Charlotte At Home Workforce Solutions Consulting Partner

Enlarging your at-home workforce can have a major impact on network infrastructure, security, and corporate workflows. Progent has 20 years of background assisting small and mid-size businesses to plan, configure, administer, tune, and troubleshoot IT environments that incorporate work-from-home employees. Progent can help your Charlotte organization to select the right tools and adhere to best practices in building and maintaining a safe virtual solution for telecommuters that promotes teamwork and delivers top value. Progent can provide support services that go from on demand expertise for helping you past occasional technical roadblocks to comprehensive project management or co-management to help you carry out business-critical initiatives.

Progent's consultants can help Charlotte, North Caroline companies to succeed with any aspect of creating a high-performing remote work environment by providing network infrastructure design and configuration services, VoIP PBX expertise, video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, cloud integration, helpdesk augmentation, cybersecurity, backup/restore solutions, and unified management.

Infrastructure for a Remote Workforce
Setting up the network infrastructure required to support an at-home workforce can be particularly complex if you have to accommodate a mix of personal hardware like PCs and notebooks, Internet routers, and Wi-Fi appliances from different manufacturers and with a mix of OS software and firmware levels. Progent's experience delivering remote help for both outdated and current technologies in remote office solutions allows you to make cost-effective use of your existing infrastructure and provides you with fast access to expertise for implement essential updates. Support services available from Progent to assist you to create a high-functioning work-at-home ecosystem include:

• Virtual Private Network technology allows you to create a safe tunnel for authenticated remote employees to use IT resources located at your company data center or in the cloud. Progent's consultants can help you to configure and maintain VPN connections between your teleworkers and your various network resources by providing remote VPN configuration consulting. For organizations using Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA experts can assist your remote workers to set up Cisco's AnyConnect software for safe VPN connections for a broad range of endpoint devices such as Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure platforms enable an at-home worker to see and use a remote PC's desktop. This technology gives network managers more control over the digital ecosystem of at-home employees and ensures remote users a familiar experience. Progent's VDI services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI consulting.
• Routers attach at-home computer networks to the Internet and typically support VPN tunnels, local Wi-Fi connectivity, and firewalls. Progent can provide expert remote consulting for configuring routers from a variety of manufacturers. See router integration support from Cisco-certified consultants.
• Home Wi-Fi networks, often supporting an entire household and guests, are frequently utilized by telecommuters to access their router for work. This can cause throughput and cybersecurity problems. Progent can help you to mitigate these problems by providing expertise like Aironet configuration expertise, Cisco Meraki wireless installation expertise, and Ubiquiti wireless AP setup assistance.
• Internet access solutions impact the speed and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the corporate data center. Line-of-business processes might require redundant Internet access in case the primary connection breaks. Progent offers guidance for picking Internet service providers, selecting sensible service packages, and configuring fault-tolerant Internet access. See Internet access integration services.

VoIP Integration for At-Home Workers
Expanding the corporate PBX system to include teleworkers is critical to maintaining a productive work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-centric IP voice products are used by small and mid-size businesses to support remote users. Many larger organizations rely on Cisco's modern or legacy platforms for IP voice management. Progent can help organizations of any size to design or maintain a remote IP voice environment that delivers the flexibility, transparency and security needed for teleworkers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice experts offer advanced support to help organizations optimize their existing Cisco VoIP systems to handle a growing remote workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) extends high-end IP telephony capabilities to devices like VoIP phones, media processing products, Voice over IP gateways, and mixed media apps used across the network. Unified Communications Manager supports additional mixed media services such as unified messaging, video conferencing, and customer collaboration networks. For more information about Progent's Cisco Unified CM or CUCM expertise, refer to Cisco Unified Communications Manager consultants.
• CallManager is Cisco's earlier call-processing agent and has been replaced by Cisco Unified CM. Progent can assist you to support your current CallManager deployment or migrate efficiently to Cisco's current IP telephony solutions. To find out about Progent's expertise for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP products, refer to Cisco CallManager consulting.
• Cisco IP Gateways provide integration with PSTN networks and with users operating beyond the corporate firewall such as at-home workers. Progent offers consulting expertise for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 series as well as for current Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateway integration consulting.
• Additional VoIP Platforms supported by Progent include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can assist you to expand your WAN architecture to work with these VoIP solutions and deliver online configuration and troubleshooting services.

