St. Louis At Home Workforce Connectivity Advisor

Expanding your remote workforce can have a major effect on network infrastructure, security, and corporate processes. Progent has 20 years of experience assisting SMBs to design, deploy, administer, tune, and troubleshoot IT environments that incorporate at-home workers. Progent can help your St. Louis organization to pick the right technologies and adhere to leading practices in building and operating a secure virtual solution for teleworkers that facilitates teamwork and delivers top value. Progent can provide services ranging from on demand expertise for helping you past occasional IT roadblocks to comprehensive project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical initiatives.

Progent can help St. Louis, Missouri organizations to succeed with any aspect of building a high-performing work-at-home environment by providing network infrastructure configuration services, IP voice troubleshooting, video conferencing integration, collaboration platform customization and training, public cloud integration, Call Desk services, security monitoring, backup/restore solutions, and streamlined management.

Network Infrastructure for an At-Home Workforce
Configuring the physical and software infrastructure needed to support a remote workforce can be particularly challenging if you must manage a combination of worker-owned equipment such as desktop computers and laptops, routers, and wireless APs from an assortment of vendors and with a mix of OS software and firmware releases. Progent's experience delivering online support for both legacy as well as current IT products in remote office solutions allows you to make efficient use of your available network infrastructure and offers ready access to top-tire consultants for making essential upgrades. Services offered by Progent to help you to create a high-functioning telecommuting ecosystem include:

• VPN connectivity makes it possible to establish a safe tunnel for authenticated at-home employees to use IT resources situated at your corporate datacenter or in a public cloud. Progent's consultants can help your company to configure and manage VPN connections between your at-home workforce and your various network resources by providing remote VPN configuration consulting. For organizations using Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA consultants can assist your remote workers to utilize Cisco's AnyConnect client software for secure VPN connections for a broad selection of endpoint devices such as Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Google Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure platforms allow an at-home worker to view and interact with a remote computer's desktop. This provides network managers more control over the digital environment of telecommuters and offers them a familiar work experience. Progent's virtual desktop consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop support and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI expertise.
• Routers attach home computer networks to the Internet and support VPN connections, local wireless networks, and firewall services. Progent can provide expert online support for deploying routers from all major manufacturers. See router configuration support from Cisco-certified consultants.
• Home Wi-Fi networks, often shared by an entire household and guests, are commonly utilized by at-home employees to connect to their Internet router for work. This can cause throughput as well as cybersecurity issues. Progent can help you to resolve these problems by delivering expertise that include Aironet integration consulting, Cisco-certified Meraki WiFi installation consulting, and Ubiquiti WiFi AP setup assistance.
• Internet access methods impact the performance and reliability of connections between telecommuters and the corporate network. Business-critical applications might require redundant Internet connections in case the primary connection fails. Progent can provide guidance for picking ISPs, choosing appropriate bandwidth and data volume packages, and setting up high-availability Internet connections. See Internet access integration services.

VoIP Integration for Teleworkers
Expanding the business phone system to accommodate telecommuters is vital to maintaining an effective at-home workforce. A variety of cloud-centric VoIP products are used by small and mid-size businesses to support teleworkers. Many enterprises rely on Cisco's modern or older platforms for VoIP solutions. Progent can assist organizations of any size to plan or maintain a telecommuter IP voice service that delivers the versatility, transparency and security needed for telecommuters. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice experts can provide high-level support to assist organizations tune their existing Cisco VoIP systems to handle a growing remote workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) extends high-end IP telephony capabilities to devices like IP phones, media processing platforms, Voice over IP gateways, and mixed media software deployed throughout the network. Unified Communications Manager supports additional combined media services like unified messaging, voice/video conferencing, and customer collaboration networks. For details about Progent's Unified Communications Manager expertise, refer to Cisco Unified CM consultants.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing software and has been replaced by Cisco Unified CM or CUCM. Progent can assist your company to support your current CallManager environment or upgrade smoothly to Cisco's current IP telephony products. To learn about Progent's support services for CallManager and Cisco's other early IP voice products, refer to CallManager expertise.
• Cisco IP Gateways enable connectivity with public telephony networks and with users operating beyond the corporate perimeter like telecommuters. Progent can provide consulting expertise for Cisco's legacy IP gateways like the UC520, UC540 and UC560 products as well as for current Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateways. See Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateway configuration consulting.
• Other VoIP Products supported by Progent include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can help you to expand your wide area network infrastructure to work with these VoIP solutions and provide on-demand deployment and debugging expertise.

