Allen Telecommuters Connectivity Consulting Partner

Enlarging your at-home workforce may have a significant impact on IT architecture, cybersecurity, and corporate workflows. Progent has 20 years of background assisting businesses of all sizes to plan, deploy, administer, tune, and debug IT environments that support a remote workforce. Progent can assist your Allen company to pick the appropriate tools and adhere to leading practices in creating and maintaining a safe virtual solution for telecommuters that promotes collaboration and returns top value. Progent offers services ranging from on demand guidance for getting you past challenging technical roadblocks to full project management or co-management to help you successfully complete mission-critical initiatives.

Progent can assist Allen, Texas organizations to succeed with any facet of creating a high-functioning remote work environment by providing infrastructure design and configuration services, VoIP PBX troubleshooting, video conferencing support, collaboration platform customization and training, public cloud connectivity, Help Desk augmentation, data security, data protection solutions, and centralized management.

Infrastructure for Teleworkers
Integrating the physical and software infrastructure needed to support a remote work environment can be especially challenging if you must accommodate a mix of personal equipment like desktop computers and laptops, routers, and Wi-Fi appliances from various manufacturers and with a variety of operating systems and firmware releases. Progent's background providing remote support for both outdated as well as current technologies in remote office venues enables you to make efficient use of your available network infrastructure and offers fast access to expertise for implement essential updates. Support services offered by Progent to assist you to implement a productive work-at-home infrastructure include:

• VPN technology allows you to establish a safe tunnel for authenticated remote employees to use IT resources located at your company data center or in the cloud. Progent's consultants can assist you to deploy and manage VPN access between your teleworkers and your key IT resources by providing online VPN integration support. For businesses with Cisco's ASA security appliances, Progent's Cisco-certified ASA Firewall consultants can assist your telecommuters to set up Cisco's popular AnyConnect client software for secure VPN tunneling for a broad range of endpoint devices such as Microsoft Windows, Mac, Apple iOS, Linux, and Google Android.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) platforms allow a telecommuter to see and use a remote computer's desktop. This technology gives IT managers substantial control over the computing environment of at-home employees and offers them a familiar work experience. Progent's VDI consulting services include Windows Remote Desktop integration and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops expertise.
• Routers attach at-home computer networks to the Internet and support VPN tunnels, local Wi-Fi connectivity, and firewalls. Progent can provide expert online support for configuring routers from a variety of manufacturers. See router configuration services from Cisco-certified experts.
• Home Wireless networks, often shared by families and visitors, are commonly used by at-home employees to access their router for work. This can cause performance as well as cybersecurity issues. Progent can assist you to mitigate these issues by delivering expertise that include Cisco Aironet integration expertise, Cisco-certified Meraki wireless installation expertise, and Ubiquiti wireless access point integration assistance.
• Internet access solutions affect the performance and reliability of connections between at-home workers and the company network. Line-of-business processes might demand redundant Internet access in the event the normal connection fails. Progent offers expertise for selecting service providers, selecting sensible service packages, and configuring fault-tolerant Internet connections. Refer to Internet connectivity solutions.

IP Voice Solutions for an At-Home Workforce
Extending the corporate phone environment to include teleworkers is critical to supporting a productive at-home workforce. A broad range of cloud-based VoIP products are used by SMBs to server remote users. Many enterprises depend on Cisco's current or older products for VoIP management. Progent can assist organizations of any size to plan or maintain a remote VoIP environment that provides the versatility, convenience and protection required for teleworkers. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE Voice consultants can provide high-level support to help organizations tune their existing Cisco VoIP environments to handle an expanding at-home workforce.

