[Crawl-Date: 2026-04-19]
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[URL: https://griffinitgroup.com/it-glossary/sla]
---
title: What Is an SLA? | Service Level Agreement
description: A contract between a service provider and customer that defines the level of service expected. SLAs specify metrics like uptime, response times, and suppo...
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og_title: What Is an SLA? | Service Level Agreement
og_description: A contract between a service provider and customer that defines the level of service expected. SLAs specify metrics like uptime, response times, and suppo...
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# What Is an SLA? | Service Level Agreement
> A contract between a service provider and customer that defines the level of service expected. SLAs specify metrics like uptime, response times, and suppo...

---

Business

Beginner
## What Is an SLA? | Service Level Agreement
What Is an SLA? SLA (Service Level Agreement) a contract between a service provider and customer that defines the level of service expected. SLAs specify metrics like uptime, response times, and support availability.

## Why This Matters for Your Business
Without clear SLAs, there's no accountability when your IT provider takes hours to respond to a critical issue. SLAs define what "good service" means in measurable terms — giving you leverage to demand better performance and clear criteria for evaluating your IT partnership.

## Related Business Terms

[Intermediate
## IT Asset Management
The ITSM practice of tracking, managing, and optimizing IT assets throughout their lifecycle — from procurement and deployment to maintenance and retirement — to maximize value and ensure compliance.](https://griffinitgroup.com/it-glossary/asset-management) [Intermediate
## Change Enablement
The ITSM practice of controlling and managing changes to the IT environment in a structured way, minimizing risk and disruption while enabling the organization to adapt and innovate safely.](https://griffinitgroup.com/it-glossary/change-enablement) [Beginner
## Help Desk
A centralized resource designed to provide technical support to users. IT help desks handle troubleshooting, user questions, and service requests to maintain productivity and resolve issues quickly.](https://griffinitgroup.com/it-glossary/helpdesk) [Intermediate
## Incident Management
The ITSM practice of restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible after an unplanned interruption or reduction in quality, minimizing the impact on business operations.](https://griffinitgroup.com/it-glossary/incident-management)

[Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)Previous](https://griffinitgroup.com/it-glossary/site-reliability-engineering) [All Terms](https://griffinitgroup.com/it-glossary) [SLA ManagementNext](https://griffinitgroup.com/it-glossary/sla-management)

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Our team can help you understand and implement the right technology solutions for your business. Get expert guidance from local IT professionals.

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