Video Conferencing for Remote Workers
A broad selection of voice/video conferencing platforms from leading vendors support online meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat, and screen/content sharing for both onsite workers and at-home workers. Many organizations utilize multiple products to meet the needs of their different partners and customers. Progent can assist you to maintain your existing voice/video conferencing environment and optimize the productivity of your at-home employees.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's popular unified communications platform that supports presence, instant messaging, voice and video calling and conferencing plus the transparent integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 productivity software such as PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook. Progent can provide the expertise of Microsoft-certified specialists who can assist your company to configure and manage Skype for Business client software to support your at-home workforce. For details about Progent's support services for Skype for Business, visit Skype for Business consulting experts.
• FaceTime is Apple's multiuser video calling platform for compatible iOS and macOS computers and smartphones. FaceTime works over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Later editions of FaceTime allow up to 32 concurrent users for voice/video calls. For details about Progent's consulting services for FaceTime, see Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center provides online conferencing for virtually all desktop or mobile devices. Offered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex capabilities include sharing discrete content or screens, presentations that embed rich media such as Microsoft PowerPoint, session capture, plus revision and playback for future reference. For details about Progent's consulting expertise for Cisco Webex as well as for additional IP video 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 information with features that include voice/video conferencing, threaded chat, plus file sharing. To learn more about Progent's support services for Teams and for other Microsoft 365 apps, see Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Other Conferencing Apps supported by Progent include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver configuration and debugging services for these conferencing platforms and assist you to tune your network infrastructure to run them.

Microsoft Collaboration Platforms for At-Home Workers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are tightly integrated with Microsoft's popular Office suites, offering a powerful ecosystem of applications that create a cohesive user interface for exchanging data and ideas throughout multiple sites and on a wide range of endpoint computers. Progent has provided remote consulting services for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange Server since their initial releases and can help your company to configure these flagship collaboration products 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 works on top of Microsoft 365 and integrates with third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration and communication. Designed as a replacement for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can enable chat, video meetings with screen sharing, calling, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and application sharing. Teams is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 and relies on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Azure Entra (formerly branded Azure Active Directory) for supporting its full range of capabilities. For details about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium, see planning and deployment consulting for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium.

SharePoint uses web sites to promote collaboration and information delivery by offering policy-driven delivery of content, business processes, and utilities for searching through enterprise-wide business data. SharePoint enables you to create protected web portals that allows at-home workforce to see and update aggregated corporate intelligence by means of Wikis, Blogs, social networking web sites, and Web Parts. For details about Progent's SharePoint consulting services, refer to SharePoint integration and application development expertise.

Exchange and Exchange Online offer secure collaboration features including public folders, shared mailboxes, and shared calendars and contacts. Progent's Microsoft certified Exchange experts can show you how to activate and utilize these features for your at-home workers. To find out about Progent's Exchange consulting services, visit planning and configuration expertise for Microsoft Exchange.

OneDrive is Microsoft�s collaborative cloud file hosting and synchronization service, comparable to GoogleDrive. Remote workers can store files to the OneDrive service, and co-workers anywhere can access them securely via a web browser. Included with Microsoft 365, OneDrive allows at-home workers to co-author documents. Revisions made offline are automatically uploaded when you reconnect to the Internet. To find out about Progent's support services for OneDrive, visit Onedrive integration consulting.

Cloud Integration for Teleworkers
Progent offers fast and affordable online support for enabling businesses to build, manage and repair cohesive hybrid network models that include internal data centers, teleworkers, branch offices, and public cloud resources. Progent offers expertise for all modes of cloud service such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help remote workers resolve problems with public cloud access, authentication, and security.

Microsoft Azure is a popular platform for cloud services that allows you to use infrastructure, servers, and key apps hosted on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Azure features over 100 cloud-based services such as the ability to host Windows and Linux-based VMs, scalable cloud storage, email and messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and backup/restore. Progent can assist you to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, configure cloud-based storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity management with Azure AD, and plan data backup and recovery systems with Azure Backup. Progent's cloud experts can also show you how to create protected connections to Azure services for telecommuters by setting up and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN IPsec tunnels. To learn about Progent's support services for Azure, visit Azure consulting.