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM or CUCM) delivers enterprise telephony features to devices like VoIP phones, media processing products, Voice over IP gateways, and multimedia software used throughout the network. Unified Communications Manager supports other mixed media services such as messaging, video conferencing, and team collaboration networks. For more information about Progent's Unified Communications Manager expertise, refer to Cisco Unified CM expertise.
• CallManager is Cisco's legacy call-processing agent and has been replaced by CUCM. Progent's consultants can assist you to support your current CallManager environment or migrate efficiently to Cisco's current IP telephony products. To find out about Progent's support services for Cisco CallManager and Cisco's other legacy VoIP platforms, visit CallManager expertise.
• Cisco IP Gateways enable integration with public telephony networks and with clients working outside the corporate perimeter such as telecommuters. Progent can provide expert support for Cisco's earlier generation IP gateways such as the UC520, UC540 and UC560 products and for modern Cisco SIP gateways. See Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) gateway integration expertise.
• Additional VoIP Products supported by Progent include Vonage, Intermedia Unite and 8x8. Progent can help you to enhance your WAN architecture to support these solutions and deliver on-demand integration and troubleshooting services.

Video Conferencing for Teleworkers
A broad range of video conferencing products from major vendors enable online meetings, video and voice conferencing, chat sessions, and screen/content sharing for both onsite workers and teleworkers. Many companies use a mix of products to meet the needs of their different partners and customers. Progent 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 unified communications product that enables presence, IM, voice and video conferencing as well as the seamless integration of these functions within Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Progent can provide the skills of Microsoft-certified specialists who can help your company to set up and maintain Skype for Business client software to accommodate your remote employees. For details about Progent's consulting expertise for Skype for Business, refer to Skype for Business integration experts.
• FaceTime is Apple's group video calling platform for compatible iOS and macOS computers and smartphones. FaceTime works over Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Later editions of FaceTime support up to 32 simultaneous users for video sessions. For details about Progent's consulting expertise for FaceTime, see Progent's FaceTime configuration expertise.
• Webex Meeting Center supports remote conferencing for most desktop or mobile devices. Offered via Cisco's Webex Cloud, Webex capabilities include sharing granular content or computer screens, presentations that incorporate rich media including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, session recording, plus editing and playback for training. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for Cisco Webex and for other IP video products from Cisco, see 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 content with capabilities that include voice/video calling, threaded chat, plus file sharing. To learn more about Progent's support expertise for Microsoft Teams and for additional Microsoft 365 products, see Progent's Microsoft Teams consulting services.
• Additional Conferencing Apps supported by Progent include Google Meet, Amazon Chime, Zoom, and Slack. Progent can deliver integration and troubleshooting expertise for these products and assist you to tune your WAN infrastructure to run them.

Microsoft Collaboration Software for Remote Workers
Microsoft's collaboration platforms are closely integrated with Microsoft's familiar Office suites, providing a rich ecosystem of productivity apps that create a consistent user experience for exchanging information throughout multiple sites and on a wide range of endpoint computers. Progent has delivered online consulting services for SharePoint and Exchange since their first publication and can assist your company to tune these flagship collaboration products to optimize 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 on top of Microsoft 365 and integrates with third-party cloud services to provide real-time collaboration and communication. Developed as a replacement for Skype for Business Online, Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium can enable chat, video meetings that include screen sharing, calling, cloud voicemail, group email, plus file and application sharing. Teams is closely integrated with Microsoft 365 and relies on Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Entra (formerly called Azure Active Directory) for supporting its complete range of features. For details about Progent's support services for Microsoft Teams, see planning and configuration consulting for Microsoft Teams and Teams Premium.

SharePoint utilizes web entities to allow collaboration and information delivery by providing policy-based delivery of content, workflow, and utilities for looking through company-wide business data. SharePoint enables you to build secure portals that permits remote workforce to view and update aggregated business intelligence via Intranets (Wikis), Blogs, social web sites, and Web Parts. To learn about Progent's SharePoint consulting services, visit SharePoint integration and development expertise.

Exchange and Exchange Online offer secure collaboration features including public folders, shared mailboxes, and shared calendars and contacts. Progent's Microsoft certified Exchange experts can show you how to activate and utilize these features for your at-home workers. For details about Progent's Exchange consulting expertise, see integration consulting services for Microsoft Exchange Server.

OneDrive is Microsoft�s collaborative cloud-based file hosting and synchronization service, similar to GoogleDrive. At-home workers can store files to OneDrive, and colleagues can access them securely via a web browser. Included with Office 365, OneDrive enables at-home workers to jointly author documents. Revisions created offline are automatically uploaded when you go back online. To learn about Progent's consulting services for Microsoft OneDrive, see Onedrive configuration consulting.

