Enlarging your at-home workforce can have a significant impact on IT infrastructure, security, and corporate culture. Progent has 20 years of experience helping businesses of all sizes to design, deploy, administer, tune, and troubleshoot IT environments that incorporate at-home workers. Progent can help your Bellevue organization to pick the appropriate technologies and follow leading practices in creating and maintaining a safe virtual solution for telecommuters that promotes teamwork and returns maximum value. Progent can provide services that go from on demand expertise for helping you over challenging IT bottlenecks to comprehensive project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical initiatives.

Progent's consultants can help Bellevue, Washington organizations to succeed with any facet of creating a high-performing work-at-home environment by delivering network infrastructure configuration services, IP voice troubleshooting, voice/video conferencing integration, collaboration platform customization and training, public cloud integration, helpdesk services, endpoint security, backup/restore solutions, and streamlined management.

Infrastructure for Teleworkers
Integrating the network infrastructure required for an at-home work environment can be especially complicated if you have to manage a combination of personal hardware like desktop computers and notebooks, Internet routers, and Wi-Fi appliances from different manufacturers and with a variety of OS software and firmware releases. Progent's experience providing remote help for both legacy and current technologies in remote office venues allows you to make efficient use of your available network infrastructure and provides you with ready access to expertise for implement essential updates. Services available from Progent to assist your company to create a high-functioning telecommuting ecosystem include:

  • Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity makes it possible to create a secure tunnel for authorized at-home workers to use IT resources located at your corporate datacenter or in the cloud. Progent can assist you to configure and manage VPN connections between your teleworkers and your key IT resources by providing remote VPN integration consulting. For organizations using Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA experts can help your at-home workers to set up Cisco's AnyConnect software for safe VPN tunneling for a broad range of endpoint devices such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android.
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) platforms allow a teleworker to see and interact with a data center PC's desktop. This gives IT managers substantial control over the digital environment of at-home employees and ensures remote users a consistent and more productive work experience. Progent's virtual desktop consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI solutions.
  • Routers attach at-home computer networks to the Internet and support VPN connections, local Wi-Fi networks, and firewall services. Progent can provide expert remote support for deploying home routers from a range of manufacturers. See router integration support from Cisco-certified consultants.
  • Home Wi-Fi networks, typically supporting the whole family and guests, are frequently utilized by at-home employees to connect to their Internet router for work. This can create throughput and cybersecurity problems. Progent can assist you to mitigate these issues by delivering expertise like Aironet integration expertise, Cisco Meraki WiFi installation expertise, and Ubiquiti Unifi WiFi AP setup help.
  • Internet connectivity methods affect the performance and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the company network. Vital processes may require redundant Internet access in case the primary connection fails. Progent can provide guidance for identifying Internet service providers, choosing sensible service packages, and configuring high-availability Internet connections. Refer to Internet access solutions.

VoIP Solutions for Telecommuters
Extending the company PBX environment to accommodate teleworkers is vital to maintaining an effective work-at-home solution. A broad range of cloud-based VoIP products are used by small and mid-size businesses to server remote users. Many enterprises depend on Cisco's modern or legacy products for IP voice solutions. Progent can assist organizations of all sizes to design or maintain a remote VoIP service that delivers the flexibility, convenience and protection required for telecommuters. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts offer high-level support to help businesses tune their current Cisco IP voice environments to support an expanding at-home workforce.

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM or CUCM) extends high-end telephony features to devices like IP phones, media processing products, Voice over IP gateways, and mixed media software deployed across the network. CUCM manages additional combined media services such as unified messaging, video conferencing, and customer interaction networks. For details about Progent's CUCM support, visit Cisco Unified CM consulting services.
  • CallManager is Cisco's earlier call-processing software and has been replaced by Cisco Unified CM or CUCM. Progent can assist you to support your current CallManager deployment or migrate efficiently to Cisco's modern IP telephony products. To learn about Progent's expertise for CallManager and Cisco's other early IP voice products, see Cisco CallManager expertise.
  • Cisco IP Gateways provide integration with public telephony networks and with clients operating beyond the corporate firewall like at-home workers. Progent offers consulting expertise for Cisco's legacy IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 products and for modern Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway configuration consulting.
  • Other VoIP Products supported by Progent's consultants include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can help you to enhance your wide area network architecture to support these VoIP solutions and provide online deployment and debugging services.

Video Conferencing for Remote Workers
A wide selection of voice/video conferencing products from leading vendors enable virtual meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat, and screen sharing for both local workers and at-home workers. Many companies use a mix of conferencing products to accommodate their different partners and clients. Progent's communications experts can assist your organization to manage your current conferencing ecosystem and optimize the experience of your remote workforce.

  • Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications product that supports presence, instant messaging, voice and video conferencing as well as the seamless integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent offers the skills of Microsoft-certified consultants who can help your company to deploy and manage Skype for Business clients to accommodate your remote employees. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Skype for Business, see Skype for Business integration experts.
  • FaceTime is Apple's group video phone platform for iOS, iPadOS, iPod and macOS devices. FaceTime runs on 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 consulting services for Apple FaceTime, refer to Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
  • Webex Meeting Center supports online conferencing for most computing devices. Offered via Cisco's Webex Cloud platform, Webex services include sharing discrete content or screens, presentations that incorporate rich media such as Microsoft PowerPoint, network-based recording, plus editing and playback for future reference and training. For details about Progent's support expertise for Webex and for additional video conferencing solutions from Cisco, visit Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
  • Teams is Microsoft's follow-up for Skype for Business. Teams provides a portal for conversations, contacts, and content with features such as IP voice and video calling, persistent threaded chat, plus file sharing. To learn more about Progent's support services for Teams and for other Microsoft 365 apps, refer to 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 expertise for these products and help your business to optimize your WAN infrastructure to host them.

Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Platforms for Telecommuters
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are closely integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office and Microsoft 365 families, offering a rich environment of productivity apps that deliver a cohesive user interface for exchanging information throughout a corporate network and on a wide range of endpoint devices. Progent has delivered online consulting services for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange since their original publication and can assist your company to deploy these flagship collaboration platforms to optimize the effectiveness of your at-home 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 Solutions Experts for TelecommutersMicrosoft Teams works with Microsoft 365 and integrates with third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration. Developed as a substitute for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can enable chat, video meetings that include screen sharing, calling, cloud voicemail, group email, plus file and application sharing. Teams is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 and relies on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Entra (formerly branded Azure Active Directory) for delivering its full range of capabilities. For details about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Teams, visit planning and deployment expertise for Microsoft Teams.

SharePoint Server Deployment Consultants for Remote WorkersSharePoint utilizes web sites to promote collaboration and information delivery by offering policy-based delivery of content, workflow, and tools for looking through enterprise-wide business data. SharePoint enables you to create protected portals that permits remote workers to view and update consolidated business intelligence by means of Wikis, Blogs, social networking sites, and Web Parts. For information about Progent's SharePoint consulting expertise, refer to SharePoint configuration and application development expertise.

Exchange Configuration Consultants for Remote WorkersExchange 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 services, see planning and configuration consulting for Exchange Server.

Onedrive Configuration Experts for At-Home WorkersOneDrive is Microsoft�s shared cloud-based storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can save files to OneDrive, and co-workers anywhere can retrieve them safely via a web browser. Included with Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows home employees to co-author documents. Edits created offline are uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. For information about Progent's support services for Microsoft OneDrive, see Microsoft Onedrive integration consulting.

Public Cloud Integration Services for Remote Workers
Progent can provide fast and affordable online assistance for enabling organizations to build, manage and optimize integrated hybrid network models that incorporate internal data centers, at-home workers, branch offices, and cloud services. Progent offers top-tier consultant for all modes of cloud service including Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help teleworkers fix issues with cloud connectivity, identity, and security.

Microsoft Azure Integration for At-Home WorkersAzure is a leading family of cloud services that enables you to use IT infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical apps running on Microsoft's massive cloud. Azure includes over one hundred services services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-based VMs, on-demand cloud storage, email and messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data protection. Progent can help your organization to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity control with Azure AD, and plan backup and restore solutions with Azure Backup. Progent's cloud experts can also help you establish secure access to Azure for telecommuters by setting up and troubleshooting firewall appliances and VPN IPsec tunnels. To find out about Progent's consulting services for Azure, see Azure expertise.

Microsoft 365 Integration for At-Home WorkersMicrosoft 365, previously called Office 365, is Microsoft's popular family of client productivity applications and cloud-based services offered on a subscription basis. Office apps and cloud services are marketed in a variety of bundles intended for customers ranging from individuals and households to major enterprises. Progent offers fast and easy remote access to consultants knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible endpoints based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent's experts can assist you to assess the numerous subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 apps for your at-home workers to achieve top business value. To find out about Progent's expertise for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 consulting expertise.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online Integration for Remote WorkersMicrosoft 365 Exchange Online is among the most popular cloud-based applications in the Microsoft 365 product line. Exchange Online provides the benefits of reduced costs for data center infrastructure, easier management, on-demand scaling, high reliability, and additional benefits inherent with cloud computing. Microsoft has engineered Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to operate seamlessly with on-premises Exchange environments, enabling you to build hybrid cloud/onsite information systems. Progent's Exchange consultants are available for as-needed assistance to get you through challenging IT roadblocks and also offer comprehensive project management outsourcing to ensure your remote workers have easy and secure access to your Microsoft 365 Exchange Online deployment. To learn Progent's consulting services for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, go to Exchange Online integration and troubleshooting consulting.

