The email system goes down, the central server becomes inaccessible, and colleagues sit helplessly in front of their monitors. Work comes to a standstill.
Every single minute of forced downtime costs the company a lot of forints. The outside IT consultant doesn’t answer the phone, or only gives an uncertain time frame for fixing the problem. Stress levels skyrocket, deadlines slip, and partners are dissatisfied with the delay.
This total chaos and uncertainty is eliminated by the SLA.
SLA stands for Service Level Agreement. It is a measurable, legally binding contract between the client and the IT service provider. It documents the expected service quality and the guaranteed availability of systems, and specifies, down to the minute, the mandatory response time and resolution time from the moment a fault is reported.
Why Is an SLA Good for Your Company?
A contract full of technical specifications can be difficult to understand on its own. Let’s take a look at what specific benefits this offers in everyday life:
- Guaranteed response times and timeboxes —that is, predictable processes and peace of mind: You don’t have to grope around in the dark. You know exactly when the service provider will begin troubleshooting the issue. If a 30-minute response time is specified for a task, the clock is ticking, and you can keep your own customers informed in a transparent manner.
- Prioritized Troubleshooting, or Immediate Assistance in a Crisis: A complete server outage is given immediate, critical priority, while setting up a new printer is scheduled within a longer, but still fixed, time window. We always focus our resources where they are needed most.
- Pre-agreed compensation, i.e., full financial protection: If the service provider makes a mistake and exceeds the guaranteed time, the responsibility lies with them. The risk is taken off your shoulders, which means immediate financial security.
How does this affect the various stakeholders in the company?
Implementing a strategic SLA affects the entire organization:
- Owners and managers: The stress caused by technological vulnerabilities disappears, and IT costs become predictable monthly fees.
- Employees: No more pointing fingers. Colleagues know they have someone to turn to when a problem arises, and help arrives in a timely manner, so they can focus on their own work.
- Customers: Thanks to our stable infrastructure, their service will be seamless, which will increase their trust in the company.
Measuring the Return on Investment of an SLA
- Uptime: The ratio of the active operating time of the network and devices, with the goal of maintaining a stable value of over 99%.
- MTTR (Mean Time To Recovery): A measure of the average time required to resolve a fault, expressed in minutes. The goal is to drastically and continuously reduce this figure.
- Value of saved downtime: The total amount, converted to forints, of productive work hours and revenue saved compared to the previous period when there was no contract.
At ITRIS, we believe that good IT is invisible. We work behind the scenes so that your business can shine on the front lines.
Why ITRIS, specifically?
We’ve been active in both the international and domestic markets for many years, during which time we’ve learned that predictability is the foundation of trust. To us, you’re not just another anonymous client—you’re a valued partner, and you’re the one setting the pace: your business needs dictate our speed. Learn more about us and see how we’ve become a stable, future-oriented company grounded in conservative values. Our experts are constantly updating their skills so they can help you with the most advanced virtualization and system integration solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions - SLA
Does the SLA specify the same resolution time for all IT issues?
No. ITRIS classifies errors based on their business impact. We immediately begin resolving critical errors that affect the entire system, while for local requests that do not interfere with daily operations, the response time is longer, but in all cases remains within precisely agreed-upon parameters.
What is the difference between response time and resolution time?
The response time guarantees the timeframe within which the ITRIS team of experts will begin investigating the problem, starting from the time the issue is reported. The resolution time refers to the predetermined maximum period within which the issue will be fully resolved and normal business operations restored.
Should smaller companies also enter into an SLA?
Absolutely. Proportionally, technology outages often affect smaller companies the most, since they lack the spare resources to cover for administrative or customer service needs. Regardless of size, the SLA guarantees the same level of security and business continuity for every company.