Alexandria Work at Home Employees Configuration Advisor

Enlarging your at-home workforce may have a major effect on network architecture, security/compliance, and company processes. Progent has two decades of background helping small and mid-size businesses to design, deploy, manage, tune, and troubleshoot IT environments that incorporate a remote workforce. Progent can assist your Alexandria organization to select the right tools and follow best practices in building and maintaining a safe virtual office ecosystem for teleworkers that promotes collaboration and returns maximum business value. Progent offers support services that go from on demand guidance for helping you past challenging IT bottlenecks to comprehensive project management or co-management to help you carry out mission-critical tasks.

Progent's consultants can assist Alexandria, Virginia businesses to with any aspect of creating a high-performing work-from-home ecosystem by providing infrastructure design and configuration services, VoIP PBX expertise, video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, cloud integration, helpdesk services, cybersecurity, data protection solutions, and streamlined management.

Infrastructure for Teleworkers
Configuring the network infrastructure needed to support an at-home workforce can be especially complex if you must manage a combination of worker-owned hardware like PCs and laptops, Internet routers, and Wi-Fi APs from an assortment of vendors and with a mix of OS software and firmware levels. Progent's background providing online help for both legacy and current IT products in virtual office venues allows you to make cost-effective use of your available network infrastructure and provides you with ready access to expertise for making essential upgrades. Services available from Progent to help your company to implement a high-functioning telecommuting infrastructure include:

• VPN technology allows you to establish a safe connection for authorized remote employees to access IT resources situated at your corporate data center or in a public cloud. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy and manage VPN access between your teleworkers and your various IT resources by providing online VPN integration support. For organizations with Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco ASA Firewall experts can help your telecommuters to set up Cisco's AnyConnect client software to provide safe VPN connections for a broad selection of devices such as Windows, macOS, Apple iOS, Linux, and Google Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) products enable a teleworker to see and interact with a data center PC's desktop. This provides network managers substantial control over the computing environment of telecommuters and ensures remote users a consistent and more productive work experience. Progent's VDI consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop support and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI solutions.
• Routers connect at-home networks to the Internet and support VPN tunnels, local wireless networks, and firewall services. Progent offers top-tier online support for deploying home routers from all major manufacturers. See router configuration services from Cisco-certified consultants.
• Home Wi-Fi networks, often supporting families and visitors, are frequently used by at-home employees to connect to their Internet router for work. This can cause performance as well as cybersecurity problems. Progent can help businesses to resolve these problems by providing services like Cisco Aironet configuration consulting, Cisco-certified Meraki WiFi installation expertise, and Ubiquiti wireless access point setup help.
• Internet access solutions impact the performance and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the corporate data center. Vital processes may require redundant Internet connections in the event the primary connection breaks. Progent can provide expertise for selecting ISPs, selecting appropriate bandwidth and data volume bundles, and integrating high-availability Internet connections. Refer to Internet connectivity solutions.

IP Voice Solutions for Teleworkers
Expanding the business PBX environment to include teleworkers is critical to maintaining a productive at-home workforce. A variety of cloud-centric digital PBX products are used by small and mid-size businesses to support remote users. Many larger organizations depend on Cisco's modern or legacy products for IP voice solutions. Progent can assist organizations of all sizes to plan or tune a telecommuter IP voice environment that delivers the versatility, convenience and protection required for at-home workers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice experts can provide advanced support to help businesses tune their current Cisco IP voice environments to handle a growing remote workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) delivers high-end telephony capabilities to devices such as VoIP phones, media processing platforms, VoIP gateways, and mixed media software deployed across the network. CUCM supports other mixed media services like unified messaging, voice/video conferencing, and team interaction networks. For more information about Progent's CUCM expertise, see CUCM expertise.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been superseded by Cisco Unified CM. Progent can assist you to maintain your existing CallManager deployment or upgrade smoothly to Cisco's current IP telephony products. To learn about Progent's support services for CallManager and Cisco's other early VoIP products, refer to CallManager consulting services.
• Cisco IP Gateways provide integration with public telephony networks and with users working beyond the corporate perimeter such as telecommuters. Progent can provide consulting expertise for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways like the UC520, UC540 and UC560 product lines as well as for current Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway configuration consulting.
• Other VoIP Products supported by Progent include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can help you to enhance your WAN infrastructure to support these VoIP solutions and deliver as-needed configuration and troubleshooting services.

