Montreal Work at Home Employees Connectivity Support and Consulting

Enlarging your at-home workforce may have a major impact on IT infrastructure, security, and company workflows. Progent has 20 years of experience helping businesses of all sizes to design, configure, administer, optimize, and debug IT environments that incorporate work-from-home employees. Progent can assist your Montreal company to pick the appropriate technologies and follow best practices in building and operating a safe virtual office ecosystem for teleworkers that promotes teamwork and returns maximum business value. Progent offers services ranging from on demand guidance for helping you over occasional technical bottlenecks to comprehensive project management or co-management to help you carry out business-critical initiatives.

Progent's consultants can assist Montreal, Quebec companies to with any aspect of creating a high-performing remote work environment by delivering network infrastructure configuration services, VoIP PBX expertise, video conferencing support, collaboration platform customization and training, public cloud integration, Help Desk augmentation, security monitoring, backup/restore solutions, and centralized management.

Infrastructure for an At-Home Workforce
Setting up the network infrastructure needed to support a remote workforce can be particularly complex if you must manage a combination of personal equipment such as desktop computers and notebooks, routers, and Wi-Fi APs from various manufacturers and with a mix of OS software and firmware releases. Progent's experience providing remote support for both legacy as well as current technologies in virtual office venues allows you to make efficient use of your available network infrastructure and offers ready access to top-tire consultants for implement necessary updates. Services available from Progent to assist you to create a high-functioning telecommuting infrastructure include:

• VPN technology makes it possible to establish a safe connection for authenticated remote workers to use IT assets situated at your company data center or in a public cloud. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy and manage VPN connections between your at-home workforce and your key IT resources by providing online VPN configuration support. For businesses using Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco ASA experts can assist your telecommuters to utilize Cisco's popular AnyConnect client software for secure VPN tunneling for a wide selection of devices including Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure platforms enable a teleworker to see and interact with a data center PC's desktop. This gives IT managers significant control over the computing environment of at-home employees and ensures remote users a familiar experience. Progent's virtual desktop consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI consulting.
• Routers attach at-home networks to the Internet and support VPN connections, local wireless networks, and firewalls. Progent offers top-tier remote consulting for configuring home routers from all major manufacturers. See router configuration support from Cisco-certified consultants.
• Home Wireless networks, often supporting an entire household and visitors, are commonly utilized by at-home employees to connect to their Internet router for work. This can cause throughput as well as security issues. Progent can assist you to resolve these issues by providing expertise like Cisco Aironet configuration expertise, Cisco Meraki WiFi installation expertise, and Ubiquiti Unifi wireless access point integration help.
• Internet access solutions impact the speed and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the company data center. Vital applications may require redundant Internet connections in the event the primary connection fails. Progent offers expertise for picking Internet service providers, choosing appropriate bandwidth and data volume offerings, and integrating fault-tolerant Internet connections. Refer to Internet access solutions.

VoIP Integration for Remote Workers
Extending the business PBX system to accommodate teleworkers is critical to maintaining a productive work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-centric VoIP products are used by SMBs to support remote users. Many enterprises rely on Cisco's current or legacy products for VoIP management. Progent can assist businesses of all sizes to design or maintain a remote VoIP environment that provides the versatility, convenience and security required for at-home workers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice experts can provide high-level support to assist businesses optimize their current Cisco VoIP environments to support an expanding remote workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM or CUCM) extends advanced telephony features to devices like IP phones, media processing products, VoIP gateways, and multimedia software deployed across the network. CUCM supports additional mixed media services like unified messaging, video conferencing, and customer interaction networks. For more information about Progent's Unified Communications Manager support, see Cisco Unified Communications Manager expertise.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been replaced by Cisco Unified CM or CUCM. Progent can help you to support your existing CallManager deployment or upgrade smoothly to Cisco's current IP telephony products. To learn about Progent's expertise for CallManager and Cisco's other early IP voice products, see Cisco CallManager consulting.
• Cisco IP Gateways provide integration with PSTN networks and with clients working beyond the corporate perimeter like at-home workers. Progent offers consulting expertise for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 products and for current Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateways. See Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateway integration consulting.
• Additional VoIP Products supported by Progent include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can assist you to enhance your WAN infrastructure to work with these VoIP solutions and provide on-demand configuration and troubleshooting expertise.

