical environment. This increases their vulnerability to cyber threats and calls for careful configuration of corporate firewalls, AV tools, multi-factor authentication, remote endpoint monitoring, extensive end-user training, and the development of security policies based on leading practices. Progent's veteran group of IT security support consultants can help your business to plan, implement and manage an effective security solution that protects critical IT resources in networks that include an at-home workforce.

Firewalls enable companies to create a network that can be safely utilized by on-premises users and by teleworkers, mobile employees, vendors, customers, and other stakeholders. Modern firewall devices allow you to assign and manage appropriate access rights to different classes of users and to scale your IT network and modify your cybersecurity posture as your business evolves and as network attacks become more sophisticated. Progent works with both current and legacy firewall appliances from all leading manufacturers including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall configuration expertise, visit firewall support expertise.

Remote Endpoint Monitoring makes it possible to watch over the various devices utilized by an at-home workforce and either block or spot and mitigate modern threats such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a small-footprint agent is put on each secured endpoint, watching all activity and utilizing state-of-the-art AI technology from SentinelOne to detect new threats at inception. When an attack is spotted, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately disconnects the targeted device from the corporate network to contain the malware. Since the ProSight ASM agent is self-contained, endpoints remain protected even if they are not connected to the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. For more information about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, visit remote endpoint monitoring for remote workers.

Progent's Duo MFA service plans utilize Cisco's Duo technology to defend against compromised passwords by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables one-tap identity confirmation with Apple iOS, Android, and other personal devices. With 2FA, whenever you log into a protected online account and give your password you are requested to confirm who you are via a unit that only you possess and that uses a separate network channel. A wide range of devices can be utilized as this added form of authentication including a smartphone or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You can register multiple verification devices. To find out more about ProSight Duo identity authentication services, go to Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for at-home workers.

Security Audits can assess the exposure of your information system to all classes of outside and internal security attacks for a network that includes an at-home workforce. Progent can run remote, automated security inventory scanning for rapidly and economically uncovering a wide variety of security weaknesses that can be found via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security audit consulting services, which can be provided by security experts with top certifications including CISM, ISSAP, and GIAC, can assist your company to evaluate your workflows and governance policies and assess your WAN infrastructure to enable you to implement top-level protection for your telecommuters.

Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home Environment
To view or download a white paper describing key areas to focus on for securing an IT environment that includes telecommuters, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home Network White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection Solutions for Teleworkers
The field of Data Protection covers saving and recovering critical information in order to prevent data loss and reduce restoration time and effort in the event of storage system failures due to hardware breakdowns, programming glitches, human mistakes, malware, or any other reason. Dependable data protection strategies can be particularly challenging to architect and maintain in hybrid networks that combine local data centers, public clouds, and an at-home workforce.

• Backup/Restore solutions for remote workers must cover diverse types of user-owned endpoints. Progent offers quick remote access to consultants knowledgeable about a broad array of products for backing up Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktop computers as well as notebooks, tablets and handhelds. Leading backup/recovery solutions maintained by Progent's data protection experts include Barracuda Backup, Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To protect data distributed across a wide area network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a managed backup/recovery service that uses cloud storage and features granular restore and centralized management capabilities.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity (DR/BC) plans often anticipate scenarios that require a temporary changeover to an at-home workforce. Progent's expert disaster recovery planning experts and business continuity consultants can help your company to produce, document and test a DR/BC plan that addresses the process of moving to telecommuting.

Unified Management for At-Home Workers
Microsoft has renamed and rebundled its endpoint management platforms under the name Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing local computers. Microsoft Endpoint Manager offers a centralized environment for protecting corporate data by managing onsite, mobile, and at-home endpoints.

Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and securing remote computers and applications. Managed endpoint devices can be personally owned or business owned. Network administrators managing the enrolled endpoint computers of telecommuters can use Intune to deploy and authenticate applications on managed devices, push updates and certificates, configure rules for accessing data and networks, set passwords, establish VPN connections, control how home-based workers share data, establish threat protection, verify security compliance, and erase sensitive data from lost, stolen or deactivated devices. Microsoft Intune works with iOS/iPadOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X devices. For details about Intune and how Progent can assist your company to use this platform to manage the devices of your at-home workers, see Intune remote endpoint management experts.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced unified MDM product that helps network administrators to keep remote endpoints current and protected. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch technology for centralized endpoint management along with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery platform for authorization control, app management, and setup management of endpoint devices. Workspace ONE runs with endpoints based on Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or popular distros of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-premises deployment via a one-time purchase. Key features of Workspace ONE include fast remote provisioning of new laptops, immediate onboarding of new employees, policy setting and enforcement for all classes of devices, unifies reporting and analytics, email encryption, and integration with Microsoft apps and cloud-based products. For details about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, go to VMware Workspace ONE remote device management expertise.

Contact Progent for Remote Workforce Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about creating and managing a productive work-from-home solution, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.