Voice/Video Conferencing for an At-Home Workforce
A broad selection of video conferencing products from leading technology companies support online meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat sessions, and screen/content sharing for both local users and telecommuters. Many organizations use multiple conferencing products to accommodate their different partners and customers. Progent can assist you to manage your existing voice/video conferencing ecosystem and optimize the engagement of your at-home workforce.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications platform that enables real-time presence, IM, audio and video conferencing plus the transparent integration of these capabilities within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 productivity software 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 accommodate your remote workforce. For details about Progent's consulting services for Skype for Business, refer to Skype for Business consulting experts.
• FaceTime is Apple's group video phone app for compatible iOS and macOS computers and smartphones. FaceTime works on Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Newer editions of FaceTime allow as many as 32 concurrent users for video calls. To learn more about Progent's support expertise for Apple FaceTime, visit Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center provides online conferencing for most computing devices. Delivered via Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex services include sharing granular content or computer screens, presentations that incorporate rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint, network-based capture, plus revision and playback for training. For details about Progent's support expertise for Webex and for other IP video products from Cisco, see Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
• Teams is Microsoft's next-generation replacement for Skype for Business. Teams provides a portal for conferencing, contacts, and information with features that include voice/video conferencing, persistent chat, plus data sharing. For details about Progent's consulting services for Teams as well as for additional Microsoft 365 apps, visit Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Other Voice/Video Conferencing Platforms supported by Progent include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can provide integration and troubleshooting services for these products and assist you to tune your WAN infrastructure to host them.

Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Software for Telecommuters
Microsoft's collaboration products are tightly integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office suites, providing a powerful environment of applications that deliver a cohesive user experience for sharing information throughout multiple sites and on a wide range of endpoint computers. Progent has provided remote consulting support for Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange Server since their first releases and can assist businesses to tune these critical collaboration platforms to optimize the productivity 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 with Microsoft 365 and supports third-party cloud services to deliver real-time collaboration and communication. Developed as a substitute for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can enable chat, audio/video meetings with screen sharing, phone calls, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and application sharing. Teams is tightly 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 full range of features. To learn more about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium, visit planning and configuration expertise for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium.

SharePoint uses web entities to facilitate collaboration and information delivery by providing policy-driven access to content, workflow, and tools for searching through enterprise-wide information silos. SharePoint permits you to create secure portals that permits remote workforce to see and edit consolidated corporate intelligence via Wikis, Blogs, social sites, and Web Parts. For information about Progent's SharePoint consulting expertise, refer to 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. To learn about Progent's Exchange support services, visit deployment consulting services for Exchange.

OneDrive is Microsoft�s shared cloud-based storage service, comparable to GoogleDrive. Remote workers can save files to OneDrive, and co-workers can share them safely through a web browser. Provided with Office 365, OneDrive allows at-home employees to jointly author files. Edits created offline are automatically uploaded when you go back online. To find out about Progent's support services for OneDrive, see Onedrive configuration consulting.

Public Cloud Integration Services for Teleworkers
Progent offers fast and affordable online support for helping organizations to build, maintain and optimize cohesive network models that combine physical data centers, teleworkers, branches, plus public cloud services. Progent offers expertise for all types of public cloud service delivery including Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Progent can help remote workers fix problems with public cloud access, identity, and security.

Azure is a popular family of cloud software and services that enables you to utilize IT infrastructure, virtual servers, and critical applications hosted on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Microsoft Azure features over 100 services services including the ability to host Windows and Linux-powered virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and data protection. Progent can help you to deploy virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, configure storage on Azure Storage services, streamline identity management with Azure Active Directory, and plan data backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also show you how to establish secure access to Azure for remote workers by configuring and debugging firewall appliances and VPN IPsec tunnels. For information about Progent's expertise for Azure, go to Microsoft Azure consulting.

Microsoft 365, formerly called Office 365, is Microsoft's growing family of client productivity software and cloud-based services available on a subscription basis. Microsoft applications and services are provided in a variety of bundles intended for customers ranging from students and small offices to major enterprises. Progent offers quick and easy online access to consultants knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible clients based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent can help you to evaluate the numerous subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 apps for your remote workers in a way that delivers top business value. To learn about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft 365, refer to Microsoft 365 consulting expertise.