Public Cloud Integration for Remote Workers
Progent can provide affordable remote support for enabling organizations to create, maintain and repair cohesive hybrid network architectures that incorporate physical data centers, remote workers, branches, and cloud resources. Progent can provide expertise for all types of public cloud service delivery such as Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service. Progent can help at-home workers resolve problems with cloud access, identity, and cybersecurity.

Azure is a popular family of cloud software and services that allows you to utilize infrastructure, servers, and critical apps hosted on Microsoft's extensive cloud. Azure features over one hundred cloud-based services such as hosting for Windows and Linux-based VMs, scalable cloud storage, messaging, app development with Visual Studio, and data backup. Progent can assist your organization to set up VMs on Azure Virtual Machines, integrate storage on Azure Storage services, unify identity control with Azure AD, and plan data backup and restore solutions with Azure Backup. Progent can also help you establish secure connections to Azure services for remote workers by setting up and troubleshooting firewalls and VPN tunnels. For details about Progent's expertise for Azure, see Microsoft Azure consulting services.

Microsoft 365, previously called Office 365, is Microsoft's popular family of client productivity software and cloud-based services available on a subscription basis. Office applications and services are marketed in a variety of plans designed for users ranging from students and households to large corporations. Progent offers quick and affordable online access to experts knowledgeable about Microsoft 365-compatible endpoint devices based on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Google Android technology. Progent's experts can assist your business to assess the numerous subscription plans offered with Microsoft 365 and configure 365 apps for your teleworkers to achieve maximum business value. To learn about Progent's expertise for Microsoft 365, visit Microsoft 365 consulting support.

Microsoft 365 Exchange Online is among the most widely used cloud-based applications in Azure-hosted Microsoft 365 product line. Microsoft 365 Exchange Online provides the benefits of reduced costs for data center infrastructure, easier management, dynamic scaling, high availability, and additional advantages associated with cloud computing. Microsoft has engineered Exchange Online to run transparently with local deployments of Exchange, allowing customers to build hybrid cloud/onsite networks. Progent's Exchange experts can provide occasional assistance to guide you past tough IT roadblocks and can also provide comprehensive project management outsourcing to ensure your at-home workers have convenient and secure access to your Exchange Online environment. To learn Progent's expertise for Exchange Online, see Microsoft 365 Exchange Online configuration 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 offers fast and affordable online contact with cloud connectivity experts who can assist your organization to plan, deploy, maintain, and debug hybrid information networks that integrate Amazon AWS cloud-based services with local data centers and with other public clouds like Azure. Progent also can provide the skills of Cisco-certified CCIE networking consultants to assist you to build a high-uptime network architecture so your users have a productive computing experience regardless of whether they are working from your headquarters, a remote branch, at home, or on the move. To find out about Progent's expertise for Amazon AWS, see Amazon AWS consulting services.

Google Cloud (GCP) is a leading suite of cloud computing services that offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service products. Progent's Microsoft, Linux, and Cisco experts can assist your organization to extend your current IT resources with the Google Cloud, and Progent's database experts can show you how to make your key apps cloud friendly so your telecommuters can benefit fully from Google Cloud services. Progent's consultants can help you to set up VMs on GCP Compute Engine, plan an efficient storage system with GCP Storage services, and streamline identity control for telecommuters with Google Cloud Identity services. Progent's experts can also help your business to utilize GCP's unified management tools to control and track your GCP environment. To find out, refer to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) integration services.

Help Desk Call Center Support for Remote Workers
An emergency, organization-wide switchover to a teleworker business model, which might be the result of a pandemic or as an element of a business continuity process, can overstretch even a high-performing in-house Support Desk. Progent's Help Desk Call Center services allow organizations to outsource or augment their Help Desk Call Center with Progent's online Technical Response Center team.