Video Conferencing for Telecommuters
A broad selection of voice/video conferencing products from leading technology companies enable virtual meetings, video conferencing, chat, and content sharing for both onsite users and telecommuters. Many organizations use a mix of conferencing products to meet the needs of their different partners and clients. Progent's communications experts can help you to manage your current conferencing environment and enhance the productivity of your remote employees.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications product that supports real-time presence, instant messaging, voice and video calling and conferencing as well as the seamless integration of these capabilities within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent can provide the expertise of Microsoft-certified consultants who can help you to deploy and maintain Skype for Business client software to support your remote employees. For details about Progent's consulting services for Skype for Business, see Skype for Business integration experts.
• FaceTime is Apple's group video calling app for compatible iOS and macOS computers and smartphones. FaceTime runs over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Later editions of FaceTime support up to 32 concurrent users for video sessions. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Apple FaceTime, visit Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center provides online conferencing for most desktop or mobile devices. Offered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex services include sharing specific content or computer screens, presentations that incorporate rich media such as Microsoft PowerPoint, session recording, plus editing and playback for training. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Cisco Webex and for other video conferencing solutions from Cisco, see Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
• Teams is Microsoft's follow-up for Skype for Business. Teams acts as a portal for conversations, contacts, and information with capabilities such as IP voice and video conferencing, persistent chat, plus file sharing. To learn more about Progent's support expertise for Microsoft Teams as well as for additional Microsoft 365 apps, visit Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Additional Voice/Video Conferencing Apps supported by Progent include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can provide configuration and troubleshooting services for these conferencing platforms and help you to optimize your network architecture to host them.

Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Software for Teleworkers
Microsoft's collaboration products are closely integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office and Microsoft 365 families, providing a powerful ecosystem of applications that create a cohesive user experience for exchanging information throughout multiple sites and on a wide selection of endpoint computers. Progent has delivered remote consulting services for SharePoint and Exchange Server since their first releases and can help businesses to configure these critical collaboration platforms to optimize the effectiveness of your at-home 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 on top of Microsoft 365 and integrates with third-party cloud services to provide real-time collaboration and communication. Developed as a replacement for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can support chat, video meetings that include screen sharing, calling, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and application sharing. Teams is closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and relies on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Azure Entra (previously branded Azure Active Directory) for supporting its full range of features. For additional information about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams, visit solution design and configuration consulting for Microsoft Teams.

SharePoint uses web entities to facilitate collaboration and information sharing by providing policy-based access to data, workflow, and tools for looking through enterprise-wide information silos. SharePoint allows you to build secure portals that enables remote workers to see and edit aggregated business intelligence by means of Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social networking sites, and Web Parts. For details about Progent's SharePoint support services, see SharePoint configuration and development consulting.

Exchange and Exchange Online offer secure collaboration features including public folders, shared mailboxes, and shared calendars and contacts. Progent's Microsoft certified Exchange experts can show you how to activate and utilize these features for your at-home workers. For details about Progent's Exchange support services, refer to deployment consulting services for Exchange Server.

OneDrive is Microsoft�s shared cloud-based storage service, similar to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can store files to the OneDrive service, and co-workers anywhere can retrieve them safely via a browser. Included with Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows home workers to co-edit documents. Edits created offline are synced when you reconnect to the Internet. To find out about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft OneDrive, refer to Microsoft Onedrive integration experts.

Public Cloud Integration for Teleworkers
Progent can provide fast and affordable online assistance for enabling businesses to create, maintain and repair cohesive network architectures that incorporate physical data centers, at-home workers, branches, plus public cloud resources. Progent offers expertise for all types of public cloud service delivery including Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service. Progent can help remote workers fix issues with public cloud connectivity, identity, and cybersecurity.

Azure is a leading platform for cloud services that allows you to use infrastructure, virtual servers, and key apps running on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Microsoft Azure features more than one hundred cloud-based services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-based virtual machines, on-demand cloud storage, messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can assist you to deploy VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity control with Azure AD, and plan backup and recovery solutions with Azure Backup. Progent's cloud experts can also show you how to create protected connections to Azure for remote workers by configuring and debugging firewall appliances and VPN IPsec tunnels. For details about Progent's consulting services for Azure, go to Azure consulting.