Video Conferencing for an At-Home Workforce
A wide range of voice/video conferencing platforms from leading technology companies support virtual discussions, video and voice conferencing, chat sessions, and screen sharing for both onsite workers and telecommuters. Many organizations utilize a mix of conferencing products to accommodate their various partners and clients. Progent can help your organization to manage your current conferencing environment and optimize the experience of your remote employees.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading unified communications platform that supports real-time presence, IM, voice and video conferencing as well as the seamless integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent can provide the expertise of Microsoft-certified consultants who can help you to deploy and manage Skype for Business client software to support your at-home employees. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Skype for Business, refer to Skype for Business consulting services.
• FaceTime is Apple's multiuser video calling platform for iOS and macOS computers and smartphones. FaceTime runs over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Newer versions of FaceTime allow as many as 32 simultaneous users for voice/video calls. For details about Progent's consulting services for FaceTime, visit Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center supports remote conferencing for virtually all computing devices. Offered via Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex services include sharing granular content or screens, presentations that incorporate rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint, network-based recording, plus editing and playback for training. For details about Progent's consulting services for Cisco Webex as well as for additional video conferencing solutions from Cisco, visit Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
• Teams is Microsoft's next-generation replacement for Skype for Business. Teams provides a hub for conversations, contacts, and content with capabilities that include voice/video conferencing, threaded chat, plus data sharing. For details about Progent's support expertise for Microsoft Teams as well as for other Microsoft 365 products, 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 debugging services for these conferencing platforms and help your business to optimize your WAN infrastructure to host them.

Microsoft Collaboration Software for Remote and Hybrid Workers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are closely integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office suites, providing a rich ecosystem of applications that create a consistent user interface for sharing data and ideas across multiple sites and on a wide selection of endpoints. Progent has provided remote consulting services for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange Server since their initial releases and can help your company to tune these flagship collaboration platforms to maximize 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 works with Microsoft 365 and integrates with third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration. Developed as a replacement for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can enable chat, video meetings with screen sharing, phone calls, cloud voicemail, group email, plus file and application sharing. Teams is closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and depends on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Entra (previously branded Azure Active Directory) for delivering its complete range of features. For additional information about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Teams, visit solution design and deployment expertise for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium.

SharePoint utilizes web sites to promote collaboration and knowledge delivery by providing policy-driven access to content, workflow, and tools for looking through enterprise-wide information silos. SharePoint permits you to create secure portals that permits remote workers to see and edit consolidated corporate intelligence by means of Wikis, Blogs, social web sites, and Web Parts. For details about Progent's SharePoint support services, visit SharePoint configuration and 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 support services, refer to integration consulting services for Exchange Server.

OneDrive is Microsoft�s collaborative cloud-based storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. At-home users can store files to the OneDrive service, and colleagues can share them securely via a browser. Included with Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows remote workers to co-author files. Edits made offline are automatically synced when you reconnect to the Internet. For details about Progent's support services for Microsoft OneDrive, see Onedrive integration consulting.

Cloud Integration Services for Remote Workers
Progent offers affordable remote support for enabling organizations to create, manage and optimize cohesive hybrid network models that combine physical data centers, teleworkers, branch offices, plus cloud resources. Progent can provide expertise for all types of public cloud service such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help teleworkers resolve problems with public cloud access, authentication, and security.

Azure is a leading platform for public cloud software and services that allows you to utilize infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical applications running on Microsoft's massive cloud. Azure offers over one hundred cloud-based services such as the ability to host Windows and Linux-powered VMs, on-demand cloud storage, email and messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can assist you to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity control with Azure Active Directory, and plan backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also help you create secure connections to Azure for remote workers by setting up and debugging firewalls and VPN IPsec tunnels. For details about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Azure, go to Azure consulting services.