Exchange Online is one of the most popular applications in the Microsoft 365 product suite. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online provides the advantages of reduced costs for data center infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high reliability, and additional benefits associated with cloud computing. Microsoft has engineered Exchange Online to operate transparently with local Exchange environments, allowing customers to build hybrid cloud/onsite information systems. Progent's Exchange consultants are available for as-needed assistance to guide you through challenging technical bottlenecks and can also provide end-to-end project management services to make sure your remote workers have easy and safe access to your Exchange Online environment. To find out Progent's consulting services for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, refer to Microsoft 365 Exchange Online integration and troubleshooting consulting.

Amazon AWS is a pioneer in the public cloud computing arena and is the industry's leading source of cloud services. Progent offers fast and affordable online contact with cloud integration consultants who can help your organization to design, deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot hybrid information networks that incorporate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with local data centers and with other public clouds like Microsoft Azure. Progent also offers access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to help your company to build a high-uptime network model so your users have a consistent computing experience regardless of whether they are working from your main office, a remote branch, at home, or on the road. For information about Progent's consulting services for Amazon AWS, go to Amazon AWS integration expertise.

Google Cloud is a leading suite of cloud computing services that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products. Progent's certified Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can assist your business to expand your current IT resources with the Google Cloud Platform, and Progent's DBA consultants can show you how to make your key apps cloud friendly so your remote workers can benefit fully from Google Cloud services. Progent's consultants can assist your organization to set up VMs on GCP Compute Engine, design an efficient storage system with GCP Storage, and streamline access control for telecommuters with GCP Cloud Identity. Progent's experts can also assist you to use GCP's unified management technology to administer and track your GCP environment. For information, visit Google Cloud Platform (GCP) consulting expertise.

Help Desk Support for Teleworkers
A fast, company-wide switchover to a teleworker workforce, which could be driven by a pandemic or as part of a disaster recovery process, can overstretch even a high-performing internal Help Desk. Progent's Help Desk services allow organizations of any size to outsource or expand their Help Desk with Progent's remote Technical Response Center team.

• Progent's Standard Support Desk services utilize Progent's extensive network of remote technical support experts along with world-class ticketing and tracking software to provide an economical, state-of-the-art Support Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer an end-to-end solution that addresses all facets of online Level 1 PC technical support from service requests through trouble ticket generation, screen sharing, issue resolution, and reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal allows telecommuters to check or edit their current trouble tickets, enter details, and upload screenshots or attachments. Technical support services are provided at a significant price reduction off Progent's normal Level 1 technical support rates, and Progent offers the option of rapid escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 IT specialists to resolve advanced issues. To find out more, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services for small and mid-size businesses.
• Progent's Help Desk Call Center Supplemental Service allows your company to augment your current Help Desk team by sharing delivery of Help Desk Call Center support seamlessly between your in-house IT support staff and Progent's nationwide pool of desktop support technicians and subject matter specialists. Progent's shared Call Desk service uses a collaborative support solution based on the number one PSA tool for managing service requests and trouble tickets, assigning ownership, tracking progress, and producing management reports. To learn how Progent's Call Desk Supplementation Services can help your company to provide best-in-class desktop support to your telecommuters, visit Progent's Call Center supplementation Services.

Security for Remote Workers
Work-from-Home (WFH) employees commonly utilize their personal computing devices and usually operate in an unsecured physical area. This situation increases their susceptibility to malware threats and requires judicious deployment of firewalls, anti-malware tools, MFA-based identity verification, remote endpoint monitoring, thorough user education, and the development of policies built on best practices. Progent's veteran group of data security support experts can help your business to design, deploy and maintain a compliant security solution that protects critical IT assets in environments that incorporate at-home workers.

Firewalls enable you to build a network environment that can be safely accessed by local users as well as by telecommuters, mobile employees, vendors, customers, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall appliances permit you to assign and control different permissions to different classes of users and to expand your IT network and modify your security profile as your company evolves and as cyber threats become more sophisticated. Progent supports both new and legacy firewall appliances from all major vendors including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. For more information about Progent's firewall integration services, see firewall support expertise.

Remote Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it easy to watch over the various devices used by teleworkers and either reject or spot and mitigate the latest threats like ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a lightweight software agent is installed on each secured endpoint, watching all activity and using state-of-the-art AI technology from SentinelOne to identify zero-day threats before they can spread. When an attack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately isolates the infected endpoint device from the network to contain the malware. Because the ProSight Active Security Monitoring agent is self-contained, endpoints stay protected even if they are not connected to the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. For details about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, go to remote endpoint security monitoring for remote workers.

