Sherman Oaks Teleworkers Configuration Advisor

Enlarging your at-home workforce may have a significant impact on network architecture, security, and corporate culture. Progent has two decades of experience helping SMBs to design, deploy, manage, tune, and troubleshoot IT networks that support a remote workforce. Progent can help your Sherman Oaks company to pick the appropriate tools and adhere to leading practices in building and operating a safe virtual office ecosystem for telecommuters that promotes collaboration and delivers top value. Progent offers services ranging from as-needed guidance for helping you over occasional technical bottlenecks to full project management to help you successfully complete mission-critical tasks.

Progent can help Sherman Oaks, California businesses to succeed with any facet of building a high-performing telecommuting environment by delivering network infrastructure design and configuration services, IP voice expertise, video conferencing integration, collaboration platform selection and deployment, cloud integration, Call Desk augmentation, security and compliance, backup/restore solutions, and unified management.

Infrastructure for Telecommuters
Integrating the network infrastructure needed to support a remote work environment can be especially challenging if you must accommodate a combination of personal equipment such as desktop computers and laptops, Internet routers, and Wi-Fi APs from different manufacturers and with a mix of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's background delivering online help for both outdated and modern technologies in remote office venues enables you to make cost-effective use of your existing network infrastructure and provides you with fast access to expertise for implement necessary upgrades. Support services available from Progent to help you to create a high-functioning work-at-home ecosystem include:

• VPN technology makes it possible to create a safe tunnel for authorized at-home workers to use IT assets situated at your company datacenter or in a public cloud. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy and maintain VPN connections between your teleworkers and your key network resources by providing remote VPN configuration consulting. For organizations with Cisco's ASA firewalls, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA Firewall experts can help your remote workers to set up Cisco's popular AnyConnect software for secure VPN connections for a wide range of devices such as Microsoft Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure platforms allow an at-home worker to see and interact with a data center computer's desktop. This technology gives IT managers more control over the computing ecosystem of at-home employees and offers them a familiar experience. Progent's VDI services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops VDI expertise.
• Routers connect home computer networks to the Internet and typically support VPN tunnels, local wireless connectivity, and firewalls. Progent can provide expert remote consulting for configuring routers from a variety of vendors. See router configuration services from Cisco-certified consultants.
• Home Wireless networks, typically shared by an entire household and visitors, are frequently used by telecommuters to access their Internet router for work. This can create throughput and security problems. Progent can help you to mitigate these problems by providing expertise like Cisco Aironet configuration consulting, Cisco Meraki wireless installation expertise, and Ubiquiti wireless AP integration help.
• Internet access methods impact the performance and availability of connections between at-home workers and the company network. Vital applications might demand redundant Internet access in the event the normal connection fails. Progent offers guidance for picking ISPs, picking sensible bandwidth and data volume packages, and configuring redundant Internet connections. Refer to Internet connectivity integration services.

IP Voice Integration for Remote Workers
Extending the corporate phone system to accommodate remote users is critical to supporting a productive work-at-home solution. A variety of cloud-centric IP voice products are used by SMBs to support teleworkers. Many enterprises rely on Cisco's modern or older platforms for VoIP management. Progent can help organizations of all sizes to plan or tune a remote IP voice environment that delivers the versatility, transparency and security needed for teleworkers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE IP Voice consultants can provide high-level support to assist businesses tune their existing Cisco IP voice environments to support a growing remote workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) extends advanced IP telephony capabilities to devices like VoIP phones, media processing platforms, Voice over IP gateways, and multimedia apps used across the network. Unified Communications Manager manages other mixed media services such as messaging, video conferencing, and team interaction networks. For more information about Progent's CUCM support, visit CUCM consulting services.
• Cisco CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been superseded by CUCM. Progent can assist your company to support your current CallManager deployment or migrate smoothly to Cisco's modern IP telephony products. To learn about Progent's expertise for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP platforms, see CallManager consulting services.
• Cisco IP Gateways enable connectivity with PSTN networks and with users working beyond the corporate perimeter like telecommuters. Progent offers consulting expertise for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways including the UC520, UC540 and UC560 products and for current Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateways. See Cisco SIP gateway integration expertise.
• Other VoIP Products supported by Progent include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can assist you to enhance your WAN infrastructure to support these VoIP solutions and deliver as-needed deployment and troubleshooting expertise.

Voice/Video Conferencing for an At-Home Workforce
A wide selection of voice/video conferencing products from major vendors enable online discussions, video and voice conferencing, chat sessions, and content sharing for both local workers and at-home workers. Many companies utilize multiple products to meet the needs of their different partners and clients. Progent's communications experts can help your organization to manage your current voice/video conferencing environment and optimize the experience of your remote employees.