Microsoft 365, formerly branded Office 365, is Microsoft's popular suite of business productivity applications and cloud-based services available by subscription. Microsoft apps and cloud services are provided in a selection of bundles intended for customers ranging from students and small offices to large enterprises. Progent can provide quick and easy online contact with experts knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible endpoint devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent can help you to evaluate the numerous subscription bundles available for Microsoft 365 and configure 365 apps for your telecommuters in a way that delivers maximum business value. To find out about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 consulting support.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online is one of the most widely used applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product suite. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online offers the advantages of reduced costs for data center infrastructure, simplified management, dynamic scaling, high availability, and other benefits associated with public clouds. Microsoft has designed Exchange Online to operate transparently with local Exchange environments, enabling you to build hybrid information systems. Progent's certified Exchange consultants are available for as-needed help to guide you through challenging technical bottlenecks and also offer comprehensive project management outsourcing to make sure your telecommuters have easy and safe access to your Exchange Online deployment. To find out Progent's consulting expertise for Exchange Online, visit Exchange Online configuration and support consulting.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a pioneer in the public cloud computing arena and is the industry's leading source of cloud-based services. Progent offers rapid and affordable online access to cloud connectivity experts who can assist your organization to plan, deploy, manage, and debug hybrid IT networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud services with on-premises resources and with other public clouds such as Microsoft Azure. Progent also offers the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to assist you to create a high-uptime network model so your employees have a productive computing environment whether they are working from your headquarters, a remote branch, from home, or on the move. To learn about Progent's consulting services for Amazon AWS, see Amazon AWS integration support.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a leading suite of cloud services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco consulting experts can help you to scale your existing IT assets with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA consultants can show you how to make your mission-critical apps cloud ready so your teleworkers can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent's consultants can help your organization to deploy virtual machines on GCP Compute Engine, design a cost-effective storage solution with GCP Storage services, and simplify access control for teleworkers with GCP Cloud Identity. Progent's experts can also help you to use GCP's unified management technology to administer and track your GCP environment. To find out, refer to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) consulting services.

Help Desk Call Center Services for Telecommuters
A sudden, enterprise-wide transition to a from-home business model, which might be driven by a pandemic or as part of a disaster recovery process, can overstretch even a high-performing internal Support Desk. Progent's Call Center services allow businesses to outsource or supplement their Call Center with Progent's online Technical Response Center services.

• Progent's Standard Call Center support services leverage Progent's nationwide team of remote IT support experts along with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and follow-up technology to provide an economical, modern Help Desk Call Center. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer a comprehensive solution that addresses all aspects of online Level 1 PC support from initial service requests through trouble ticket creation, screen sharing, issue resolution, and reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal enables telecommuters to check or revise their active trouble tickets, add details, and append screenshots and relevant files. Support services are provided at a substantial discount off Progent's normal Level 1 desktop service charges, and Progent offers the option of rapid escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 IT specialists to resolve complex issues. For details, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small companies.
• Progent's Call Desk Augmentation Service enables your company to expand your current Help Desk Call Center team by sharing responsibilities for Support Desk support transparently between your regular support organization and Progent's extensive roster of desktop support engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's co-managed Call Center service is based on a collective support solution utilizing the leading professional services automation (PSA) tool for handling service requests and ticketing, assigning responsibility, monitoring progress, and generating management reports. To learn how Progent's Call Desk Augmentation Services can help your business to provide world-class technical support to your at-home employees, go to Progent's Call Center augmentation Services.

Security and Compliance for At-Home Workers
Work-from-Home staff members commonly utilize their own computing devices and usually operate in a poorly secured physical space. This increases their vulnerability to cyber attacks and calls for careful configuration of corporate firewalls, anti-malware tools, MFA-based identity verification, remote endpoint monitoring, extensive end-user education, and the creation of policies based on best practices. Progent's seasoned roster of IT security support experts can assist your business to design, configure and manage a compliant cybersecurity solution that guards vital information resources in environments that incorporate telecommuters.

Firewalls allow you to create a network that can be safely accessed by local users and by at-home workers, mobile users, vendors, customers, and the public. Modern firewall appliances permit you to assign and control appropriate access rights to different groups of users and to expand your network and modify your security as your business evolves and as cyber threats become more complex. Progent works with both current and legacy security devices from all major vendors including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, and Fortinet. For details about Progent's firewall support expertise, see firewall support expertise.

Online Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it easy to watch over the various computers utilized by an at-home workforce and either block or spot and respond to modern cyber attacks like ransomware. With Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint agent is put on each protected endpoint device, watching all activity and using advanced behavioral threat analysis from SentinelOne to identify new attacks before they can spread. When a cyberattack is spotted, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately disconnects the impacted endpoint from the corporate network to contain the threat. Since the ProSight ASM agent is autonomous, endpoints stay protected even when they are not connected to the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. To find out more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, go to remote endpoint monitoring for at-home workers.