Microsoft 365, previously branded Office 365, is Microsoft's growing family of business productivity applications and cloud-based services offered by subscription. Office applications and services are marketed in a selection of plans designed for customers ranging from individuals and small offices to large enterprises. Progent can provide quick and affordable online access to consultants familiar with Microsoft 365-compatible clients running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent can assist you to assess the numerous subscription bundles offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 apps for your remote workers in a way that delivers top business value. To find out about Progent's support services for Microsoft 365, see Microsoft 365 consulting support.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online is one of the most popular cloud-based applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product suite. Exchange Online offers the benefits of reduced costs for physical infrastructure, simplified management, dynamic scaling, high reliability, and other advantages inherent with cloud computing. Microsoft has engineered Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to operate smoothly with local Exchange environments, enabling customers to create hybrid information systems. Progent's certified Exchange consultants can provide occasional assistance to guide you through tough IT roadblocks and can also provide end-to-end project management outsourcing to ensure your telecommuters have convenient and secure access to your Microsoft 365 Exchange Online deployment. For details Progent's support services for Exchange Online, go to Microsoft 365 Exchange Online integration and support expertise.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a trailblazer in the public cloud arena and is the industry's top provider of cloud-based services. Progent can provide quick and economical online access to cloud integration experts who can help your organization to design, implement, maintain, and troubleshoot hybrid IT networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud services with local data centers and with other popular cloud platforms such as Azure. Progent also can provide the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to help your company to build a high-uptime network architecture to make sure your users have a consistent computing environment regardless of whether they are working from your headquarters, a branch office, at home, or on the road. To learn about Progent's expertise for Amazon AWS, visit Amazon AWS consulting services.

Google Cloud (GCP) is a leading collection of cloud services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco consulting experts can help your organization to expand your current IT assets with the Google Cloud Platform, and Progent's DBA consultants can help you make your critical apps cloud friendly so your telecommuters can take full advantage of Google Cloud Platform services. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy virtual machines on GCP Compute Engine, design a cost-effective storage solution with Google Cloud Storage services, and simplify identity management for remote workers with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent's experts can also assist your organization to use GCP's management technology to administer and monitor your GCP environment. For information, go to Google Cloud Platform consulting expertise.

Help Desk Call Center Services for At-Home Workers
A fast, organization-wide changeover to a from-home workforce, which could be driven by a pandemic or as an element of a business continuity plan, can overstretch even a well-staffed in-house Support Desk. Progent's Help Desk services allow businesses to outsource or expand their Support Desk by using Progent's remote Technical Response Center (TRC) services.

• Progent's Standard Support Desk support services leverage Progent's nationwide team of online IT support specialists along with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and tracking technology to offer an affordable, advanced Help Desk Call Center. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer a comprehensive solution that addresses all aspects of online Level 1 desktop support from initial service requests to trouble ticket generation, screen sharing, issue resolution, and incident reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal enables from-home workers to monitor or revise the status of their active tickets, enter information, and upload screenshots and attachments. Technical support services are delivered at a substantial price reduction off Progent's ordinary Level 1 desktop support rates, and Progent makes available optional fast hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 IT specialists to deal with complex problems. To learn more, refer to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small and mid-size companies.
• Progent's Help Desk Call Center Augmentation Service enables you to augment your existing Help Desk Call Center organization by sharing delivery of Help Desk Call Center services seamlessly between your regular IT support personnel and Progent's extensive roster of PC support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's co-managed Call Desk service uses a collective support solution based on the number one PSA tool for handling help requests and ticketing, establishing ownership, tracking progress, and generating management reports. To learn how Progent's Help Desk Call Center Supplementation Services can help your business to deliver world-class technical support to your at-home workforce, go to Progent's Call Desk augmentation Services.

Security for Teleworkers
At-home workers commonly utilize their personal computing devices and often work in a poorly secured physical environment. This situation multiplies their susceptibility to cyber threats and calls for careful deployment of firewalls, anti-malware tools, multi-factor authentication, remote monitoring, intensive end-user training, and the development of security policies based on best practices. Progent's veteran group of IT security support consultants can help your business to design, configure and maintain an effective security solution that guards vital information assets in networks that incorporate at-home workers.

Firewalls allow you to create a network that can be safely utilized by local users and by teleworkers, mobile employees, vendors, clients, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall devices permit you to assign and manage appropriate access rights to various classes of users and to scale your network and adjust your cybersecurity posture as your business evolves and as network attacks become more sophisticated. Progent works with both new and older firewall appliances from all leading manufacturers like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, and Fortinet. For more information about Progent's firewall configuration services, visit firewall integration and support expertise.

Remote Endpoint Monitoring makes it easy to watch over the disparate computers used by telecommuters and either block or identify and mitigate modern cyber attacks like ransomware. With Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring services, a lightweight agent is put on every protected endpoint device, monitoring all activity and utilizing state-of-the-art AI technology from SentinelOne to identify zero-day threats on arrival. When an attack is spotted, ProSight Active Security Monitoring instantly disconnects the targeted endpoint from the network to quarantine the threat. Since the ProSight Active Security Monitoring software agent is self-contained, endpoint devices remain secure even when they are offline. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. To find out more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, refer to remote endpoint security monitoring for an at-home workforce.