• Skype for Business is Microsoft's leading communications product that supports real-time presence, instant messaging, voice and video conferencing as well as the seamless integration of these capabilities within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 productivity software including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent can provide the skills of Microsoft-certified consultants who can assist you to set up 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 multiuser video phone platform for compatible iOS and Mac devices. FaceTime runs over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Newer versions of FaceTime support as many as 32 simultaneous users for video sessions. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Apple FaceTime, visit Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center provides online conferencing for most desktop or mobile devices. Delivered through Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex capabilities include sharing specific content or computer screens, presentations that incorporate rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, network-based capture, plus revision and playback for future reference. To learn more about Progent's support services for Webex and for additional video conferencing products from Cisco, visit Progent's Webex Meeting Center support services.
• Teams is Microsoft's follow-up for Skype for Business. Teams provides a hub for conversations, contacts, and information with capabilities that include video conferencing, threaded chat, plus file sharing. To learn more about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams and for other Microsoft 365 products, see Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Other Voice/Video Conferencing Apps supported by Progent include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver integration and troubleshooting expertise for these conferencing platforms and help you to tune your network infrastructure to host them.

Microsoft Integrated Collaboration Platforms for At-Home Workers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are closely integrated with Microsoft's popular Office families, providing a powerful ecosystem of productivity apps that create a cohesive user interface for sharing data and ideas throughout a corporate network and on a wide selection of endpoints. Progent has provided remote consulting support for SharePoint and Exchange since their original publication and can help businesses to tune these flagship collaboration products to maximize the productivity of your remote 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. Designed as a substitute for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams can enable chat, audio/video meetings that include screen sharing, calling, cloud voicemail, group email, as well as file and app sharing. Teams is closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and depends on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Azure Entra (formerly branded Azure Active Directory) for supporting its complete range of features. For details about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft Teams, visit planning and deployment consulting for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium.

SharePoint uses web sites to promote collaboration and information delivery by providing policy-driven delivery of data, business processes, and tools for looking through company-wide business data. SharePoint enables you to create secure portals that enables at-home workers to see and update consolidated business intelligence via Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social sites, and Web Parts. For information about Progent's SharePoint consulting services, see SharePoint configuration and application 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 find out about Progent's Exchange consulting expertise, refer to integration expertise for Microsoft Exchange Server.

OneDrive is Microsoft�s shared cloud file hosting and synchronization service, similar to GoogleDrive. Remote workers can save files to the OneDrive service, and colleagues can share them securely via a browser. Provided with Office 365, OneDrive enables remote workers to co-author documents. Edits made offline are synced when you reconnect to the Internet. For details about Progent's consulting services for OneDrive, refer to Microsoft Onedrive integration experts.

Public Cloud Integration Services for Telecommuters
Progent offers affordable remote assistance for helping businesses to build, manage and repair cohesive network models that incorporate physical data centers, at-home workers, branches, plus public cloud services. Progent offers expertise for all types of public cloud service delivery such as Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service. Progent can help teleworkers resolve problems with public cloud connectivity, authentication, and cybersecurity.

Azure is a leading family of cloud services that enables you to utilize IT infrastructure, servers, and key apps running on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Microsoft Azure includes over 100 services services including the ability to host Windows and Linux-powered VMs, scalable cloud storage, messaging, application development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can assist you to deploy virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate cloud-based storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity management with Azure Active Directory, and design data backup and recovery systems with Azure Backup. Progent can also help you create protected connections to Azure services for remote workers by configuring and troubleshooting firewall appliances and VPN tunnels. To learn about Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft Azure, visit Azure consulting.

Microsoft 365, formerly branded Office 365, is Microsoft's growing suite of client productivity software and cloud services offered by subscription. Office applications and services are provided in a selection of bundles designed for users ranging from individuals and small offices to large enterprises. Progent can provide quick and easy remote access to consultants familiar with Microsoft 365-compatible endpoint devices running Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android operating systems. Progent can assist your business to evaluate the numerous subscription bundles offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 applications for your teleworkers to achieve maximum business value. To learn about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 consulting support.

Exchange Online is among the most widely used applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product line. Exchange Online offers the benefits of reduced costs for data center infrastructure, simplified management, on-demand scaling, high availability, and additional benefits inherent with cloud computing. Microsoft has engineered Microsoft 365 Exchange Online to operate transparently with local Exchange environments, enabling customers to create hybrid cloud/onsite networks. 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 outsourcing to ensure your remote workers have convenient and secure access to your Exchange Online deployment. To learn Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, visit Microsoft 365 Exchange Online integration and troubleshooting expertise.