Progent's Duo authentication Managed Services utilize Cisco's Duo technology to defend against stolen passwords by using two-factor authentication. Duo enables single-tap identity verification on iOS, Google Android, and other personal devices. With 2FA, when you sign into a protected online account and enter your password you are requested to confirm your identity on a device that only you possess and that uses a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A wide selection of out-of-band devices can be utilized for this second means of authentication including an iPhone or Android or watch, a hardware token, a landline telephone, etc. You can designate several verification devices. To learn more about Duo identity validation services, go to Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for at-home workers.

Security Audits can evaluate the vulnerability of your information system to all types of external and local security attacks for a network that incorporates telecommuters. Progent can run online, automated cybersecurity analysis software for quickly and affordably uncovering a wide variety of security gaps that can be found over the Internet. Progent's endpoint security audit consulting services, which can be provided by network security experts with advanced certifications such as CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can help your business to audit your procedures and governance policies and assess your IT infrastructure to allow you to implement top-level security for your telecommuters.

Horizon3.ai's NodeZero PEN Testing Platform is a breakthrough penetration test (pentest) product family that can deliver automated testing of your at-home environment and your internal and perimeter networks so you can find, prioritize, fix, and confirm security vulnerabilities before malicious hackers can take advantage of them. Progent can assist you to deploy NodeZero to carry out comprehensive pentests of your perimeter and your internal network so you can determine your current security profile. Progent can also assist you to strengthen your network security and can help you to design and deploy a unified cybersecurity ecosystem that streamlines management and provides maximum protection for on-prem, cloud-based, remote, and perimeter IT resources. To find out more information about Progent's vulnerability assessment solutions based on on NodeZero's PEN test products, see Consulting Support for NodeZero's PEN Test Platform.

Download White Paper: Securing a Work-From-Home Environment
To read or download a white paper about key things to concentrate on for protecting a network that includes telecommuters, click:
Protecting a Work-From-Home (WFH) Network White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection Solutions for Telecommuters
Data Protection covers backing up and restoring vital information in order to prevent data loss and minimize restoration time in case of storage failures due to hardware breakdowns, software hiccups, operator mistakes, malware, or other causes. Reliable data protection solutions can be particularly challenging to architect and maintain in hybrid environments that incorporate in-house data centers, cloud resources, and at-home workers.

• Backup/Recovery strategies for at-home workers must address multiple types of user-owned endpoints. Progent can provide fast remote help from experts familiar with a broad array of products for backing up Windows, Apple and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Leading backup/recovery products supported by Progent's data protection consultants include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To protect data spread across a hybrid network, Progent offers ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a backup/recovery subscription service that utilizes cloud-based storage and features granular restore and centralized management capabilities.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity (DR/BC) plans typically envision scenarios that require a temporary switch to telecommuting. Progent's expert disaster recovery planning experts and business continuity specialists can assist you to develop, document and test a DR/BC plan that includes the logistics of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft has rebranded and reshuffled its endpoint management products under the title Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of mobile and remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing local computers. Microsoft Endpoint Manager offers a centralized platform for safeguarding corporate data by controlling local, mobile, and at-home endpoints.

Microsoft Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also includes Microsoft Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and protecting mobile computers and applications. Remote endpoint devices can be personally owned or business owned. Network admins managing the endpoint computers of teleworkers can use Intune to deploy and validate applications on managed devices, push updates and certificates, set up policies for accessing data and networks, set passwords, establish VPN tunnels, control how telecommuters share information, establish threat defense, ensure compliance, and delete sensitive data from lost, stolen or decommissioned endpoint devices. Microsoft Intune runs with Apple iOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X computers. To find out about Intune and to find out how Progent can assist your company to use this platform to administer the devices of your at-home workforce, refer to Intune mobile device management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich unified Mobile Device Management (MDM) product that helps network managers to keep offsite endpoints current and secure. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch for unified endpoint administration along with VMware's Horizon virtual software delivery technology for access control, application management, and configuration management of endpoint devices. Workspace ONE operates with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or popular distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-site deployment through a one-time purchase. Top capabilities of Workspace ONE include rapid over-the-air provisioning of new laptops, quick onboarding of new users, policy set up and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, unifies reporting and analytics, email encryption, and integration with Microsoft applications and cloud-based services. To find out about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, go to VMware Workspace ONE remote endpoint management consultants.

Contact Progent for Telecommuter Support Services
To contact Progent about building and managing an efficient work-from-home solution for your Montreal, Quebec organization, phone 1-800-993-9400 or go to Contact Progent.