San Francisco Telecommuters Solutions Support and Consulting

Expanding your remote workforce may have a major effect on IT architecture, cybersecurity, and company culture. Progent has two decades of experience helping businesses of all sizes to design, deploy, manage, optimize, and debug IT networks that incorporate work-from-home employees. Progent can assist your San Francisco company to pick the right tools and adhere to best practices in creating and maintaining a safe virtual office ecosystem for telecommuters that facilitates collaboration and returns maximum business value. Progent offers services that go from on demand guidance for helping you over challenging technical bottlenecks to full project management or co-management to help you successfully complete business-critical initiatives.

Progent can help San Francisco, California businesses to succeed with any facet of creating a high-functioning telecommuting ecosystem by providing infrastructure design and configuration services, IP voice expertise, video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, public cloud connectivity, Call Desk services, cybersecurity, data protection solutions, and unified management.

Infrastructure for an At-Home Workforce
Integrating the network infrastructure required for a remote work environment can be especially complex if you must accommodate a mix of personal hardware such as desktop computers and notebooks, routers, and wireless APs from various manufacturers and with a variety of OS software and firmware levels. Progent's experience delivering online support for both legacy and modern technologies in virtual office solutions enables you to make cost-effective use of your available network infrastructure and provides you with ready access to expertise for implement necessary updates. Services available from Progent to assist you to create a productive telecommuting infrastructure include:

• Virtual Private Network connectivity makes it possible to establish a secure tunnel for authorized remote employees to access IT resources situated at your company datacenter or in the cloud. Progent can help you to deploy and maintain VPN connections between your teleworkers and your various network resources by providing online VPN configuration consulting. For organizations with Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco ASA consultants can assist your telecommuters to set up Cisco's AnyConnect client software for safe VPN connections for a broad range of devices including Microsoft Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Google Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) products allow a teleworker to view and interact with a data center computer's desktop. This gives IT managers significant control over the computing ecosystem of at-home employees and offers them a consistent and more productive work experience. Progent's VDI services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI expertise.
• Routers connect home computer networks to the Internet and typically support VPN tunnels, home wireless connectivity, and firewalls. Progent can provide top-tier online consulting for configuring routers from a variety of vendors. See router configuration services from Cisco-certified consultants.
• Home Wireless networks, typically shared by families and guests, are frequently used by at-home employees to connect to their Internet router for work. This can cause performance as well as security problems. Progent can help businesses to mitigate these problems by delivering services like Cisco Aironet integration expertise, Cisco Meraki wireless installation consulting, and Ubiquiti WiFi AP integration assistance.
• Internet access solutions affect the speed and reliability of connections between telecommuters and the corporate network. Line-of-business applications may require backup Internet access in the event the normal connection breaks. Progent can provide guidance for identifying ISPs, selecting sensible bandwidth and data volume offerings, and integrating high-availability Internet connections. Refer to Internet access integration services.

IP Voice Integration for Teleworkers
Expanding the company phone system to include teleworkers is vital to supporting an effective at-home workforce. A variety of cloud-based digital PBX platforms are popular with SMBs to support teleworkers. Many larger organizations rely on Cisco's modern or legacy products for IP voice solutions. Progent can help businesses of any size to plan or maintain a remote IP voice service that provides the flexibility, convenience and protection required for remote users. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice consultants can provide advanced support to assist organizations optimize their current Cisco VoIP systems to support a growing at-home workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) delivers high-end IP telephony features to devices such as IP phones, media processing platforms, Voice over IP gateways, and mixed media applications deployed throughout the network. CUCM supports other combined media services such as messaging, video conferencing, and customer interaction networks. For details about Progent's CUCM expertise, refer to Cisco Unified Communications Manager consulting services.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing software and has been replaced by CUCM. Progent can help your company to maintain your current CallManager environment or migrate efficiently to Cisco's modern IP telephony products. To find out about Progent's support services for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other early VoIP platforms, see Cisco CallManager consulting.
• Cisco IP Gateways provide integration with PSTN networks and with users operating outside the corporate firewall like at-home workers. Progent offers expert support for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 series as well as for modern Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateway configuration expertise.
• Additional VoIP Platforms supported by Progent's consultants include Vonage, RingCentral and 8x8. Progent can help you to update your WAN architecture to work with these VoIP solutions and provide as-needed integration and troubleshooting expertise.

