info@goaphelion.com Martinsburg, West Virginia USA +1 304-924-7006

FAQ

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Read Answers To Popular Questions

Working With Aphelion - FAQ

  • 1. What Types of Organizations Do You Support?

    We work primarily with small and midsized organizations that depend on technology but may not need or want to build a large internal IT department.

    Our clients span professional services, financial and legal offices, healthcare-related organizations, churches and religious organizations, schools and education, contractors, manufacturing and engineering, logistics and distribution, retail, restaurants, ecommerce, and other growing organizations.

  • 2. Do You Specialize in Religious Organizations?

    Yes.

    Churches and religious organizations often have a technology environment that looks very different from a traditional office.

    Staff, volunteers, guest networks, livestreaming, communications, websites, giving platforms, classrooms, cameras, Wi-Fi, and limited internal IT resources all have to coexist. We understand those environments and can bring the infrastructure, support, communications, security, and digital components together.

  • 3. Where Does Aphelion Provide Service?

    Aphelion is based in Martinsburg, West Virginia and serves organizations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region while also supporting many systems and users remotely throughout the United States.

  • 4. Does Aphelion Sell Hardware & Software?

    Yes.

    We can source and deploy business computers, network equipment, Microsoft licensing, communications services, security products, and other technology required for the environment.

    Depending on the product or service, equipment may be purchased outright or provided under another approved equipment agreement.

  • 5. Will You Work With Other Software Vendors?

    Yes.

    We do not pretend to be experts in every specialized accounting, legal, medical, manufacturing, or industry-specific application.

    When an issue involves a vendor-specific system, we can help determine whether the problem is related to the network, workstation, Microsoft environment, authentication, or infrastructure and coordinate with the software provider as appropriate.

  • 6. Do You Require Us To Use All Your Products?

    No.

    We maintain preferred platforms and standards because standardization helps us provide better support, security, and management. That includes technologies such as Microsoft 365, Ubiquiti UniFi, RingCentral, and our managed endpoint and security platforms.

    But the objective is not to replace functioning technology simply to put an Aphelion label on it.

    We evaluate the environment first and recommend changes when they improve security, supportability, reliability, performance, or long-term value.

  • 7. Can You Take Over From Our Existing Provider?

    Yes.

    A transition typically begins with discovery and documentation. We work to obtain the appropriate credentials, understand the existing environment, deploy our management and security tools, identify immediate risks, and coordinate an orderly transition.

  • 8. What Happens To Our Data If We Leave Aphelion?

    Your data remains your data.

    Client data, Client-specific credentials, domains, cloud tenants, and the Client’s technology environment remain under the Client’s ownership and control.

    If the relationship ends, we cooperate in transitioning your environment to you or another provider. Aphelion’s internal management platforms, automation, templates, and proprietary tools remain Aphelion property.

  • 9. Why Choose Aphelion Over Separate Services?

    Because those separate systems increasingly depend on one another.

    A Microsoft 365 issue can involve DNS. A phone problem can involve the network. Poor Wi-Fi can disrupt cloud applications. A website migration can affect email records. A camera system becomes part of the cybersecurity environment.

    Aphelion brings managed IT, network infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, business communications, physical security, web development, ecommerce, and digital platforms under one unified technology partner.

  • 10. Do We Have To Sign A Long-Term Contract?

    Our standard structure begins with a 12-month initial managed-services term. After that initial period, service continues month-to-month with the termination provisions defined in the agreement.

    Certain equipment, software, licensing, financing, or third-party services may have separate commitments.

Help Desk & Technical Support - FAQ

  • 1. How Do Our Associates Get Technical Support?

    Covered users can contact Aphelion through the support methods established during onboarding. These are typically a support portal (Fastest Response Times) or designated support number.

    Our team can remotely diagnose and resolve most common business technology issues and coordinate on-site assistance when necessary.

  • 2. Do You Provide Both Remote & On-Site Support?

    Yes.

    Most issues can be diagnosed and resolved remotely, which is usually the fastest approach. When an issue genuinely requires someone on-site, Aphelion can dispatch or schedule the appropriate field resource.

  • 3. Is 24/7 Support Available?

    Priority 1 Critical Incidents will receive a 24/7 response.

    Routine support requests submitted outside normal support hours are addressed during the next applicable business day. After-hours emergency response may be billed separately according to your service agreement.

  • 4. How Quickly Will You Respond To Requests?

    Response targets are based on business impact. Critical outages receive the highest priority, followed by significant multi-user issues, normal user problems, and routine service requests.

    Specific response targets are documented in the client’s Service Schedule.

