Enlarging your remote workforce may have a major effect on network architecture, security/compliance, and corporate culture. Progent has two decades of experience assisting businesses of all sizes to plan, configure, administer, optimize, and troubleshoot IT environments that incorporate work-from-home employees. Progent can assist your Appleton company to select the right tools and adhere to best practices in creating and operating a safe virtual office solution for teleworkers that promotes collaboration and returns top value. Progent can provide services that go from on demand guidance for helping you over challenging technical bottlenecks to comprehensive project management to help you successfully complete mission-critical tasks.
Progent's consultants can assist Appleton, Wisconsin organizations to with any facet of creating a high-functioning telecommuting environment by delivering infrastructure configuration services, VoIP PBX expertise, voice/video conferencing integration, collaboration platform customization and training, public cloud integration, Help Desk services, security and compliance, data protection solutions, and streamlined management.
Network Infrastructure for Teleworkers
Configuring the network infrastructure required to support a remote workforce can be especially complex if you must accommodate a combination of personal equipment like PCs and notebooks, routers, and Wi-Fi appliances from an assortment of manufacturers and with a mix of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's background providing remote support for both legacy as well as modern technologies in virtual office solutions enables you to make cost-effective use of your existing network infrastructure and offers ready access to expertise for making essential updates. Services offered by Progent to assist your company to implement a high-functioning work-at-home infrastructure include:
IP Voice Integration for Telecommuters
Extending the corporate phone environment to accommodate remote users is vital to maintaining an effective work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-based IP voice products are popular with small and mid-size businesses to support remote users. Many enterprises depend on Cisco's modern or older products for IP voice solutions. Progent can help organizations of any size to design or tune a telecommuter IP voice environment that delivers the versatility, convenience and protection needed for remote users. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice consultants offer high-level support to assist organizations optimize their existing Cisco IP voice systems to handle an expanding remote workforce.
Voice/Video Conferencing for Telecommuters
A broad selection of voice/video conferencing products from major vendors support online discussions, video and voice conferencing, chat, and screen/content sharing for both onsite workers and telecommuters. Many organizations use multiple conferencing products to accommodate their different partners and clients. Progent's communications experts can help your organization to maintain your current conferencing environment and optimize the engagement of your remote employees.
Microsoft Collaboration Platforms for Teleworkers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are closely integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office and Microsoft 365 families, providing a rich ecosystem of applications that deliver a cohesive user interface for exchanging data and ideas across multiple sites and on a wide selection of endpoint devices. Progent has provided remote consulting support for SharePoint and Exchange since their original releases and can help your company to tune these critical collaboration products to optimize the effectiveness of your remote workforce.
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 on top of Microsoft 365 and integrates with third-party cloud services to provide real-time collaboration and communication. Designed as a replacement for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can support chat, video meetings that include screen sharing, phone calls, cloud voicemail, group email, plus file and app sharing. Teams is closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and depends on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Azure Entra (formerly called Azure Active Directory) for supporting its complete range of capabilities. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium, visit planning and deployment consulting for Microsoft Teams.
SharePoint utilizes web sites to allow collaboration and knowledge delivery by providing policy-based access to content, workflow, and utilities for looking through enterprise-wide information silos. SharePoint permits you to create protected web portals that enables at-home workers to see and edit aggregated business intelligence via Wikis, Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts. For information about Progent's SharePoint support services, see SharePoint integration 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. To find out about Progent's Exchange consulting expertise, visit planning and configuration expertise for Exchange.
OneDrive is Microsoft�s collaborative cloud storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can store files to OneDrive, and colleagues can share them securely via a browser. Included with Office 365, OneDrive enables remote employees to co-edit documents. Edits made offline are uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. For information about Progent's expertise for Microsoft OneDrive, visit Microsoft Onedrive integration consulting.
Public Cloud Integration Services for Teleworkers
Progent can provide advanced online assistance for enabling businesses to create, maintain and repair integrated network models that incorporate physical data centers, at-home workers, branch offices, plus cloud resources. Progent can provide top-tier consultant for all types of public cloud service delivery including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service. Progent can help telecommuters resolve problems with cloud connectivity, authentication, and cybersecurity.