Video Conferencing for Remote Workers
A wide selection of voice/video conferencing platforms from major technology companies enable virtual meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat, and screen/content sharing for both onsite users and teleworkers. Many organizations utilize multiple products to meet the needs of their various partners and customers. Progent can assist your organization to maintain your current conferencing environment and enhance the engagement of your remote employees.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading unified communications platform that enables real-time presence, instant messaging, voice and video conferencing as well as the seamless integration of these capabilities within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 productivity software including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent can provide the expertise of Microsoft-certified consultants who can assist your company to deploy and maintain Skype for Business clients to accommodate your at-home workforce. For details about Progent's support services for Skype for Business, see Skype for Business consulting services.
• FaceTime is Apple's multiuser video phone app for compatible iOS and macOS computers and smartphones. FaceTime works over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Current editions of FaceTime allow as many as 32 simultaneous users for voice/video calls. For details about Progent's support expertise for FaceTime, visit Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center provides remote conferencing for virtually all desktop or mobile devices. Offered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex services include sharing discrete content or screens, presentations that embed rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session capture, plus revision and playback for training. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Webex as well as for additional video conferencing products from Cisco, refer to Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
• Teams is Microsoft's follow-up for Skype for Business. Teams provides a hub for conversations, contacts, and content with capabilities such as video calling, threaded chat, plus data sharing. To learn more about Progent's support services for Teams and for additional Microsoft 365 apps, visit Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Other Voice/Video Conferencing Platforms supported by Progent include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can provide integration and troubleshooting expertise for these conferencing platforms and assist your business to optimize your network infrastructure to host them.

Microsoft Collaboration Software for Remote Workers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are closely integrated with Microsoft's popular Office suites, offering a powerful ecosystem of productivity apps that create a cohesive user experience for exchanging data and ideas throughout a corporate network and on a broad selection of endpoints. Progent has provided remote consulting support for SharePoint and Exchange Server since their first releases and can assist businesses to configure these flagship collaboration platforms to optimize the productivity of your remote workforce.

SharePoint uses web entities to enable collaboration and knowledge sharing by providing policy-driven access to content, workflow, and tools for searching through enterprise-wide business data. SharePoint allows you to create secure web portals that enables at-home workforce to see and edit aggregated corporate intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social sites, and Web Parts (Widgets). To find out about Progent's SharePoint expertise, visit SharePoint configuration and application development expertise.

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 information about Progent's Exchange consulting expertise, see integration expertise for Exchange Server.

OneDrive is Microsoft’s shared cloud-based storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home users can save files to the OneDrive service, and colleagues anywhere can retrieve them safely via a web browser. Included with Office 365, OneDrive allows home workers to co-author documents. Revisions created offline are automatically uploaded when you go back online. For information about Progent's consulting expertise for OneDrive, see Microsoft Onedrive integration consulting.

Public Cloud Integration Services for Teleworkers
Progent can provide affordable online support for enabling organizations to build, maintain and troubleshoot cohesive network models that incorporate internal data centers, telecommuters, branch offices, and public cloud services. Progent offers expertise for all types of cloud service such as Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service. Progent can help remote workers resolve problems with cloud connectivity, authentication, and cybersecurity.

Azure is a leading platform for cloud software and services that enables you to use IT infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical apps running on Microsoft's massive cloud. Microsoft Azure offers over 100 cloud-based services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-based virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and data protection. Progent can assist you to set up virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity control with Azure Active Directory, and design backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to establish protected access to Azure for at-home workers by configuring and troubleshooting firewall appliances and VPN tunnels. For information about Progent's consulting services for Azure, see Azure expertise.