Amazon AWS is a trailblazer in the public cloud computing market and is the industry's leading provider of cloud-based services. Progent can provide quick and economical online access to cloud integration consultants who can assist your business to design, deploy, maintain, and debug hybrid IT networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud services with local data centers and with other public clouds like Azure. Progent also offers access to Cisco-certified CCIE networking experts to help you to build a high-availability network architecture so your users have a productive computing experience regardless of whether they are working from your main office, a branch office, at home, or on the road. For information about Progent's consulting services for Amazon AWS, visit Amazon AWS consulting services.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a leading suite of public cloud services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can help your business to extend your current IT assets with the Google Cloud, and Progent's DBA experts can show you how to make your critical applications cloud ready so your remote workers can benefit fully from Google Cloud services. Progent's consultants can help your business to set up VMs on GCP Compute Engine, plan an efficient storage solution with Google Cloud Storage services, and simplify access control for remote workers with GCP Cloud Identity services. Progent's consultants can also help your organization to utilize GCP's unified management technology to control and track your Google Cloud ecosystem. To find out, go to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) integration expertise.

Help Desk Services for Teleworkers
A sudden, enterprise-wide transition to a from-home workforce, which might be driven by a pandemic or as part of a disaster recovery plan, can overwhelm even a well-staffed in-house Support Desk. Progent's Call Center services make it possible for businesses of any size to outsource or augment their Help Desk Call Center by using Progent's online Technical Response Center team.

• Progent's Standard Help Desk Call Center services leverage Progent's nationwide network of online IT support experts along with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and follow-up software to provide an affordable, modern Support Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer an end-to-end solution that addresses all facets of remote Level 1 desktop support from help requests through trouble ticket generation, screen sharing, issue resolution, and reporting. A web-based User's Service Portal allows telecommuters to track or edit the status of their active trouble tickets, add information, and upload screen captures or relevant files. Desktop support services are provided at a significant price reduction off Progent's normal Level 1 desktop service rates, and Progent makes available optional rapid hand-off to Level 2 and Level 3 support specialists to deal with advanced issues. To learn more, go to Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small businesses.
• Progent's Help Desk Call Center Supplemental Service allows you to augment your existing Help Desk organization by splitting delivery of Help Desk support services transparently between your regular support personnel and Progent's nationwide team of PC support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's co-managed Help Desk Call Center service is based on a collaborative support solution utilizing the number one professional services automation (PSA) platform for handling service requests and ticketing, establishing responsibility, monitoring progress, and generating reports. For details about how Progent's Help Desk Call Center Augmentation Services can enable your business to deliver best-in-class IT support to your teleworkers, visit Progent's Help Desk augmentation Services.

Security for Teleworkers
Work-from-Home workers typically use their personal computing devices and usually work in an unsecured physical space. This situation increases their susceptibility to cyber attacks and requires judicious deployment of corporate firewalls, AV tools, MFA-based identity verification, remote endpoint monitoring, thorough end-user education, and the development of security policies built on leading practices. Progent's seasoned roster of data security solutions experts can help you to plan, deploy and maintain an effective security solution that guards vital information assets in environments that include remote workers.

Firewalls enable companies to create a network that can be safely accessed by local users and by an at-home workforce, mobile employees, suppliers, clients, and other stakeholders. Modern firewall devices allow you to configure and control different permissions to different groups of users and to scale your IT network and adjust your cybersecurity posture as your business evolves and as network attacks become more sophisticated. Progent supports both current and older firewall devices from all leading vendors like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, and Fortinet. For details about Progent's firewall integration expertise, refer to firewall configuration and support services.

Online Endpoint Monitoring makes it easy to watch over the disparate devices used by remote workers and either block or identify and respond to the latest threats such as ransomware. With Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint software agent is put on every secured endpoint, monitoring all activity and utilizing state-of-the-art machine learning and full execution context from SentinelOne to identify new threats at inception. When an attack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately disconnects the infected endpoint device from the corporate network to contain the malware. Because the ProSight ASM software agent is autonomous, endpoint devices stay secure even if they are disconnected from the Internet. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. To find out more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, visit remote endpoint monitoring for an at-home workforce.