Azure is a leading family of cloud services that allows you to utilize IT infrastructure, servers, and key applications hosted on Microsoft's massive cloud. Azure includes more than one hundred cloud-based services including the ability to host Windows and Linux-based VMs, on-demand cloud storage, email and messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and data protection. Progent can assist you to deploy VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure cloud-based storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure AD, and design data backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Progent's cloud experts can also help you establish protected connections to Azure services for remote workers by setting up and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN tunnels. For details about Progent's expertise for Microsoft Azure, visit Azure consulting.
Microsoft 365, previously called Office 365, is Microsoft's popular suite of business productivity software and cloud-based services offered on a subscription basis. Office applications and cloud services are marketed in a selection of bundles intended for users ranging from individuals and small offices to large corporations. Progent can provide quick and affordable online access to consultants knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible endpoint devices running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent can help you to evaluate the various subscription bundles offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 applications for your teleworkers to achieve maximum business value. To find out about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 consulting expertise.
Exchange Online is one of the most widely used cloud-based applications in the Microsoft 365 product line. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online offers the advantages of lower costs for data center infrastructure, simplified management, on-demand scaling, high availability, and additional benefits associated with public clouds. Microsoft has engineered Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to operate seamlessly with local deployments of Exchange, enabling you to build hybrid information systems. Progent's certified Exchange consultants can provide occasional assistance to get you past tough technical roadblocks and also offer comprehensive project management services to ensure your remote workers have convenient and safe access to your Exchange Online deployment. For details Progent's consulting services for Exchange Online, go to Exchange Online integration and support consulting.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a pioneer in the public cloud market and is the industry's leading provider of cloud services. Progent offers rapid and economical online access to cloud integration consultants who can help your organization to design, implement, maintain, and debug hybrid information networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud services with on-premises resources and with other popular cloud platforms such as Azure. Progent also can provide the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to assist you to build a high-availability network architecture so your employees have a consistent computing experience regardless of whether they are working from your main office, a remote branch, at home, or on the road. To find out about Progent's consulting expertise for Amazon AWS, go to Amazon AWS integration services.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a leading set of cloud services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can help your business to scale your current IT assets with the Google Cloud Platform, and Progent's DBA experts can show you how to make your key applications cloud ready so your teleworkers can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy VMs on GCP Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage solution with GCP Storage services, and streamline access management for at-home workers with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent can also assist you to use GCP's management technology to control and monitor your Google Cloud ecosystem. For information, visit Google Cloud Platform (GCP) consulting support.
Help Desk Support for Remote Workers
A rapid, company-wide switchover to a telecommuter business model, which might be the result of an epidemic or as a component of a disaster recovery/business continuity process, can overwhelm even a well-staffed in-house Support Desk. Progent's Help Desk Call Center services allow organizations to outsource or augment their Call Center by using Progent's remote Technical Response Center (TRC) team.
Cybersecurity for Teleworkers
Work-from-Home (WFH) employees commonly utilize their own computers and often work in a poorly secured physical space. This situation increases their vulnerability to malware threats and calls for careful configuration of firewalls, anti-malware tools, MFA-based identity verification, remote monitoring, thorough end-user training, and the development of security policies based on best practices. Progent's veteran group of cybersecurity support experts can help you to design, implement and manage an effective cybersecurity solution that protects vital IT assets in environments that include telecommuters.
Firewalls allow you to create a network that can be securely utilized by on-premises users and by at-home workers, mobile users, vendors, customers, and the public. Next-generation firewall appliances permit you to assign and control appropriate permissions to different groups of users and to scale your network and adjust your cybersecurity posture as your company evolves and as cyber threats grow more complex. Progent supports both new and older firewall appliances from all leading vendors like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To learn more about Progent's firewall configuration services, visit firewall support expertise.