Office 365, rebranded Microsoft 365, is Microsoft's growing suite of client productivity applications and cloud services offered by subscription. Office applications and services are provided in a variety of bundles intended for users ranging from students and small offices to major enterprises. Progent can provide fast and affordable online contact with experts knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible devices running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can help you to assess the various subscription plans available for Office 365 and configure 365 applications for your telecommuters to achieve maximum business value. To find out about Progent's support services for Microsoft Office 365, refer to Office 365 consulting services.

Exchange Online is among the most widely used applications in the Microsoft 365 product product suite. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online provides the advantages of reduced spending for physical infrastructure, simplified management, dynamic scaling, high availability, and additional benefits associated with cloud computing. Microsoft has designed Office 365 Exchange Online to operate seamlessly with on-premises deployments of Exchange, enabling customers to build hybrid cloud/onsite networks. Progent's Exchange consultants are available for as-needed assistance to get you past challenging IT roadblocks and can also provide comprehensive project management services to make sure your remote workers have convenient and safe access to your Exchange Online deployment. To learn Progent's expertise for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, go to Exchange Online configuration and support consulting.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a trailblazer in the public cloud arena and is the world's leading source of cloud-based services. Progent offers quick and affordable online contact with cloud connectivity consultants who can assist your organization to design, implement, manage, and troubleshoot hybrid IT networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with on-premises resources and with other public clouds such as Microsoft Azure. Progent also can provide access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to help you to create a high-availability network model so your employees have a productive computing environment regardless of whether they are working from your headquarters, a branch office, from home, or on the road. For details about Progent's expertise for Amazon AWS, refer to Amazon AWS consulting support.

Google Cloud (GCP) is a popular set of cloud computing services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco consulting experts can assist your business to extend your existing IT assets with the Google Cloud, and Progent's database experts can help you make your mission-critical applications cloud friendly so your teleworkers can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy virtual machines on GCP Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage system with GCP Storage, and streamline access control for telecommuters with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent's consultants can also assist your organization to use GCP's management tools to control and monitor your Google Cloud ecosystem. To find out, visit Google Cloud Platform integration services.

Help Desk Call Center Support for At-Home Workers
A fast, organization-wide transition to a from-home workforce, which might be activated by an epidemic or as an element of a disaster recovery plan, can overstretch even the most efficient in-house Call Center. Progent's Help Desk services allow businesses of any size to outsource or supplement their Help Desk with Progent's online Technical Response Center (TRC) services.

• Progent's Standard Call Desk support services leverage Progent's extensive team of remote technical support specialists along with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and follow-up software to offer an economical, modern Help Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide an end-to-end solution that handles all facets of online Level 1 desktop support from help requests to trouble ticket creation, desktop sharing, issue resolution, and reporting. A web-based User's Service Portal allows telecommuters to check or revise the status of their current tickets, enter information, and append screenshots and relevant files. Support services are provided at a significant discount off Progent's ordinary Level 1 technical service charges, and Progent makes available the option of fast hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 support specialists to resolve advanced problems. To find out more, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services for small and mid-size businesses.
• Progent's Support Desk Supplemental Service allows your company to expand your existing Help Desk Call Center organization by splitting delivery of Call Desk support transparently between your regular support personnel and Progent's nationwide roster of desktop support engineers and subject matter specialists. Progent's shared Support Desk service is based on a collaborative support model based on the leading professional services automation tool for handling help requests and trouble tickets, establishing responsibility, tracking progress, and generating reports. For details about how Progent's Call Center Supplementation Services can enable your business to provide best-in-class technical support to your at-home workforce, go to Progent's Support Desk augmentation Services.

Security and Compliance for Teleworkers
Teleworkers commonly run their personal equipment and work in a physically unsecured environment. This increases their exposure to cyber threats and requires careful deployment of firewalls, remote security monitoring, and the creation of security policies that adhere to best practices. Progent's seasoned team of certified data security professionals can help your organization to design, implement and administer a modern cybersecurity solution that safeguards sensitive information in IT networks that incorporate remote workers.

