Hints about Service Level Agreement

Service Level Agreement, or what is known as (SLA), is a contract or an agreement between the IT provider (company) and the client. It shows and indicates the type of the service that shall be provided from the IT service provider, the sufficiency of the service, the solutions that can be provided, and also the penalty if there is any violation happened regarding this agreement. Besides, the contract indicates and defines the agreed paid amount of money.

Benefits of SLA

1. Save and ensure the client’s right; it is considered as a proven documented evidence,
2. Compensate the client in case that any errors had occurred in the provided service,
3. Provide a better service performance which meets and exceeds the clients’ expectations,
4. Provide the consumers with multi-service benefits.

Types of Service Level Agreement

1. Customer-based SLA

It is an agreement between the supplier (service provider) and an individual customer group. In other word words, it means a contract between the service provider and a certain department or sector inside a certain company. This contract defines the exact required services from the service provider.

2. Service-based SLA

This type of service is provided to the whole customers. In other words, it is not a “customer-based service” as it fit the whole company or the whole organization; not a certain sector or department. For instance, providing the company with an e-mail system.

Moreover, there is a third type that is called “Multi-level” SLA. This is divided into three levels which are: customer-level SLA, service-level SLA, and corporate level SLA. This type will be tackled in details in the next articles.

What does a SLA cover?

1. An accurate detailed description of the service provided,
2. Service-consumption period,
3. Solutions that can be provided in case of any errors,
4. Ways of compensation and penalties,
5. Customer service,
6. Security,
7. Price and methods of payment.

Conclusion

In 1980, the “Service Level Agreement” was used for the first time. It has spread widely as it provides the customer with a unique service that ensures the rights of both: the consumer and the provider. Also, it helps the service provider to offer a beneficial service that the customer can get benefits from it.