Progent's Duo authentication Managed Services utilize Cisco's Duo technology to protect against compromised passwords by using two-factor authentication. Duo supports one-tap identity confirmation on Apple iOS, Android, and other personal devices. With 2FA, whenever you log into a protected online account and enter your password you are asked to verify who you are via a unit that only you have and that uses a separate network channel. A broad selection of out-of-band devices can be utilized as this second form of ID validation such as an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware token, a landline telephone, etc. You may register several validation devices. For more information about ProSight Duo identity validation services, refer to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for telecommuters.

Security Audits can evaluate the vulnerability of your information system to all classes of outside and local security attacks for an environment that incorporates teleworkers. Progent can run online, automated cybersecurity analysis software for quickly and affordably uncovering a broad range of security gaps that can be surfaced via the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment consulting services, which can be provided by network security experts with top certifications including CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can assist your business to audit your procedures and policies and assess your network architecture to allow you to implement top-level security for your telecommuters.

Horizon3.ai's NodeZero Pentest Platform is a cutting-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that supports autonomous testing of your work-from-home environment and your internal and perimeter networks to help you find, rank, fix, and verify security weaknesses before malicious hackers can take advantage of them. Progent's pentest experts can assist you to deploy NodeZero to carry out thorough pentests of your perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure in order to determine your present security profile. Progent can also assist you to strengthen your existing network security and can help you to plan and deploy a unified cybersecurity strategy that simplifies management and provides maximum protection for on-premises, multi-cloud, at-home, and perimeter IT assets. To learn additional details about Progent's vulnerability analysis solutions based on on NodeZero's pentest platform, see Consulting Support for NodeZero's Penetration Test Products.

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

Data Protection for At-Home Workers
The field of Data Protection involves saving and restoring critical information in order to avoid data loss and reduce recovery time and effort in case of storage failures resulting from hardware issues, software hiccups, user error, cyber attack, or any other reason. Reliable data protection solutions can be especially difficult to architect and maintain in hybrid environments that incorporate private data centers, cloud resources, and at-home workers.

• Backup/Recovery strategies for at-home workers must cover diverse kinds of user-owned endpoints. Progent can provide fast online access to consultants familiar with a broad range of platforms for protection Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Leading backup/restore products supported by Progent's backup/recovery experts include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, CrashPlan, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To back up resources distributed throughout a wide area network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a backup/recovery subscription service that uses cloud-based storage and features fine-grained recovery and centralized management.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity strategies typically anticipate circumstances that require a rapid switch to a work-at-home environment. Progent's senior disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planning specialists can help your company to create, document and validate a DR/BC strategy that addresses the process of switching to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for At-Home Workers
Microsoft has renamed and reshuffled its endpoint management platforms under the title Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing on-premises endpoints. Microsoft Endpoint Manager provides a unified environment for safeguarding corporate data by managing local, mobile, and at-home endpoints.

Microsoft Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management family that also features Microsoft Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and protecting remote computers and applications. Remote endpoint devices can be user owned or company owned. IT administrators managing the enrolled endpoint computers of at-home workers can use Intune to provision and validate apps on devices, push patches and certificates, set up policies for accessing information and resources, manage passwords, establish VPN connections, control how telecommuters share data, set up threat protection, ensure security compliance, and erase corporate information from missing, stolen or deactivated devices. Microsoft Intune runs with iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X endpoints. For details about Microsoft Intune and how Progent can help your company to use Microsoft's Endpoint Management to manage the endpoint computers of your teleworkers, visit Intune mobile endpoint management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced centralized Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform that allows network managers to keep remote endpoints up to date and secure. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint management along with VMware's Horizon virtual software delivery technology for access control, app management, and setup management of endpoint computers. Workspace ONE runs with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or popular distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is offered by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-premises deployment via a one-time purchase. Top capabilities of Workspace ONE include rapid over-the-air deployment of new notebooks, immediate onboarding of new employees, policy setting and enforcement for all classes of devices, unifies management reporting and performance analytics, an email encryption gateway, and seamless integration with Microsoft applications and cloud-based services. To find out about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, visit VMware Workspace ONE remote device management expertise.

Contact Progent for At-Home Worker Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about building and maintaining a productive work-from-home solution for your St. Louis, Missouri organization, call 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.