Enlarging your at-home workforce can have a major impact on IT architecture, cybersecurity, and company culture. Progent has 20 years of experience assisting small and mid-size businesses to plan, deploy, manage, optimize, and debug IT networks that incorporate a remote workforce. Progent can assist your Harrisburg company to select the appropriate tools and follow best practices in creating and operating a secure virtual solution for teleworkers that facilitates teamwork and returns maximum value. Progent can provide support services ranging from as-needed guidance for helping you over challenging IT bottlenecks to full project management to help you carry out business-critical tasks.
Progent can assist Harrisburg, Pennsylvania companies to with any facet of building a high-functioning telecommuting environment by providing infrastructure design and configuration services, VoIP PBX troubleshooting, voice/video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, cloud connectivity, Call Desk services, security monitoring, data protection solutions, and centralized management.
Network Infrastructure for a Remote Workforce
Setting up the physical and software infrastructure needed to support an at-home work environment can be especially challenging if you must accommodate a combination of worker-owned equipment such as PCs and laptops, Internet routers, and wireless APs from various manufacturers and with a variety of operating systems and firmware levels. Progent's experience delivering online support for both outdated and current IT products in virtual office solutions enables you to make efficient use of your existing infrastructure and provides you with ready access to top-tire consultants for implement essential upgrades. Services offered by Progent to assist you to create a high-functioning work-at-home infrastructure include:
IP Voice Solutions for Teleworkers
Extending the business PBX system to accommodate teleworkers is vital to supporting an effective work-at-home solution. A broad range of cloud-based digital PBX products are popular with small and mid-size businesses to server remote users. Many larger organizations depend on Cisco's modern or older platforms for IP voice solutions. Progent can help businesses of all sizes to design or maintain a remote VoIP service that delivers the flexibility, convenience and security needed for at-home workers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice experts offer high-level support to help businesses tune their current Cisco VoIP environments to handle an expanding at-home workforce.
Voice/Video Conferencing for an At-Home Workforce
A broad selection of video conferencing products from major technology companies support virtual discussions, video conferencing, chat sessions, and screen/content sharing for both onsite users and telecommuters. Many companies use multiple products to meet the needs of their various partners and customers. Progent's communications experts can help you to maintain your existing conferencing environment and optimize the experience of your remote workforce.
Microsoft Collaboration Software for Remote Workers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are closely integrated with Microsoft's popular Office and Microsoft 365 suites, offering a rich ecosystem of applications that create a cohesive user interface for sharing data and ideas across a corporate network and on a broad range of endpoint devices. Progent has delivered online consulting support for SharePoint and Exchange Server since their initial publication and can help your company to configure these flagship collaboration platforms to optimize the effectiveness of your remote workers.
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are tightly integrated with Microsoft's popular Office suite, providing a rich ecosystem of applications that deliver a consistent user experience for sharing information across multiple sites and on a wide variety of endpoint devices. Progent has provided remote consulting services for SharePoint and Exchange since their initial releases and can help at-home workers set up and use these flagship collaboration platforms to maximize productivity.
Microsoft Teams works with Microsoft 365 and supports third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration. Designed as a substitute for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can support chat, audio/video meetings with screen sharing, phone calls, cloud voicemail, group email, plus file and app sharing. Teams is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 and relies on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Azure Entra (formerly called Azure Active Directory) for delivering its full range of features. To learn more about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams, visit solution design and deployment expertise for Microsoft Teams.
SharePoint uses web entities to allow collaboration and knowledge sharing by providing policy-based delivery of content, workflow, and utilities for looking through company-wide information silos. SharePoint permits you to create protected web portals that allows remote workforce to see and edit aggregated corporate intelligence via Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social sites, and Web Parts. For details about Progent's SharePoint expertise, see SharePoint integration 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 consulting expertise, see planning and configuration expertise for Exchange Server.
OneDrive is Microsoft�s shared cloud-based file hosting and synchronization service, similar to GoogleDrive. At-home users can save files to OneDrive, and colleagues anywhere can share them safely via a web browser. Included with Office 365, OneDrive allows home workers to co-author documents. Revisions created offline are uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. For information about Progent's expertise for OneDrive, refer to Onedrive configuration experts.
