When you sign up with an IT support provider, the Service Level Agreement - or SLA - is the part that actually defines what you're paying for. Skim past it at your peril. Here's what it means and what good looks like.
What is an SLA?
An SLA is a written promise about the level of service you'll receive. It turns vague reassurances ("we'll look after you") into measurable commitments you can hold a provider to. If they miss those targets, the SLA usually sets out what happens next.
The key terms to understand
- Response time - how quickly the provider will acknowledge and start working on your issue. This is not the same as fixing it.
- Resolution time - the target for actually resolving the issue.
- Priority levels - issues are graded by impact. A whole office offline is "critical"; a single jammed printer is "low". Each priority has its own target times.
- Coverage hours - the window during which those targets apply (e.g. 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday) and what happens outside it.
- Uptime guarantee - for hosted services, the percentage of time the system is promised to be available (e.g. 99.9%).
Why priority levels matter
A good SLA responds fastest to what hurts most. For example:
| Priority | Example | Typical response target |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Entire site/server down | Within 30-60 minutes |
| High | One user unable to work | Within 2-4 hours |
| Medium | Non-urgent fault | Same business day |
| Low | Request or minor query | 1-2 business days |
(Targets vary by provider - these are illustrative.)
Questions to ask about an SLA
- Are response and resolution times defined, or just response?
- What are the coverage hours, and is out-of-hours support available?
- How are priorities decided - and who decides?
- What happens if you miss the targets?
- Is the helpdesk genuinely unlimited?
Why it matters
Without an SLA, "we'll get to it" is the only promise you have. With one, you have certainty - you know exactly how fast help arrives when your business is on the line. It's one of the clearest differences between proper managed support and the break/fix model.
The bottom line
The SLA is where a provider's promises become commitments. Read it, understand the priority levels, and make sure the response times match how much downtime your business can tolerate. Comparing providers? Our guide to choosing an IT support company walks through the rest. Or request a callback to see ours.
Frequently asked questions
What is an IT support SLA?
A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is the part of your contract that defines guaranteed response and resolution times, support hours and priorities, so you know exactly what service to expect.
What is the difference between response and resolution time?
Response time is how quickly the provider acknowledges and starts work on your issue. Resolution time is how quickly it is actually fixed. Good SLAs commit to both, by priority level.
What response times are reasonable for business IT support?
Critical, business-down issues should be responded to within roughly 30-60 minutes, with lower-priority requests within a few hours. The exact targets should be written into your SLA.