Microsoft 365, previously branded Office 365, is Microsoft's growing family of business productivity applications and cloud-based services available by subscription. Microsoft applications and cloud services are provided in a selection of plans designed for customers ranging from individuals and households to large enterprises. Progent can provide quick and easy remote contact with consultants familiar with Microsoft 365-compatible clients running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can help your business to evaluate the various subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and deploy 365 apps for your telecommuters in a way that delivers top business value. For details about Progent's support services for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 integration expertise.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online is among the most widely used cloud-based applications in the Microsoft 365 product line. Exchange Online offers the benefits of lower costs for data center infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high availability, and other advantages associated with public clouds. Microsoft has designed Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to operate seamlessly with on-premises Exchange environments, enabling you to build hybrid information systems. Progent's certified Exchange experts can provide as-needed assistance to guide you through tough technical roadblocks and can also provide end-to-end project management outsourcing to make sure your telecommuters have convenient and safe access to your Exchange Online environment. To learn Progent's consulting expertise for Exchange Online, go to Exchange Online integration and troubleshooting expertise.

Amazon AWS is a pioneer in the public cloud computing market and is the world's biggest source of cloud-based services. Progent offers quick and economical 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 like Microsoft Azure. Progent also offers access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to help you to create a high-availability network model to make sure your employees have a consistent computing environment whether they are working from your main office, a branch office, from home, or on the road. To learn about Progent's support services for Amazon AWS, see Amazon AWS integration support.

Google Cloud is a leading suite of cloud services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco consulting experts can assist you to scale your existing IT assets with the Google Cloud Platform, and Progent's DBA experts can help you make your key applications cloud friendly so your at-home workers can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent can help you to deploy VMs on Google Cloud Compute Engine, plan a cost-effective storage solution with Google Cloud Storage, and streamline access control for at-home workers with GCP Cloud Identity services. Progent's consultants can also help your business to utilize GCP's management technology to control and monitor your GCP ecosystem. For details, see Google Cloud Platform (GCP) integration support.

Help Desk Call Center Support for Remote Workers
A sudden, company-wide transition to a telecommuter business model, which might be motivated by a pandemic or as an element of a disaster recovery/business continuity preparedness plan, can overstretch even a well-staffed in-house Help Desk. Progent's Help Desk services allow organizations of any size to outsource or expand their Call Desk by using Progent's remote Technical Response Center (TRC) team.

• Progent's Standard Call Desk services leverage Progent's nationwide team of online technical support experts combined with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and follow-up technology to provide an economical, modern Call Center. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide a comprehensive solution that addresses all facets of online Level 1 PC technical support from help requests to trouble ticket creation, screen sharing, problem resolution, and incident reporting. A web-based User's Service Portal enables telecommuters to monitor or update their current trouble tickets, enter information, and upload screen captures and attachments. Support services are provided at a substantial price reduction off Progent's normal Level 1 technical service charges, and Progent offers optional rapid escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 IT experts to resolve complex problems. For more information, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small businesses.
• Progent's Help Desk Augmentation Service allows your business to augment your current Call Center team by splitting responsibilities for Help Desk services seamlessly between your regular support organization and Progent's extensive pool of PC support technicians and subject matter specialists. Progent's co-managed Help Desk service is based on a co-sourcing support model based on the leading professional services automation (PSA) tool for managing service requests and ticketing, assigning responsibility, tracking progress, and producing reports. To find out how Progent's Help Desk Call Center Supplementation Services can enable your business to deliver best-in-class IT support to your from-home workers, refer to Progent's Help Desk supplementation Services.

Cybersecurity for Teleworkers
At-home employees commonly use their own devices and often work in an unsecured physical environment. This increases their susceptibility to cyber threats and requires careful configuration of firewalls, anti-malware tools, MFA-based identity verification, remote endpoint monitoring, intensive user education, and the creation of security policies built on leading practices. Progent's veteran roster of data security solutions experts can help your business to design, configure and manage a compliant cybersecurity solution that guards critical IT resources in networks that incorporate at-home workers.

Firewalls enable you to build a network that can be securely accessed by on-premises users as well as by an at-home workforce, mobile users, suppliers, clients, and the public. Next-generation firewall appliances allow you to configure and manage appropriate permissions to various groups of users and to scale your network and modify your cybersecurity posture as your business evolves and as network attacks grow increasingly complex. Progent supports both current and older security appliances from all leading vendors including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, and Fortinet. For details about Progent's firewall support expertise, refer to firewall configuration and support services.

Remote Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it easy to track the various devices utilized by teleworkers and either reject or spot and respond to the latest threats like ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint software agent is installed on each secured endpoint, watching all activity and utilizing advanced behavioral threat analysis from SentinelOne to detect zero-day threats at inception. When an attack is spotted, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately disconnects the targeted device from the corporate network to contain the malware. Because the ProSight Active Security Monitoring agent is self-contained, endpoint devices stay protected even if they are offline. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. To learn more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, visit remote endpoint security monitoring for telecommuters.