Public Cloud Integration Services for At-Home Workers
Progent offers advanced remote support for helping organizations to build, maintain and troubleshoot cohesive hybrid network models that include internal data centers, telecommuters, branches, and public cloud resources. Progent can provide top-tier consultant for all modes of cloud service including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service. Progent can help teleworkers fix problems with cloud access, identity, and security.
Azure is a leading family of public cloud services that allows you to use infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical apps running on Microsoft's massive cloud. Azure offers more than 100 cloud-based services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-based virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can assist your organization to deploy virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate cloud-based storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity management with Azure AD, and design backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to establish protected access to Azure services for at-home workers by configuring and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN IPsec tunnels. To find out about Progent's expertise for Microsoft Azure, refer to Azure consulting.
Microsoft 365, formerly branded Office 365, is Microsoft's popular suite of business productivity applications and cloud-based services available on a subscription basis. Microsoft applications and services are provided in a variety of bundles designed for customers ranging from individuals and households to large corporations. Progent offers fast and easy remote access to experts knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible endpoints running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent's experts can assist your business to evaluate the numerous subscription bundles offered with Microsoft 365 and deploy 365 apps for your telecommuters to achieve top business value. To find out about Progent's expertise for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 integration expertise.
Exchange Online is one of the most widely used cloud-based applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product line. Exchange Online offers the benefits of reduced costs for physical infrastructure, simplified management, dynamic scaling, high availability, and additional advantages associated with public clouds. Microsoft has designed Exchange Online to operate seamlessly with local Exchange environments, allowing customers to build hybrid cloud/onsite networks. Progent's certified Exchange experts can provide as-needed assistance to get you past tough technical bottlenecks and also offer end-to-end project management outsourcing to make sure your teleworkers have easy and secure access to your Exchange Online environment. To find out Progent's expertise for Exchange Online, see Exchange Online configuration and troubleshooting consulting.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a trailblazer in the public cloud arena and is the world's leading provider of cloud-based services. Progent can provide fast and economical online access to cloud integration experts who can assist your business to plan, deploy, manage, and debug hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with on-premises data centers and with other public clouds like Azure. Progent also offers the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to assist your company to build a high-availability network model to make sure your employees have a consistent computing experience whether they are working from your headquarters, a remote branch, at home, or on the road. For information about Progent's support services for Amazon AWS, refer to Amazon AWS consulting support.
Google Cloud Platform is a leading set of cloud computing services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can assist you to expand your current IT resources with the Google Cloud Platform, and Progent's database consultants can help you make your critical apps cloud friendly so your teleworkers can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent can assist your business to set up virtual machines on Google Cloud Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage system with GCP Storage services, and streamline identity management for remote workers with GCP Cloud Identity services. Progent's experts can also assist your business to utilize GCP's management technology to administer and monitor your GCP ecosystem. To find out, go to Google Cloud Platform consulting expertise.
Help Desk Services for Telecommuters
A fast, company-wide switchover to a from-home business model, which might be the result of an epidemic or as part of a business continuity plan, can overstretch even the most efficient in-house Call Center. Progent's Help Desk Call Center services make it possible for organizations to outsource or augment their Support Desk by using Progent's online Technical Response Center team.
Cybersecurity for Teleworkers
Work-from-Home (WFH) staff members commonly use their personal computing devices and often operate in a poorly secured physical environment. This increases their susceptibility to cyber threats and calls for judicious deployment of corporate firewalls, anti-malware tools, multi-factor authentication, remote monitoring, extensive end-user training, and the development of policies built on leading practices. Progent's seasoned group of IT security solutions consultants can assist you to plan, deploy and maintain a compliant security solution that protects critical IT resources in environments that include remote workers.
Firewalls allow you to build a network that can be securely utilized by local users and by telecommuters, mobile users, vendors, clients, and the public. Next-generation firewall appliances allow you to configure and manage different access rights to various classes of users and to scale your network and adjust your security profile as your company evolves and as cyber threats grow increasingly sophisticated. Progent supports both new and older firewall appliances from all major manufacturers like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, and Fortinet. For more information about Progent's firewall configuration expertise, refer to firewall integration and support services.