  • 5. Can You Support Employees Working Remotely?

    Yes.

    We support managed business devices used remotely, including Microsoft 365, approved business applications, secure remote access, and Client systems.

    Personal home networks and personally owned devices are generally outside the managed business environment unless specifically included.

Managed Technology - FAQ

  • 1. What Are Managed IT Services?

    Managed IT services give your organization an ongoing technology partner rather than waiting until something breaks. Aphelion monitors, maintains, secures, supports, and helps plan your technology environment for a predictable recurring fee based on the services your organization needs.

  • 2. Can You Become Our Outsourced IT department?

    Yes.

    For many small and midsized organizations, Aphelion can function as the primary technology team, handling day-to-day support, infrastructure, Microsoft 365, cybersecurity, communications, vendor coordination, and technology planning.

    We can also work alongside an existing internal IT employee or department.

  • 3. What Is Normally Included In A Managed Plan?

    The exact scope varies by client, but managed services may include endpoint monitoring and management, patching, remote support, on-site support when necessary, cybersecurity, Microsoft 365 administration, network monitoring, backup management, vendor coordination, documentation, and technology planning.

  • 4. Do We Have To Replace Our Existing Technology?

    No.

    We evaluate your existing environment first. Equipment that is secure, supportable, reliable, and appropriate for your organization can often remain in service. If something is outdated, unsupported, or creating unnecessary risk, we’ll explain why we recommend replacing it.

  • 5. Can Managed Services Grow With Us?

    Absolutely.

    As you add employees, devices, locations, cloud services, communications, or other technology, we can expand the managed environment with you.

Microsoft 365 & Azure Cloud - FAQ

  • 1. Does Aphelion Manage Microsoft 365?

    Absolutely.

    Microsoft 365 is a major part of the environments we support. We can manage users, licensing, email, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, security settings, access policies, and other Microsoft cloud services including Azure.

  • 2. Can Our Organization Be Migrated To Microsoft 365?

    Yes.

    We can plan and execute migrations from existing email and collaboration platforms, including user setup, mail migration, domain configuration, security, licensing, and deployment.

  • 3. We Already Have M365. Can You Take Over?

    Yes.

    You do not need to start over. We can evaluate your existing tenant, correct configuration issues, improve security, organize licensing, and assume ongoing management.

  • 4. Do We Retain Ownership Of The M365 Platform?

    Yes.

    Your Microsoft 365 tenant and Client data remain yours. Aphelion may maintain delegated or administrative access necessary to manage the environment, but changing technology providers should never mean losing control of your organization’s cloud environment.

  • 5. Does Moving To Microsoft 365 Eliminate Backups?

    No.

    Cloud availability, redundancy, and backup are different things. Important Microsoft 365 data may still require an independent backup strategy based on your organization’s operational, recovery, and retention requirements.

Networks & Infrastructure - FAQ

  • 1. Do You Design & Install Business Networks?

    Yes.

    Network infrastructure is a core part of what we do. We design, deploy, configure, document, monitor, and support gateways, firewalls, switches, wireless networks, structured cabling, remote connectivity, and related infrastructure.

  • 2. Does Aphelion Use Ubiquiti UniFi?

    Yes.

    UniFi is one of our primary networking platforms because it provides excellent centralized management, visibility, scalability, and value for many small and midsized organizations.

  • 3. Is Ubiquiti The Only Equipment You Support?

    No.

    UniFi is a preferred platform, but technology should fit the organization not the other way around. We can support other commercial networking platforms such as Cisco, BigLeaf, and Dell Edge when they are appropriate for that particular client.

  • 4. Can You Just Take Over Our Existing Network?

    Yes.

    We document and evaluate the existing environment, identify configuration and security concerns, determine what can remain in service, and create a plan for anything that should be corrected or modernized.

  • 5. Can You Fix Our WiFi Coverage Issues?

    Yes.

    Reliable Wi-Fi involves much more than adding another access point. We evaluate coverage, access-point placement, interference, building construction, capacity, configuration, and how the network is actually being used.

Business Communications - FAQ

  • 1. Do You Provide & Support Business Phone Systems?

    Yes.

    Aphelion provides managed business communications using the RingCentral platform as our unified communications partner.

  • 2. What Phone Company Do You Use?

    Aphelion standardized its business communications offering around RingCentral to provide clients with one proven, scalable platform instead of a collection of disconnected phone systems.

    RingCentral combines business calling, mobile and desktop apps, messaging, call routing, auto attendants, AI Agents, and other communications tools in a platform that can grow from a small office to a multi-location organization with hundreds of associates.