Remote Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it easy to track the various devices used by at-home workers and either block or spot and mitigate the latest threats such as ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a lightweight agent is installed on every secured endpoint, watching all activity and utilizing state-of-the-art AI technology from SentinelOne to detect zero-day threats at inception. When an attack is spotted, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately disconnects the infected endpoint from the network to contain the malware. Because the ProSight ASM agent is self-contained, endpoints stay protected even when they are offline. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. To learn more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, go to remote endpoint security monitoring for telecommuters.
Progent's Duo authentication Service Plans utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against stolen passwords through the use of two-factor authentication. Duo enables one-tap identity verification with iOS, Google Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, when you sign into a secured application and enter your password you are asked to confirm who you are on a unit that only you have and that uses a separate network channel. A wide range of out-of-band devices can be utilized as this second means of ID validation such as an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware token, a landline telephone, etc. You may designate multiple validation devices. To learn more about ProSight Duo two-factor identity authentication services, go to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for an at-home workforce.
Security Audits can assess the exposure of your network to all classes of outside and local security threats for an environment that includes remote workers. Progent can run remote, automated security inventory software for rapidly and economically detecting a wide variety of security holes that can be found via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment consulting services, which can be provided by security professionals with advanced credentials including CISA, ISSAP, and GIAC, can assist your company to evaluate your procedures and governance policies and assess your network infrastructure to enable you to design top-level protection for your telecommuters.
Horizon3.ai's NodeZero PEN Testing Platform is a breakthrough penetration test (pentest) product family that supports automated testing of your at-home connectivity solution as well as your internal and perimeter networks so you can find, prioritize, remediate, and verify security weaknesses before malicious hackers can take advantage of them. Progent can assist you to use NodeZero to perform comprehensive pentests of your perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure in order to determine your current security posture. Progent's NodeZero experts can also help you to harden your network security and can help you to design and implement a cohesive cybersecurity ecosystem that streamlines management and delivers maximum protection for on-prem, multi-cloud, remote, and perimeter IT resources. To find out more details about Progent's threat assessment solutions powered by on NodeZero's penetration test products, refer to Consulting Services for NodeZero's PEN Test Platform.
Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home Environment
To view or download a white paper describing critical things to focus on for securing a network that includes telecommuters, click:
Protecting a Work-From-Home (WFH) Environment White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)
Data Protection for At-Home Workers
Data Protection covers saving and restoring vital data so as to prevent data loss and minimize recovery time in the event of storage problems due to equipment breakdowns, programming glitches, user error, cyber attack, or other causes. Reliable data protection strategies can be especially challenging to architect and maintain in hybrid networks that incorporate local data centers, public clouds, and at-home workers.
Unified Management for Telecommuters
Microsoft has renamed and reshuffled its endpoint management platforms under the name Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing onsite computers. Endpoint Manager provides a unified solution for safeguarding critical information by controlling on-premises, mobile, and at-home endpoints.
Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and protecting mobile devices and applications. Remote endpoint computers can be personally owned or company owned. IT administrators managing the enrolled endpoint devices of at-home workers can utilize Intune to provision and validate applications on managed devices, push updates and certificates, set up policies for permission to access information and resources, manage passwords, establish VPN connections, control how telecommuters share data, set up threat defense, ensure security compliance, and erase sensitive data from missing, stolen or decommissioned devices. Intune runs with iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X endpoints. For details about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can assist you to use this platform to administer the endpoint devices of your telecommuters, visit Intune remote endpoint management experts.
VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced centralized Mobile Device Management (MDM) product that allows network administrators to keep offsite endpoints up to date and protected. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch technology for centralized endpoint management combined with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for identity control, application management, and configuration management of endpoint computers. Workspace ONE operates with endpoints powered by Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or leading distributions 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 VMware Workspace ONE include fast over-the-air provisioning of new laptops, quick onboarding of new employees, policy set up and enforcement for all categories of endpoints, unifies reporting and performance analytics, email encryption, and tight integration with Microsoft apps and cloud-based products. For information about Progent's support services for VMware Workspace ONE, see VMware Workspace ONE mobile endpoint management expertise.
Contact Progent for At-Home Worker Expertise
To get in touch with Progent about building and maintaining a productive telecommuter environment for your Appleton, Wisconsin business, call