Remote Endpoint Monitoring makes it possible to track the disparate devices utilized by an at-home workforce and either reject or spot and mitigate the latest cyber attacks such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a lightweight agent is installed on each secured endpoint device, watching all activity and utilizing state-of-the-art AI technology from SentinelOne to detect new threats on arrival. When an attack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately disconnects the infected device from the corporate network to quarantine the malware. Because the ProSight ASM software agent is self-contained, endpoints remain protected even if they are disconnected from the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. To find out more about ProSight ASM, visit remote endpoint security monitoring for remote workers.
Progent's Duo authentication Managed Services incorporate Cisco's Duo technology to defend against compromised passwords by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo supports single-tap identity confirmation on iOS, Google Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, when you log into a secured application and give your password you are asked to confirm who you are on a unit that only you have and that uses a different network channel. A broad range of devices can be used as this second form of ID validation such as an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You may designate several verification devices. For details about Duo two-factor identity validation services, see Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for teleworkers.
Security Audits can assess the exposure of your information system to all types of outside and internal security attacks for a network that incorporates telecommuters. Progent can deploy online, automated cybersecurity analysis software for rapidly and economically uncovering a wide variety of security weaknesses that can be surfaced via the Internet. Progent's security assessment experts, which can be provided by data security experts with top credentials including CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can assist your business to evaluate your workflows and policies and review your IT infrastructure to allow you to design the highest level of security for your teleworkers.
Horizon3.ai's NodeZero Pentest Platform is a breakthrough penetration test (pentest) product family that can deliver automated threat assessment of your work-from-home connectivity solution and your internal and perimeter networks so you can uncover, rank, remediate, and confirm security vulnerabilities before malicious hackers can exploit them. Progent can assist you to deploy NodeZero to perform thorough penetration tests of your network perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure in order to determine your present security posture. Progent's NodeZero experts can also help you to harden your network security and can assist you to design and deploy a unified cybersecurity strategy that streamlines management and provides maximum protection for on-prem, cloud-based, remote, and perimeter IT resources. To find out additional information about Progent's vulnerability assessment services based on on NodeZero's pentest platform, visit Consulting Support for NodeZero's Pentest Products.
Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network
To view or download a white paper describing key areas to focus on for securing an IT environment that incorporates telecommuters, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home Network White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)
Data Protection Solutions for Remote Workers
The field of Data Protection involves saving and recovering critical information so as to avoid data loss and reduce recovery time in the event of storage system failures due to hardware breakdowns, programming glitches, human mistakes, cyber attack, or other causes. Dependable data protection strategies can be particularly challenging to architect and manage in hybrid networks that combine in-house data centers, cloud resources, and at-home workers.
Unified Management for At-Home Workers
Microsoft has rebranded and rebundled its endpoint management platforms under the name Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud-based management of remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing local endpoints. Endpoint Manager provides a centralized platform for protecting corporate data by controlling local, mobile, and at-home endpoints.
Microsoft Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also features Microsoft Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and protecting remote computers and software. Remote endpoint computers can be personally owned or business owned. IT admins managing the endpoint devices of at-home workers can utilize Intune to deploy and authenticate apps on devices, push patches and certificates, set up policies for accessing data and resources, manage passwords, create VPN tunnels, control how home-based workers share data, establish threat defense, ensure compliance, and erase corporate data from missing, stolen or decommissioned endpoint devices. Intune works with Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X devices. For information about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can assist you to use Microsoft's Endpoint Management to manage the endpoint devices of your telecommuters, refer to Intune remote device management consultants.
VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich centralized MDM product that allows network managers to keep remote endpoints up to date and secure. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch technology for centralized endpoint management combined with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for access control, app management, and setup management of endpoints. Workspace ONE runs with endpoints based on Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or popular distros of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-premises deployment via a perpetual license. Top capabilities of Workspace ONE include fast remote deployment of new laptops, immediate onboarding of new employees, policy setting and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, aggregated reporting and analytics, an email encryption gateway, and tight integration with Microsoft applications and cloud products. To learn about Progent's expertise for VMware Workspace ONE, visit VMware Workspace ONE mobile device management consultants.
Contact Progent for Remote Workforce Support Services
To contact Progent about creating and managing a productive work-from-home environment for your Harrisburg, Pennsylvania company, call