Progent's Duo MFA Service Plans utilize Cisco's Duo technology to defend against compromised passwords through the use of two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo supports single-tap identity verification on iOS, Google Android, and other out-of-band devices. With Duo 2FA, when you log into a secured online account and enter your password you are asked to verify who you are on a unit that only you possess and that uses a separate network channel. A wide selection of devices can be used for this second form of authentication 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 two-factor identity authentication services, refer to Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for at-home workers.

Security Audits can evaluate the exposure of your information system to all classes of outside and internal security threats for a network that incorporates telecommuters. Progent can deploy online, automated cybersecurity inventory software for rapidly and economically uncovering a wide variety of security holes that can be surfaced over the Internet. Progent's endpoint security assessment experts, which can be managed by security experts with advanced credentials including CISA, CISSP, and GIAC, can help your company to evaluate your processes and governance policies and review your WAN architecture to enable you to design top-level security for your remote workers.

Horizon3.ai's NodeZero PEN Testing Platform is a leading-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that can deliver automated testing of your work-from-home environment as well as your internal and perimeter networks so you can uncover, prioritize, fix, and verify cybersecurity weaknesses before malicious hackers can take advantage of them. Progent can help you to deploy NodeZero to perform thorough pentests of your network perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure in order to determine your current security profile. Progent can also help you to strengthen your existing network security and can help you to plan and implement a unified cybersecurity strategy that simplifies management and delivers optimum protection for on-premises, multi-cloud, at-home, and perimeter IT assets. To learn additional details about Progent's threat assessment services based on on NodeZero's pentest platform, visit Consulting Support for NodeZero's Penetration Test Platform.

Download White Paper: Protecting a Work-From-Home Network
To view or download a white paper about key things to concentrate on for securing an IT environment that incorporates work-from-home staff, click:
Securing a Work-From-Home (WFH) Environment White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection for Teleworkers
The field of Data Protection covers backing up and restoring critical data in order to prevent data loss and reduce recovery time in case of storage system failures resulting from hardware breakdowns, programming hiccups, user mistakes, malware, or other causes. Reliable data protection strategies can be particularly difficult to architect and manage in hybrid environments that combine in-house data centers, cloud resources, and at-home workers.

• Backup/Restore strategies for telecommuters must address multiple types of user-owned endpoint devices. Progent can provide fast online access to experts knowledgeable about a broad array of platforms for protection Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux/UNIX powered servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iPads and handhelds. Leading backup/recovery products maintained by Progent's data protection experts include Barracuda Backup, Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Retrospect, and Time Machine. To back up resources spread across a hybrid network, Progent offers ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a managed backup/recovery service that uses cloud storage and includes fine-grained restore and centralized management capabilities.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity strategies often envision circumstances that require a rapid changeover to a work-at-home environment. Progent's expert disaster recovery planning experts and business continuity specialists can assist you to produce, document and test a DR/BC plan that addresses the process of moving to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for an At-Home Workforce
Microsoft has renamed and reshuffled its endpoint management products under the name Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud management of mobile and remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing onsite computers. Microsoft Endpoint Manager provides a centralized solution for protecting critical information by managing local, mobile, and at-home endpoint devices.

Microsoft Intune
Intune is part of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also includes Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud service for managing and securing mobile computers and applications. Managed endpoint computers can be personally owned or company owned. Network admins managing the enrolled endpoint computers of teleworkers can use Intune to provision and validate apps on managed devices, push updates and certificates, configure rules for accessing information and networks, set passwords, create VPN tunnels, determine how home-based workers share data, set up threat protection, verify compliance, and erase sensitive data from missing, stolen or decommissioned devices. Microsoft Intune runs with Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS/OS X devices. For information about Microsoft Intune and to find out how Progent can assist your company to use this platform to administer the devices of your at-home workers, go to Intune remote device management experts.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is an advanced centralized MDM product that helps network managers to keep off-premises endpoints up to date and protected. Workspace ONE incorporates VMware AirWatch for unified endpoint administration along with VMware's Horizon virtual software delivery technology for access control, app management, and setup management of endpoint devices. Workspace ONE runs with endpoints based on Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Android, Chrome OS, or popular distros of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud service or as an on-premises deployment through a perpetual license. Key capabilities of VMware Workspace ONE include rapid remote provisioning of new laptops, quick onboarding of new users, policy set up and enforcement for all classes of devices, aggregated management reporting and analytics, email encryption, and integration with Microsoft applications and cloud services. To learn about Progent's expertise for VMware Workspace ONE, go to VMware Workspace ONE remote device management consultants.

Contact Progent for Telecommuter Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about building and maintaining an efficient telecommuter environment for your Sherman Oaks, California business, call 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.