Amazon AWS Integration Services for At-Home WorkersAmazon AWS is a trailblazer in the public cloud market and is the industry's biggest source of cloud-based services. Progent can provide quick and economical online contact with cloud connectivity experts who can help your organization to design, implement, maintain, and debug hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with on-premises data centers and with other public clouds like Microsoft Azure. Progent also offers the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to help your company to create a high-uptime network model to make sure your employees have a consistent computing experience regardless of whether they are working from your headquarters, a branch office, from home, or on the road. For information about Progent's support services for Amazon AWS, refer to Amazon AWS consulting expertise.

Google Cloud Platform Integration for TeleworkersGoogle Cloud (GCP) is a leading set of cloud computing services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can assist you to extend your current IT resources with the Google Cloud Platform, and Progent's database consultants can help you make your mission-critical apps cloud friendly so your telecommuters can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent can assist your organization to deploy virtual machines on GCP Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage solution with GCP Storage, and simplify identity control for remote workers with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent can also help your organization to use GCP's unified management tools to administer and monitor your Google Cloud ecosystem. For details, visit Google Cloud Platform (GCP) consulting support.

Help Desk Services for Telecommuters
A sudden, company-wide transition to a telecommuter business model, which could be activated by an epidemic or as a component of a disaster recovery process, can overstretch even the most efficient in-house Help Desk. Progent's Call Center services make it possible for businesses to outsource or expand their Help Desk with Progent's online Technical Response Center (TRC) team.

  • Progent's Standard Support Desk services utilize Progent's nationwide network of remote IT support specialists combined with world-class trouble ticketing and tracking technology to offer an economical, advanced Call Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide an end-to-end solution that addresses all facets of remote Level 1 desktop technical support from initial help requests to ticket creation, desktop sharing, problem resolution, and reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal enables telecommuters to track or revise the status of their active tickets, enter details, and append screenshots and attachments. Technical support services are provided at a significant price reduction off Progent's ordinary Level 1 desktop support rates, 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 Support Desk Augmentation Service enables your company to supplement your current Help Desk Call Center staff by sharing responsibilities for Help Desk Call Center support services transparently between your regular IT support staff and Progent's nationwide roster of desktop support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's co-managed Help Desk Call Center service uses a collective support solution utilizing the number one professional services automation tool for managing service requests and ticketing, establishing ownership, monitoring progress, and producing management reports. For details about how Progent's Support Desk Supplementation Services can help your business to deliver world-class desktop support to your at-home workforce, visit Progent's Call Desk supplementation Services.

Security for Teleworkers
At-home employees commonly utilize their own computers and often operate in a poorly secured physical space. This situation multiplies their vulnerability to malware attacks and calls for careful configuration of firewalls, AV tools, multi-factor authentication, remote monitoring, extensive user education, and the development of policies based on leading practices. Progent's seasoned roster of cybersecurity solutions experts can assist your business to design, implement and maintain a compliant cybersecurity solution that guards critical IT resources in networks that incorporate telecommuters.

Firewall Integration Services for At-Home WorkersFirewalls allow companies to build a network environment that can be safely utilized by on-premises users as well as by an at-home workforce, mobile users, vendors, clients, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall appliances allow you to assign and control different permissions to different groups of users and to expand your IT network and adjust your security as your business evolves and as network attacks grow more complex. Progent supports both current and older firewall devices from all major vendors like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall configuration services, visit firewall support expertise.

Remote Security Monitoring Services for TelecommutersRemote Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it possible to watch over the disparate devices used by teleworkers and either block or spot and respond to the latest cyber attacks like ransomware. With Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint software agent is put on every protected endpoint device, watching all activity and using advanced AI technology from SentinelOne to identify new attacks on arrival. When a cyberattack is spotted, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately isolates the targeted endpoint from the network to contain the malware. Since the ProSight ASM software agent is self-contained, endpoints remain secure even if they are disconnected from the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. For details about ProSight ASM, refer to remote endpoint security monitoring for remote workers.

