Zia Networks — IT services and MSP in Santa Fe and Albuquerque

FAQ

Have questions about our services? Here are quick, clear answers to help you understand pricing, support, and how we keep your business secure.
SCHEDULE A MEETING

Frequently Asked Questions about IT Support

Our managed IT support plans are comprehensive — everything your business needs to stay running, secure, and productive. Plans include:

• 24/7 system monitoring and alerting
• Unlimited help desk support (remote and on-site)
• Cybersecurity protection and threat response
• Automated data backup and recovery
• Software, operating system, and security patch management
• Network, router, and Wi-Fi management
• Microsoft 365 management and support
• Regular technology health reviews and strategic planning
• Vendor and software license management

Zia Networks managed IT support plans start at $750 per month for up to 10 computers or endpoints. This is a flat monthly fee — no surprise charges per service call, no billing by the hour. For businesses with more users or specialized needs, we provide custom quotes. Contact us at (505) 428-6544 or info@zianetworks.net to get a quote tailored to your business.

Break-fix IT means you call someone after something goes wrong and pay per incident. It sounds cheaper upfront, but the costs — downtime, emergency rates, and data loss — add up fast. Managed IT support (what we provide) means we proactively monitor and maintain your systems for a flat monthly fee, catching problems before they cause outages or data loss. Think of it like a retainer for your technology: we keep everything running so you can focus on running your business.

Speed depends on the type of issue. For remote support, most tickets are addressed within minutes of being submitted. For on-site visits, we dispatch a local New Mexico technician within 4 business hours. Critical issues are escalated immediately. Because all of our technicians are based in New Mexico — not routed through an out-of-state call center — you’re always working with someone who knows your environment and can be on-site quickly.

Yes. All Zia Networks technicians are based in New Mexico. We provide on-site IT support throughout Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Los Alamos, Bernalillo, and the surrounding region. Remote support is also available for immediate issues that don’t require a physical visit.

Yes. Our team holds Apple Mac technician certification and supports both Mac and Windows environments — including mixed offices where some employees use Macs and others use PCs. Whether you are fully Mac, fully Windows, or a blend of both, we have you covered.

Absolutely. We work with businesses across New Mexico ranging from solo operators to 50+ employee teams. Even a 3-person office is a target for cyber attacks, ransomware, and data loss — and you deserve the same quality of protection as a larger company. We have plans designed specifically for small teams with tight budgets.

Yes. We support healthcare practices, law firms, financial firms, and other regulated businesses with compliance-related IT requirements. We can assess your current technology environment, implement the necessary controls, and document your setup to support HIPAA alignment, cyber insurance requirements, and other regulatory standards. We do not provide legal or compliance certification advice, but we handle the technology side thoroughly.

Yes. Cyber insurers increasingly require specific security controls before issuing or renewing a policy — things like multi-factor authentication, endpoint detection and response (EDR), documented backup policies, and security awareness training. We help businesses implement and document these controls so you can qualify for coverage, and often reduce your premium in the process.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pricing & Contracts

Plans start at $750/month for up to 10 endpoints. Pricing scales based on the number of users, devices, servers, and services needed. We offer flat-rate monthly pricing with no per-incident fees, so you always know exactly what to expect on your invoice.
Please contact us directly to discuss onboarding costs for your specific situation. We will give you a clear, honest breakdown before you sign anything.
We require an initial 1-year agreement to ensure we can properly set up, document, and optimize your IT environment. After that first year, you may cancel at any time for any reason — no penalties, no hoops to jump through. We earn your continued business by delivering results, not by locking you in.
Our plans include 24/7 monitoring. For after-hours emergency support, please contact us directly to understand what is included in your specific plan and what, if any, after-hours escalation charges may apply.
Managed IT plans typically cover labor and support services. Third-party software licenses, hardware purchases, and major infrastructure projects are generally separate. We will always be upfront about what is and is not included in your plan before you sign.

Frequently Asked Questions about Onboarding & Getting Started

The first step is a free technology review. We assess your current IT environment — computers, network, security posture, backup status, and software — and give you an honest picture of where you stand and what needs attention. There is no obligation and no sales pressure. Schedule yours at zianetworks.net or call (505) 428-6544.

Onboarding typically takes 1–2 weeks and includes:

• Full discovery and documentation of your IT environment
• Deployment of monitoring, security, and backup agents on all devices
• Configuration of Microsoft 365 (if applicable)
• Review of network and Wi-Fi infrastructure
• Setup of your help desk account and ticketing access
• Introductory call with your assigned technician

We design the onboarding process to be as non-disruptive as possible. Most of the setup happens in the background. If we need to briefly touch a workstation or server, we schedule it at a time that works for you — before hours, after hours, or during a lunch break.
Not necessarily. We assess what you have first. If your existing equipment is functional and meets reasonable performance standards, we will manage it as-is. If hardware is end-of-life or creating risk, we will recommend replacements and help you plan the investment.
We work with businesses in transition all the time. We can coordinate a smooth handoff from your previous provider and take over documentation, access credentials, and ongoing management. If you have an internal IT person, we can also work alongside them to fill gaps in coverage — such as 24/7 monitoring, security, or backup.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cybersecurity & IT Security

Our managed IT plans include a layered cybersecurity approach:

• Endpoint detection and response (EDR) on all managed devices
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) setup and enforcement
• Email security filtering to block phishing and spam
• DNS-level web filtering to block malicious sites
• Security patch management — operating systems and third-party software
• Dark web monitoring for compromised business credentials
• Employee security awareness training
• Security policy documentation to support compliance and insurance

Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts your files and demands payment to restore access. It is one of the most common and costly threats facing small businesses today. We protect against it through a combination of endpoint protection, email filtering, web filtering, and most importantly — isolated, tested backups that allow you to restore your data without paying a ransom.

