# Service level agreement (SLA)

> A service level agreement (SLA) is the part of a service contract that sets measurable targets, such as response time, resolution time, and uptime, and states what happens if the provider fails to meet them.

Also called: SLA, service-level agreement, IT support SLA, response time agreement.

An SLA turns promises into numbers. For IT support it normally defines priority levels, for example a whole office offline versus one slow laptop, and gives each a target time to respond and sometimes to resolve. It states the hours of cover, how to report an issue, how performance is measured and reported, and any service credits owed when targets are missed.

Without an SLA, "fast support" means whatever the provider says it means. A written agreement lets a small business compare providers on the same terms, plan around realistic repair times, and hold the provider to account with evidence. It also forces a useful conversation about which systems matter most and how long the business can cope without each one.

Check the difference between response and resolution: a response target only promises that someone starts work within the stated time, not that the problem is fixed. Look at whether targets apply at all hours or only in business hours, what is excluded, and whether the credits are meaningful. For our managed IT and on-demand support, support hours and response times are set out in the service agreement.

## Where we do this work

- [Managed IT services](https://techpitsolutions.systems/msp)
- [Remote IT support](https://techpitsolutions.systems/services/remote-support)

## See also

- [Managed service provider (MSP)](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/managed-service-provider): A managed service provider (MSP) is a company that takes ongoing responsibility for a business's IT, including monitoring, maintenance, security, and user support, for a recurring fee that is usually charged per user or per device.
- [Help desk](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/help-desk): A help desk is the single point of contact where staff report IT problems and requests, which are logged as tickets, prioritized, and then resolved or passed to a specialist.
- [IT annual maintenance contract (AMC)](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/it-amc): An IT annual maintenance contract (AMC) is a yearly agreement in which a provider maintains and supports a company's computers, servers, and network for a fixed fee, usually covering a listed set of equipment.

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Source: https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/service-level-agreement

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