Progent's Duo MFA Services incorporate Cisco's Duo technology to defend against stolen passwords by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables single-tap identity confirmation on iOS, Google Android, and other personal devices. With 2FA, when you log into a secured online account and give your password you are requested to verify who you are on a unit that only you possess and that is accessed using a different network channel. A broad range of devices can be utilized as this second means of authentication including an iPhone or Android or watch, a hardware token, a landline telephone, etc. You can designate multiple verification devices. For details about ProSight Duo two-factor identity validation services, visit Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for telecommuters.

Security Audits can evaluate the vulnerability of your information system to all types of external and local security threats for an environment that incorporates at-home workers. Progent can deploy online, automated cybersecurity analysis software for rapidly and economically detecting a broad range of security weaknesses that can be surfaced via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security audit consulting services, which can be managed by network security professionals with advanced credentials including CISA, CISSP, and GIAC, can help your company to audit your processes and policies and review your IT architecture to allow you to design top-level security for your teleworkers.

Horizon3.ai's NodeZero PEN Testing Platform is a cutting-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that can deliver autonomous testing of your work-from-home environment as well as your internal and perimeter networks to help you identify, prioritize, remediate, and confirm cybersecurity vulnerabilities before threat actors can exploit them. Progent's pentest experts can assist you to use NodeZero to carry out thorough pentests of your perimeter and your internal network in order to determine your present security posture. Progent's NodeZero experts can also help you to strengthen your network security and can assist you to design and implement a cohesive cybersecurity ecosystem that simplifies management and delivers optimum protection for on-prem, multi-cloud, remote, and perimeter IT resources. To find out more details about Progent's threat analysis services based on on NodeZero's PEN test products, visit Consulting Services for NodeZero's PEN Test Products.

Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home Environment
To read or download a white paper describing key things to focus on for protecting a network that includes work-from-home staff, click:
Protecting a Work-From-Home Network White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection Solutions for Telecommuters
Data Protection involves saving and recovering critical data so as to prevent data loss and minimize recovery time in case of storage system failures due to hardware issues, programming hiccups, operator mistakes, malware, or any other reason. Dependable data protection solutions can be especially difficult to design and manage in hybrid networks that incorporate local data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.

• Backup/Restore solutions for telecommuters must cover diverse kinds of personally owned endpoint devices. Progent offers quick remote access to experts knowledgeable about a wide range of products for protection Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX servers and desktop computers as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Popular backup/recovery products maintained by Progent's backup/recovery experts include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Mozy, and Time Machine. To protect data spread across a hybrid network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a managed backup/recovery subscription service that utilizes cloud storage and features granular recovery and centralized management capabilities.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity strategies typically envision circumstances that call for a rapid switch to telecommuting. Progent's senior disaster recovery preparedness experts and business continuity consultants can help your business to create, document and test a DR/BC strategy that addresses the logistics of moving to telecommuting.

Unified Management for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft has rebranded and reshuffled its endpoint management platforms under the name Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of mobile and remote devices and Configuration Manager for managing onsite computers. Endpoint Manager features a centralized environment for safeguarding critical information by managing local, mobile, and at-home endpoints.

Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also includes Microsoft Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and securing off-premises devices and applications. Managed endpoint devices can be personally owned or company owned. IT admins managing the enrolled endpoint devices of teleworkers can use Intune to provision and authenticate applications on managed devices, push patches and certificates, configure rules for accessing data and resources, manage passwords, establish VPN connections, control how home-based workers share information, establish threat defense, verify compliance, and wipe corporate data from missing, stolen or decommissioned devices. Intune can be used with iOS/iPadOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X devices. For details about Microsoft Intune and how Progent can help you to use this platform to administer the endpoint computers of your telecommuters, visit Intune remote endpoint management expertise.

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 secure. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint administration combined with VMware's Horizon virtual software 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 popular distros of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-premises product via a perpetual license. Top features of Workspace ONE include fast remote deployment of new laptops, immediate onboarding of new users, policy set up and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, unifies reporting and performance analytics, email encryption, and integration with Microsoft apps and cloud-based products. To find out about Progent's support services for VMware Workspace ONE, refer to VMware Workspace ONE mobile device management expertise.

Contact Progent for Telecommuter Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about building and maintaining an efficient telecommuter solution for your Charlotte, North Caroline company, phone 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.