Call us immediately at (505) 428-6544. Do not power off computers or attempt to clean things yourself — this can destroy forensic evidence and make recovery harder. Our team will isolate affected systems, assess the scope of the incident, begin containment and recovery, and help you understand notification obligations if sensitive data was involved.
Yes. Human error — clicking a phishing link, using a weak password, or falling for a scam call — is involved in the majority of security incidents. We provide employee security awareness training to help your team recognize and avoid the most common threats. Training can be delivered online and tracked for compliance purposes.
We deploy email security filtering that catches the vast majority of phishing, spam, and malicious attachments before they reach your inbox. For anything that gets through, we train your employees to recognize warning signs and report suspicious emails. We can also configure your Microsoft 365 environment with additional anti-phishing policies and alerts.

Frequently Asked Questions about Microsoft 365 & Cloud Services

Yes. We handle Microsoft 365 entirely in-house — licensing, setup, user management, email configuration, security settings, and ongoing support. You deal with us, not Microsoft’s support queues. We manage everything from adding new users and resetting passwords to configuring SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive for your team.
Not fully. Microsoft 365 includes some built-in redundancy, but it is not a true backup solution. Files can still be permanently deleted, overwritten, or lost due to ransomware. Microsoft’s own documentation recommends using a third-party backup solution alongside Microsoft 365. We deploy a dedicated backup layer for all Microsoft 365 clients to ensure your email, files, and Teams data are fully protected.
Yes. We have experience migrating businesses between email and productivity platforms. We handle the technical migration of email, contacts, calendars, and files, and we work to minimize disruption to your team during the transition.
Yes. We configure and support Microsoft Teams for communication, video meetings, and file collaboration. We can set up channels, integrate with your other Microsoft 365 tools, and train your team on how to use it effectively.
Yes. We support businesses running workloads on cloud platforms including Microsoft Azure. If your business is considering moving a server or application to the cloud, we can assess the options, handle the migration, and manage the environment ongoing.

Frequently Asked Questions about Data Backup

We recommend a managed backup solution that follows the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage media, with 1 copy stored offsite (in the cloud). We deploy, monitor, and test backups for all managed clients — and we verify them regularly, not just set them and forget them.
The 3-2-1 rule means keeping 3 copies of your data, stored on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy offsite. For example: the original data on your computer, a local backup on a network drive, and a cloud backup stored securely offsite. This protects you from hardware failure, accidental deletion, ransomware, and local disasters like fire or flood.
Most small businesses should run automated backups at least once daily. For businesses with frequently changing data — such as accounting firms, healthcare practices, or active project files — more frequent backups may be appropriate. We configure backup schedules based on how quickly your data changes and how much data loss your business can tolerate.
With a properly configured managed backup from Zia Networks, most small businesses can restore critical files within hours — not days. Recovery time depends on the amount of data, the type of incident, and the backup solution in place. We also test restores regularly so you know your backup actually works before you need it.
Yes — if your backup includes an offsite or cloud component (which ours does), your data is safe even if your physical office is completely destroyed. We can help you recover onto new hardware or access your data remotely while you get back on your feet.

Frequently Asked Questions about Server & Network Support

We can help troubleshoot connectivity issues and work with your ISP to resolve them. For businesses where internet downtime is critical, we can also help you set up redundant internet connections — a primary and a failover — so that if one goes down, your business stays online automatically.

Yes. We support on-premises servers running Windows Server, including file servers, domain controllers, application servers, and more. We handle patching, monitoring, backup, and troubleshooting. If your server is aging or approaching end-of-life, we can also help you plan a cloud migration or hardware replacement.

Yes. Network performance and security are critical parts of our managed IT service. We manage routers, switches, firewalls, and Wi-Fi access points — ensuring your network is properly configured, monitored, and segmented to reduce security risk. If your Wi-Fi is slow, unreliable, or insecure, we can fix it.

Yes. Whether you are opening a new location, adding employees, or restructuring your office layout, we can design and deploy the network infrastructure you need — cabling, switches, Wi-Fi, firewall configuration, and VPN access for remote workers.

Yes. We set up and manage secure remote access solutions so your employees can work from home or on the road without compromising security. This includes VPN configuration, multi-factor authentication, and remote desktop solutions.

Ready to get started? Schedule your free IT review at zianetworks.net

All technicians are New Mexico-based | Serving Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Los Alamos, Bernalillo & surrounding areas
  • info@zianetworks.net
Schedule Your Free IT Review

IT support that works like an extension of your team.

Find out how we can help your business too by booking a free discovery call with our team today.
GET IN TOUCH