  • 3. Can We Keep Our Existing Phone Numbers?

    In most cases, yes.

    Existing numbers can generally be ported to RingCentral, subject to carrier eligibility and the information required by your current provider.

  • 4. Can We Use Our Numbers From Mobile Phones?

    Yes.

    RingCentral's desktop and mobile applications allow authorized users to place and receive business calls while working in the office, remotely, or on the road while using their business number.

  • 5. Can You Support Multiple Offices & Remote Staff?

    Yes.

    Unified communications is particularly well suited to organizations with multiple locations, remote employees, shared departments, centralized reception, or employees who regularly work away from a traditional desk.

Websites, Ecommerce & Digital Platforms - FAQ

  • 1. Do You Build Websites As Well As Manage IT?

    Yes.

    Web development and digital platforms have been part of our business for decades. Aphelion brings that experience together with managed IT, networking, cloud, communications, and cybersecurity under one technology partner.

  • 2. Do You Build Ecommerce Websites?

    Yes.

    We design and support ecommerce environments, including WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento and other appropriate commerce platforms, along with integrations, product data, hosting considerations, security, and ongoing support.

  • 3. Can You Take Over My Existing Website?

    In most cases, yes.

    We can evaluate the existing site, determine how it was built, review its hosting, plugins, theme, security, and maintenance requirements, and develop an appropriate support or modernization strategy.

  • 4. Can You Manage Our Infrastructure & Website?

    Yes.

    That can be a significant advantage. Websites, domains, DNS, Microsoft 365, email security, ecommerce, cloud platforms, and networks often intersect. Having one technology partner understand the broader environment can reduce complexity and vendor finger-pointing.

  • 5. Can You Integrate Our Website & Business Systems?

    Often, yes.

    Depending on the platform and available APIs, integrations may include ecommerce vendors, inventory systems, scheduling, forms, payment providers, CRM platforms, Microsoft services, and other business applications. Integration work is typically scoped separately as project work.

Security, Backup, Recovery & Continuity - FAQ

  • 1. Do I Need Cybersecurity? Isn't My Antivirus Enough?

    Cybersecurity is a fundamental part of properly managed technology. Antivirus alone falls short of modern attacks on email, identities, cloud accounts, browsers, remote access, employees, and network infrastructure.

    Depending on the plan you choose, protections may include endpoint security, monitoring, patch management, email protection, identity security, multi-factor authentication, backup, and network security.

  • 2. Does Aphelion Require Multi-Factor Authentication?

    We require MFA for security-sensitive systems whenever reasonably available, particularly Microsoft 365, administrative accounts, remote access, password management, and other critical business services.

  • 3. Can You Guarantee We Won't Be Hacked?

    No responsible technology provider can make that guarantee. Cybersecurity is about reducing risk, improving detection, limiting the impact of an attack, and increasing the ability to recover.

    No product or provider can guarantee that a cybersecurity incident will never occur.

  • 4. Can You Help With HIPPA, PCI or SOC II Compliance?

    We can help implement technical safeguards, document technology controls, identify gaps, and work alongside your legal, compliance, insurance, or auditing professionals.

    Technology is an important part of compliance, but an IT provider cannot simply declare an organization compliant.

  • 5. Does A Backup Guarantee No Loss Of Data?

    No.

    A Backup is an important risk-mitigation and recovery tool, not a guarantee of zero data loss. Successful recovery can be affected by many factors, including ransomware, corruption, hardware failure, connectivity, retention settings, and third-party services.

  • 6. Are Backups & Disaster Recovery The Same Thing?

    No.

    Backups provide a way to recover data. Disaster recovery and business continuity may also include redundant systems, alternate connectivity, faster restoration, failover capabilities, and other technology intended to keep operations running after a major disruption.

    We can evaluate your business-critical systems, Internet dependencies, backup strategy, redundancy, recovery priorities, and acceptable downtime to help develop a practical continuity plan in the event of a disaster.

Physical Security, Cameras & Access Control - FAQ

  • 4. Will You Determine Where We Can Place Cameras?

    Aphelion provides technical design and implementation support for your camera system. You are solely responsible for determining whether the camera placement, audio recording, employee monitoring, retention, signage, notice, consent, and use of the system comply with applicable laws and organizational policies.

  • 5. Can Cameras & Access Control Be Security Risks?

    Yes.

    Cameras, recorders, door controllers, and similar devices are network-connected technology and should be secured accordingly. We consider account security, firmware, network segmentation, remote access, and infrastructure design as part of the deployment.