A Service Level Agreement is the section of a managed IT contract that names what the provider must deliver and what follows if they miss it. It's the part that decides what happens when systems go down. Sign it unread and you are left with a figure you cannot enforce.
The key metrics
Response time
Response time measures how quickly the provider acknowledges a request and starts work. Typical bands:
- Critical (the whole operation is down): 15 to 30 minutes
- High (several people cannot work): 1 to 2 hours
- Medium (one person affected, others can continue): 4 to 8 hours
- Low (a nuisance with a workaround): next working day
Ask whether the clock runs overnight and at weekends. A window that only applies from nine to five is little help if a server fails on a Friday evening.
Resolution time
A response confirms the ticket is in hand. A resolution is the fault being cleared.
Don't treat a 30-minute reply as a promise the fault will be gone. Without a resolution target, a critical issue can stay open for days.
Uptime guarantee
For hosted services, connectivity and cloud infrastructure, the uptime figure is the share of the year the service is meant to be available:
| Commitment | Allowed downtime per year | |---|---| | 99.9% | up to 8.7 hours | | 99.95% | up to 4.4 hours | | 99.99% | up to 52 minutes |
On paper the gap looks small. In a year it is 8.7 hours against 52 minutes.
Escalation procedures
The SLA should say what happens when a target is missed. Who is told. When a senior engineer takes the case. Whether a named account manager is available to you without opening a fresh ticket.
Where automation meets the SLA
Predictive monitoring watches for emerging faults so they can be treated before they become the incident that starts this clock. If you also run workflow automation or an AI helpdesk on the same systems, put the monitoring and the support targets with one provider. Split them and you spend the outage arguing about whose problem it is.
Red flags in IT contracts
No financial penalties for a breach. A miss that costs the provider nothing will not change how they staff the service.
Vague language. Phrases such as "timely response" or "best endeavours" are not service levels. You need a number against each severity.
Exclusions that cancel the figure. Some contracts set aside third-party issues, acts of God, and faults blamed on the client's environment. Read that list. If it is wide, the published percentage rarely applies.
Office hours only. If people work outside nine to five, the SLA has to cover those hours. 24/7 support costs more. Cover from 7am to 10pm is a common middle option.
No regular reporting. There's little value in a target you never see measured. The provider should send a monthly pack with response times, resolution times and any breaches.
What a good MSP contract includes
Beyond the SLA, check:
- Clear scope. What the monthly fee covers and what is billed on top, so extra charges do not arrive as a surprise.
- Exit terms. The notice you must give, any leaving fee, and whether you keep your data and licences.
- Quarterly reviews. A named account manager who meets you to review performance and the work coming next.
- Asset ownership. Title to the domain, licences and data stays with you. You keep them when the contract ends.
Wanzo's SLA commitments
We publish SLA targets and attach financial penalties to breaches. You receive a monthly performance report as part of the retainer. A named account manager is assigned to every client. Contracts include a 90-day exit clause with full data portability, so a poor service doesn't trap you in a long remaining term.
What to do next
Bring the SLA you have, or the one you have been offered, through our contact page. We'll set the numbers against the monthly plans that cover managed IT and the automation running on it. ntract, you can leave.
What to do next
Open the SLA pages before you sign. Check the hours the clock runs, the resolution targets, the exclusions and the exit clause. Monthly plans are on the pricing page. If you're comparing retainers, send a note through the contact form.