IT Technology News and Progent IT Solutions

Microsoft introduced the next version of Office Communications Server, Microsoft's solution for streamlining presence, IM infrastructure, teleconferencing, and Voice over IP. The next edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server features enhancements that give IT organizations additional versatility for maintaining their communications system efficiently while providing an expandable architecture for collaborative business activity.

To reduce expenses, increase efficiency, and support teamwork, the latest version of Microsoft Communications Server permits dial-in audioconferencing to eliminate costly third-part services with an on-premises conferencing bridge that is controlled along with an organization's current communications infrastructure. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also now features desktop sharing, which allows users to share their desktop transparently and launch calls and team up with colleagues external to the organization on PC, Apple Mac, or Linux computers via a web interface. The new version of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also allows geographically scattered teams to collaborate by taking part in topic-based dialogues that extend over time. This tool supplies participants with a list of all available chat rooms and themes, automatically backs up discussions in an XML format that meets compliance requirements, delivers tools to search the entire record of discussion on a specific theme, and offers triggers and alarms to notify someone of new posts.

the latest edition of Office Communications Server also incorporates improved support for voice and mobile workers. The innovative attendant console permits receptionists or team secretaries to manage phone calls and conferences on behalf of other users, set up workflows to route calls, and handle larger volumes of incoming communications via a software-based interface. The Session Initiation Protocol trunking capability allows companies to cut costs by setting up a direct Voice over IP interface between an IP phone service provider and Microsoft Communications Server without needing on-premises gateways. Also, Office Communicator Mobile functionality has been extended to more device platforms including the Nokia S40, RIM Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.

How Progent's Microsoft-certified Engineers Can Assist Your Company to Benefit from Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2
A Standard Edition Office Communications Server hosts all necessary services on one physical Front End Server. The minimal expense in hardware and simplicity of management make this configuration is optimal for small and medium-sized organization and for branch offices. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 is powered by Windows Server and takes advantage of core Windows Server platforms such as Active Directory, SQL Server, Operations Manager, and Exchange Server. With Office Communications Server, you can incorporate real-time collaboration capabilities and presence awareness to popular Microsoft Office programs like as Outlook, Excel, and Microsoft Office Word. Presence awareness generated by your server can also be added to productivity software. Microsoft Communications Server 2007 also acts as the presence mechanism for collaborative sites and portals, delivering presence and IM access from within SharePoint sites.

Progent's Microsoft-certified professionals offer professional consulting services for all these areas and can help your company in designing and implementing a rollout of Office Communications Server in order to maximize the productivity value of this communications platform. Progent can in addition help you to upgrade from Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005 to the Release 2 edition of Microsoft Office Communications Server.

Progent's consultants can assist your company to deploy Office Communications Server and integrate a range of Microsoft platforms to take advantage of the presence, IM, and Voice over IP features enabled by Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007:

Windows Server 2008 Integration
Progent provides a variety of Windows Server 2008 consulting and maintenance services that can help small organizations to benefit from Windows Server 2008. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can assist you to evaluate the areas where Microsoft Windows Server 2008 could improve the productivity of your network so that you can rationalize an upgrade. Progent can help you pilot Windows Server 2008 so that you can determine its reliability, speed, and operability running your workloads. Progent can assist with developing a deployment plan, assess and enhance existing network environment, develop archiving and restoration processes, analyze security architecture and policies, help in installing actual and virtualized machines, design fault-tolerant solutions such as server clustering with Hyper-V, train your internal network management staff, and set up automated round-the-clock monitoring processes to track system protection and performance.

Microsoft Exchange Server Design, Setup, and Troubleshooting Services
Progent's Microsoft certified consultants can help you define and deploy an efficient Microsoft Exchange 2007 upgrade plan that minimizes productivity downtime, reduces ongoing support demands, and makes your Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 easy to administer. Progent's Exchange 2007 help, troubleshooting, and design services include expertise with the configuration of outside vendor enhancements of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and the design of unified messaging solutions powered by Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server. Progent's services feature integration with your network, connectivity with handheld communication products, continual tracking of efficiency and security, spam filtering, security update and service pack management, Helpdesk services, per-day data backup, and comprehensive messaging administration support.

SharePoint Server Integration Services
Progent can provide assistance for planning, deploying, and maintaining successful Microsoft Office SharePoint Server installations that can significantly enhance important aspects of your information system including collaboration, intranet portal, corporate-wide search, forms-based business processes, delivery of business intelligence, and document management. Progent's Microsoft-qualified engineers can help you to assess the business case for adopting Office SharePoint, provide configuration and integration expertise, assist you to set up Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as a back-office database engine, enhance your network architecture, integrate your standard and custom application software to operate with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, create a comprehensive protection strategy that incorporates portal solutions, and deliver online and on-site repair and Help Desk support.

SQL Server 2008 Programming and Support
Progent's SQL Server consultants can make sure you installs Microsoft SQL Server 2008 properly, and that your SQL Server database solution is integrated seamlessly with your business applications. Progent offers continuous server tracking to make sure your corporate network is working efficiently, and Progent's online Help Desk Call Center is ready to provide rapid resolutions for SQL-related problems. Progent's certified data protection experts can evaluate your business-wide security processes and technologies and recommend improvements for more complete protection. Progent's programmers can assist you to develop or personalize business programs or eCommerce sites utilize information managed by SQL Server 2008.

Active Directory Consulting and Support Services
Microsoft Windows Active Directory demands significant practical experience to integrate optimally across an enterprise. Progent's Microsoft certified Active Directory experts are experts in planning, deploying, and troubleshooting sophisticated Microsoft Enterprise AD projects. Progent's fields of expertise with Windows 2003 and 2008 Active Directory include replication issues, multi-domain partition design, repair of corrupted AD objects, dealing with residual beta version configuration objects in online Active Directory environments, and repair of failed installations of AD and AD-integrated programs.

PC Desktop Support Services
Progent's certified desktop support experts offer a wide range of cost-effective support services to assist you business to deploy, configure, repair, and manage workstations and notebooks powered by Windows. Progent can offer onsite or online technical support for individual PCs and handheld devices or help you to plan and implement a large-scale migration to the latest release of Microsoft Windows. Progent can also install Microsoft Office or Microsoft Dynamics programs on your workstations so they communicate productively with all Microsoft programs, products from popular publishers, SQL databases, and line-of-business solutions network-wide. Progent can also supply engineers and technicians to assist you to plan for and complete a site move or merger organized to produce the least possible interruption to your business.

Wireless Technologies Consulting
Progent's professionals offer experience in multiple technologies relevant to mobile networking including network architecture, wireless data synchronization, wireless security, mobile email, Windows Mobile, Research in Motion Blackberry, and mobile software development. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco certified professionals can save your organization time and expense by applying their wireless experience to help you select and configure mobile connectivity technologies that fit the needs of your company. Progent can also optimize your network infrastructure so that wireless handhelds perform better.

Emergency Remote Technical Support
Progent's Technical Response Center provides nationwide remote assistance for Windows and Cisco-based small office computer networks. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-Premier service professionals offer telephone support and online secure computer access to troubleshoot and resolve network problems quickly and affordably. The scope of technical expertise available from Progent's staff of nationwide service professionals makes it possible to escalate even the toughest network issues to appropriate experts as required.

To learn additional details about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft Communications Server, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.