Service Level Agreement

Writers' FIrst Review Draft:    (2WXF)

Term    (2WXJ)

Service Level Agreement (SLA)    (2WXK)

Origin/Source for Inclusion of the Term    (2WXL)

Service Level Agreement (SLA)    (2WXM)

OMB Context Definition    (2WXN)

Reference/URL OMB Context Definition    (2WXO)

Business Definition    (2WXP)

An SLA sets the expectations between the consumer and provider. It helps define the relationship between the two parties. It is the cornerstone of how the service provider sets and maintains commitments to the service consumer.    (2WXQ)

Reviewer Comment: A service level agreement (SLA) sets the expectations…    (2WXR)

Reference/URL for Business Definition    (2WXS)

Edward Wustenhoff, "Service Level Agreement in the Data Center"; available from http://www.sun.com/blueprints/0402/sla.pdf; Internet; accessed 14 June 2005    (2WXT)

Review Comment: There is a grammar error in the original text. Should start with "A" and not "An". And for consistency on when the acronym is used spell out SLA.    (2WXU)

Technical Definition    (2WXV)

A service level agreement (SLA) is a formal written agreement made between two parties: the service provider and the service recipient. The SLA defines the basis of understanding between the two parties for delivery of the service itself.    (2WXW)

Reference/URL Technical Definition    (2WXX)

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Service Level Agreement, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Level_Agreement; Internet; accessed 23 June 2005.    (2WXY)

Context Definition 1    (2WXZ)

A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract or memorandum of agreement between a service provider and a customer that specifies, usually in measurable terms, what services the service provider will furnish. Information technology departments in major enterprises have adopted the idea of writing a service level agreement so that services for their customers (users in other departments within the enterprise) can be measured, justified, and perhaps compared with those of external (sourcing) service providers.    (2WY0)

Reference/URL Context Definition 1    (2WY1)

SCBA v2    (2WY2)

Context Definition 2    (2WY3)

"SLAs" simply identify certain service levels or performance standards that the outsourcer must meet or exceed. The SLA also specifies the consequences for failure to achieve one or more service levels, such as credits granted to the customer on future invoices or rights of termination on behalf of the customer in certain instances. The SLA may also include credits or bonus incentives for performance that exceeds targets.    (2WY4)

Reference/URL for Context Definition 2    (2WY5)

Bill Deckelman, "Negotiating Effective Service Level Agreements (SLAs)"; available from http://www.outsourcing-definitions.com/sla.html. Internet; Internet; accessed 23 June 2005.    (2WY6)

Context Definition 3    (2WY7)

Reference/URL for Context Definition 3    (2WY8)

See Also Related Terms    (2WY9)