• Firewalls enable companies to create a network that can be securely accessed by local users and by teleworkers, mobile employees, suppliers, customers, and the public. Modern firewall devices allow you to configure and manage different access rights to different classes of users and to scale your network and modify your security as your business evolves and as cyber threats become more complex. Progent supports both new and older security devices from all major manufacturers like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. For more information about Progent's firewall support services, refer to firewall support expertise.
• Online Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it possible to watch over the various computers utilized by at-home workers and either reject or identify and mitigate modern threats such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a lightweight agent is put on every protected endpoint device, monitoring all activity and using state-of-the-art behavioral threat analysis to detect zero-day attacks at inception. When a cyberattack is discovered, ProSight ASM immediately disconnects the impacted device from the corporate network to quarantine the threat. Since the ProSight Active Security Monitoring software agent is autonomous, endpoints stay secure even when they are offline. To find out more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, visit remote endpoint monitoring for an at-home workforce.
• Security Audits can evaluate the vulnerability of your network to all types of outside and local security threats for an environment that includes remote workers. Progent can deploy remote, automated cybersecurity inventory software for quickly and affordably uncovering a wide variety of security gaps that can be surfaced via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security audit experts, which can be provided by security professionals with advanced credentials such as CISA, ISSAP, and GIAC, can help you to audit your operations and governance policies and assess your IT architecture to enable you to implement top-level security for your at-home workers.

Data Protection Solutions for Remote Workers
The field of Data Protection covers saving and recovering critical data in order to avoid data loss and reduce recovery time in case of storage failures due to equipment breakdowns, programming glitches, user mistakes, malware, or any other reason. Reliable data protection solutions can be particularly challenging to architect and maintain in hybrid environments that combine local data centers, cloud resources, and at-home workers.

• Backup/Restore strategies for an at-home workforce must address diverse types of personally owned endpoint devices. Progent can provide fast online access to experts familiar with a wide range of products for backing up Windows, Apple and Linux/UNIX servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iPads and smartphones. Leading backup/restore solutions supported by Progent's backup/recovery consultants include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, CrashPlan, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To back up resources spread across a wide area network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services, a backup/recovery subscription service that utilizes cloud-based storage and features granular recovery and unified management.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity (DR/BC) plans commonly envision scenarios that require a rapid switch to a work-at-home environment. Progent's expert disaster recovery planning experts and business continuity planning consultants can assist your business to produce, document and test a DR/BC strategy that includes the process of switching to telecommuting.

Unified Management for Remote Workers
Microsoft has rebranded and rebundled its endpoint management platforms under the title Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing on-premises computers. Endpoint Manager provides a unified platform for safeguarding critical data by controlling on-premises, mobile, and at-home endpoints.

Microsoft Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and protecting mobile computers and applications. Managed endpoint devices can be personally owned or business owned. IT admins managing the endpoint computers of at-home workers can utilize Intune to deploy and validate applications on managed devices, push updates and certificates, set up policies for accessing data and resources, manage passwords, establish VPN connections, control how teleworkers share information, establish threat defense, verify security compliance, and delete sensitive information from lost, stolen or deactivated devices. Microsoft Intune runs with Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS computers. For details about Microsoft Intune and how Progent can help you to use this platform to manage the devices of your telecommuters, visit Intune telecommuter endpoint management consultants.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich unified Mobile Device Management product that allows network administrators to keep off-premises endpoint devices up to date and protected. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch for unified endpoint administration along with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for identity control, application management, and setup management of endpoint devices. Workspace ONE operates with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or leading distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-site deployment via a perpetual license. Top features of Workspace ONE include fast remote provisioning of out-of-the-box notebooks, quick onboarding of new employees, policy set up and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, aggregated management reporting and performance analytics, email encryption, and integration with Microsoft apps and cloud-based services. To learn about Progent's expertise for VMware Workspace ONE, visit VMware Workspace ONE remote endpoint management expertise.

Contact Progent for Remote Workforce Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about building and managing an efficient telecommuter solution for your San Francisco, California organization, call 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.