Two-factor Authentication Services for Remote WorkersProgent's Duo authentication Managed Services incorporate Cisco's Duo technology to defend against password theft by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables one-tap identity confirmation on Apple iOS, Android, and other personal devices. With 2FA, whenever you sign into a protected online account and enter your password you are requested to confirm who you are on a unit that only you possess and that is accessed using a separate network channel. A broad range of out-of-band devices can be used as this added form of ID validation including an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You may designate multiple validation devices. To find out more about ProSight Duo two-factor identity authentication services, go to Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for at-home workers.

Security Audit Services for At-Home WorkersSecurity Audits can evaluate the vulnerability of your network to all types of external and internal security threats for a network that includes telecommuters. Progent can run remote, automated security analysis scanning for quickly and affordably detecting a broad range of security holes that can be surfaced over the Internet. Progent's security audit experts, which can be provided by network security experts with advanced certifications such as CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can assist you to audit your operations and governance policies and assess your network infrastructure to allow you to design top-level protection for your at-home workers.

NodeZero Pentetration Testing for Work-from-Home EnpointsHorizon3.ai's NodeZero Penetration Testing Platform is a cutting-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that supports autonomous testing of your work-from-home connectivity solution and your internal and perimeter networks so you can find, rank, remediate, and verify cybersecurity weaknesses before malicious hackers can exploit them. Progent can assist you to use NodeZero to carry out comprehensive penetration tests of your perimeter and your internal network so you can determine your current security profile. Progent's NodeZero experts can also assist you to harden your network security and can assist you to plan and implement a unified cybersecurity ecosystem that simplifies management and provides optimum cyber defense for on-premises, cloud-based, remote, and perimeter IT resources. To learn more information about Progent's threat analysis solutions based on on NodeZero's penetration test products, see Consulting Support for NodeZero's Penetration Test Platform.

Download White Paper: Securing a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network
To view or download a white paper describing critical areas to concentrate on for securing a network that supports work-from-home staff, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home Environment White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection for Teleworkers
Data Protection covers backing up and recovering vital data in order to prevent data loss and minimize recovery time in the event of storage failures resulting from equipment issues, software glitches, user mistakes, malware, or any other reason. Dependable data protection strategies can be especially challenging to architect and maintain in hybrid environments that incorporate in-house data centers, public clouds, and an at-home workforce.

  • Backup/Recovery solutions for telecommuters must address multiple kinds of user-owned endpoint devices. Progent can provide quick online access to consultants familiar with a broad array of platforms for protection Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX servers and desktop computers as well as notebooks, iPads and smartphones. Popular backup/restore products supported by Progent's backup/recovery consultants include Barracuda Backup, Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Mozy, and Time Machine. To protect resources spread throughout a hybrid network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a backup/recovery service that uses cloud storage and features granular restore and unified management.
  • Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity plans commonly envision circumstances that require a quick changeover to a work-at-home environment. Progent's expert disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planning specialists can assist you to develop, document and test a DR/BC strategy that addresses the process of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft has rebranded and rebundled its endpoint management products under the title Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud-based management of remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing onsite computers. Endpoint Manager features a unified environment for protecting corporate data by managing onsite, mobile, and at-home endpoint devices.

Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and protecting off-premises devices and applications. Managed endpoint computers can be user owned or company owned. Network administrators managing the enrolled endpoint computers of telecommuters can use Intune to deploy and validate apps on devices, push updates and certificates, set up rules for permission to access data and networks, set passwords, create VPN tunnels, determine how home-based workers share information, establish threat protection, ensure compliance, and delete sensitive data from missing, stolen or decommissioned devices. Microsoft Intune runs with iOS/iPadOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X endpoints. To learn about Intune and how Progent can help your company to use Microsoft's Endpoint Management to manage the devices of your teleworkers, go to Intune telecommuter device management experts.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich unified Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform that allows network administrators to keep offsite endpoints current and protected. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint administration along with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery platform for authorization control, application management, and configuration management of endpoint computers. Workspace ONE operates with endpoints powered by 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-site deployment through a perpetual license. Top features of Workspace ONE include fast remote provisioning of out-of-the-box laptops, immediate onboarding of new employees, policy set up and enforcement for all classes of devices, unifies management reporting and analytics, an email encryption gateway, and tight integration with Microsoft apps and cloud-based products. To find out about Progent's expertise for VMware Workspace ONE, refer to VMware Workspace ONE mobile device management expertise.

Contact Progent for At-Home Worker Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about building and managing an efficient work-from-home environment for your Bellevue, Washington business, phone 1-800-993-9400 or go to Contact Progent.