Progent's Duo authentication Managed Services utilize Cisco's Duo technology to defend against stolen passwords through the use of two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables single-tap identity confirmation with iOS, Google Android, and other out-of-band devices. Using Duo 2FA, when you sign into a secured application and give your password you are requested to verify your identity on a unit that only you possess and that uses a different network channel. A broad range of out-of-band devices can be used for this second means of authentication such as a smartphone or watch, a hardware token, a landline phone, etc. You may designate multiple validation devices. For details about Duo identity authentication services, go to Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for teleworkers.

Security Audits can assess the exposure of your information system to all classes of external and internal security threats for a network that includes teleworkers. Progent can deploy remote, automated cybersecurity analysis scanning for rapidly and economically uncovering a broad range of security weaknesses that can be found over the Internet. Progent's endpoint security audit experts, which can be provided by security professionals with advanced credentials including CISM, CISSP, and GIAC, can assist your business to evaluate your operations and policies and review your WAN architecture to allow you to implement top-level protection for your teleworkers.

Horizon3.ai's NodeZero Pentest Platform is a breakthrough penetration test (pentest) product family that supports automated testing of your work-from-home connectivity solution and your internal and perimeter networks to help you uncover, prioritize, remediate, and verify cybersecurity weaknesses before threat actors can exploit them. Progent can help you to use NodeZero to carry out thorough pentests of your network perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure in order to evaluate your present security profile. Progent's NodeZero experts can also help you to harden your network security and can assist you to plan and implement a cohesive cybersecurity strategy that streamlines management and delivers optimum cyber defense for on-prem, cloud-based, remote, and perimeter IT resources. To learn additional information about Progent's threat assessment services powered by on NodeZero's pentest platform, see Consulting Services for NodeZero's Pentest Platform.

Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home Environment
To read or download a white paper about key areas to focus on for securing a network that supports work-from-home staff, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home Environment White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection Solutions for Telecommuters
Data Protection involves saving and recovering critical information so as to avoid data loss and reduce restoration time in case of storage problems resulting from equipment issues, software hiccups, human mistakes, malware, or other causes. Reliable data protection strategies can be especially challenging to design and manage in hybrid environments that incorporate in-house data centers, cloud resources, and an at-home workforce.

• Backup/Restore strategies for remote workers must address multiple kinds of user-owned endpoint devices. Progent can provide fast remote help from experts familiar with a wide range of products for protection Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iPads and handhelds. Popular backup/restore solutions supported by Progent's data protection consultants include Barracuda Backup, Microsoft Azure Backup, Symantec Backup Exec, CrashPlan, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To protect resources distributed throughout a hybrid network, Progent can provide ProSight Data Protection Services, a backup/recovery service that uses cloud storage and includes fine-grained restore and centralized management capabilities.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity (DR/BC) strategies typically anticipate scenarios that require a quick switch to a work-at-home environment. Progent's expert disaster recovery planning experts and business continuity specialists can assist your company to develop, document and test a DR/BC plan that addresses the process of switching to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for At-Home Workers
Microsoft has renamed and rebundled its endpoint management platforms under the title Endpoint Manager, which encompasses Intune for cloud-based management of remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing on-premises endpoints. Endpoint Manager provides a centralized environment for protecting critical information by controlling onsite, mobile, and home-based endpoint devices.

Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and protecting mobile computers and software. Managed endpoint devices can be user owned or business owned. Network administrators managing the enrolled endpoint computers of teleworkers can utilize Intune to provision and validate applications on managed devices, push updates and certificates, configure rules for accessing information and resources, manage passwords, establish VPN connections, control how telecommuters share data, set up threat protection, verify security compliance, and delete corporate information from lost, stolen or deactivated devices. Microsoft Intune works with Apple iOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS devices. To learn about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can assist you to use this platform to administer the endpoint devices of your telecommuters, see Intune mobile device management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced centralized Mobile Device Management platform that helps network administrators to keep off-premises endpoint devices up to date and protected. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for centralized endpoint administration along with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery technology for identity control, application management, and configuration management of endpoints. Workspace ONE runs with endpoints powered by Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or popular distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-site product through a one-time purchase. Key features of VMware Workspace ONE include fast over-the-air deployment of new laptops, quick onboarding of new users, policy set up and enforcement for all classes of endpoints, aggregated reporting and performance analytics, email encryption, and integration with Microsoft apps and cloud-based services. To find out about Progent's expertise for VMware Workspace ONE, visit VMware Workspace ONE remote device management consultants.

Contact Progent for Remote Workforce Support Services
To contact Progent about building and managing an efficient work-from-home environment for your Alexandria, Virginia company, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.