• Progent's Standard Call Desk support services leverage Progent's nationwide network of online technical support specialists combined with enterprise-class trouble ticketing and follow-up software to offer an affordable, state-of-the-art Call Desk. Progent's Standard Help Desk Services provide a comprehensive solution that handles all facets of online Level 1 PC technical support from initial help requests through ticket generation, screen sharing, problem resolution, and incident reporting. A browser-based User's Service Portal enables teleworkers to track or update the status of their current tickets, enter information, and append screenshots and relevant files. Desktop support services are delivered at a significant discount off Progent's normal Level 1 desktop service charges, and Progent makes available optional fast escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 support experts to deal with complex issues. To find out more, see Progent's Standard Helpdesk Services outsourcing for small businesses.
• Progent's Call Center Augmentation Service enables your business to augment your existing Support Desk staff by splitting delivery of Call Desk support services seamlessly between your regular support organization and Progent's nationwide team of desktop support technicians and subject matter experts. Progent's shared Call Desk service uses a collaborative support solution utilizing the leading PSA platform for handling service requests and ticketing, assigning ownership, tracking progress, and generating reports. For information about how Progent's Help Desk Supplementation Services can enable your company to provide best-in-class IT support to your teleworkers, go to Progent's Call Desk augmentation Services.

Cybersecurity for Telecommuters
Work-from-Home (WFH) workers typically utilize their own devices and usually work in a poorly secured physical area. This multiplies their susceptibility to malware threats and requires judicious deployment of firewalls, anti-malware tools, MFA-based identity verification, remote monitoring, extensive end-user education, and the creation of security policies built on leading practices. Progent's seasoned group of IT security support consultants can assist you to design, configure and maintain an effective security solution that protects critical IT resources in networks that include an at-home workforce.

Firewalls enable companies to build a network environment that can be securely accessed by local users as well as by at-home workers, mobile workers, vendors, customers, and other stakeholders. Next-generation firewall devices permit you to configure and control appropriate access rights to various classes of users and to scale your network and adjust your security as your company evolves and as cyber threats grow more complex. Progent supports both current and legacy security appliances from all major vendors including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard, Juniper, SonicWall and Fortinet. To find out more about Progent's firewall configuration services, go to firewall integration and support expertise.

Remote Endpoint Security Monitoring makes it easy to watch over the various computers utilized by remote workers and either reject or spot and mitigate the latest cyber attacks like ransomware. With ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) services, a small-footprint software agent is put on each secured endpoint device, monitoring all activity and using advanced machine learning from SentinelOne to detect new attacks on arrival. When a cyberattack is discovered, ProSight Active Security Monitoring immediately isolates the impacted endpoint device from the corporate network to contain the malware. Since the ProSight ASM software agent is self-contained, endpoint devices stay secure even when they are offline. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. To find out more about ProSight Active Security Monitoring, see remote endpoint monitoring for an at-home workforce.

Progent's Duo authentication Services incorporate Cisco's Duo cloud technology to defend against stolen passwords through the use of two-factor authentication. Duo enables single-tap identity verification with iOS, Google Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, whenever you sign into a secured application and give your password you are requested to confirm who you are via a unit that only you have and that is accessed using a different network channel. A broad selection of devices can be utilized as this added means of authentication including a smartphone or watch, a hardware token, a landline telephone, etc. You may register multiple validation devices. For details about Duo two-factor identity authentication services, visit Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for remote workers.

Security Audits can assess the vulnerability of your information system to all classes of outside and internal security attacks for a network that incorporates at-home workers. Progent can deploy remote, automated cybersecurity analysis scanning for rapidly and affordably detecting a wide variety of security holes that can be surfaced over the Internet. Progent's endpoint security audit experts, which can be provided by data security experts with top credentials such as CISA, ISSAP, and GIAC, can assist your company to audit your workflows and governance policies and review your network infrastructure to allow you to implement top-level protection for your telecommuters.

Horizon3.ai's NodeZero Penetration Testing Platform is a breakthrough penetration test (pentest) product family that supports automated threat assessment of your work-from-home environment and your internal and perimeter networks to help you find, rank, fix, and confirm cybersecurity weaknesses before malicious hackers can exploit them. Progent's pentest experts can assist you to deploy NodeZero to perform comprehensive penetration tests of your perimeter and your internal network in order to determine your current security profile. Progent can also assist you to strengthen your existing network security and can assist you to plan and implement a unified cybersecurity strategy that streamlines management and provides optimum cyber defense for on-prem, multi-cloud, at-home, and perimeter IT resources. To find out more details about Progent's vulnerability analysis solutions powered by on NodeZero's pentest products, refer to Consulting Services for NodeZero's PEN Test Products.

Download White Paper: Securing a Work-From-Home Network
To view or download a white paper describing critical areas to focus on for securing an IT environment that includes telecommuters, click:
Protecting a Work-From-Home Environment White Paper. (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Data Protection for Teleworkers
Data Protection involves saving and recovering vital information in order to avoid data loss and minimize recovery time and effort in the event of storage system failures resulting from equipment breakdowns, programming hiccups, human mistakes, cyber attack, or any other reason. Dependable data protection solutions can be particularly difficult to architect and maintain in hybrid networks that combine local data centers, public clouds, and at-home workers.

• Backup/Restore strategies for remote workers must address multiple types of personally owned endpoints. Progent can provide fast remote access to consultants familiar with a broad range of products for backing up Windows, Apple and Linux/UNIX servers and desktops as well as notebooks, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. Leading backup/restore products maintained by Progent's backup/recovery experts include Barracuda Backup, Azure Backup, DoubleTake Software, Acronis Backup and Recovery, Mozy, and Time Machine. To protect resources distributed across a wide area network, Progent offers ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a managed backup/recovery service that utilizes cloud-based storage and features fine-grained restore and unified management capabilities.
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity strategies typically anticipate scenarios that require a quick changeover to a work-at-home environment. Progent's senior disaster recovery planning experts and business continuity consultants can assist you to develop, document and test a DR/BC plan that addresses the process of switching to an at-home workforce.

Unified Management for Teleworkers
Microsoft has rebranded and reshuffled its endpoint management platforms under the name Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune for cloud management of mobile and remote endpoints and Configuration Manager for managing on-premises computers. Microsoft Endpoint Manager features a centralized solution for protecting critical data by managing local, mobile, and at-home endpoints.

Microsoft Intune
Intune is a component of Microsoft's Endpoint Management suite that also features Configuration Manager. Intune is a cloud-based service for managing and securing mobile devices and software. Managed endpoint devices can be user owned or business owned. Network admins managing the enrolled endpoint devices of telecommuters can utilize Intune to deploy and validate applications on managed devices, push updates and certificates, set up policies for accessing information and resources, set passwords, establish VPN connections, determine how home-based workers share information, set up threat defense, ensure security compliance, and delete corporate information from lost, stolen or decommissioned endpoint devices. Intune works with iOS/iPadOS, Google Android, Windows, and macOS computers. For information about Microsoft Intune and how Progent can help your company to use this platform to administer the endpoint computers of your teleworkers, see Intune telecommuter device management expertise.

VMware Workspace ONE
VMware Workspace ONE is a feature-rich centralized Mobile Device Management product that allows network managers to keep offsite endpoint devices up to date and secure. Workspace ONE uses VMware AirWatch technology for unified endpoint administration combined with VMware's Horizon virtual application delivery platform for identity control, application management, and setup management of endpoint devices. Workspace ONE operates with devices based on Windows 10, macOS, Apple iOS, Google Android, Chrome OS, or leading distributions of Linux. VMware Workspace ONE is available by subscription as a cloud-based service or as an on-premises product through a one-time purchase. Key capabilities of VMware Workspace ONE include rapid remote deployment of out-of-the-box laptops, immediate onboarding of new users, policy setting and enforcement for all categories of devices, aggregated management reporting and analytics, email encryption, and integration with Microsoft apps and cloud products. To learn about Progent's support for VMware Workspace ONE, refer to VMware Workspace ONE remote endpoint management consultants.

Contact Progent for Telecommuter Support Services
To get in touch with Progent about building and managing an efficient telecommuter solution for your Allen, Texas company, phone 1-800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.