Check These Things in Your Service Agreement

Don’t sign on the dotted line without reading what your service agreement includes. Make sure the following elements are in the document.

Definition of Services:

What you get? And how you get? It will be further broken down in detail across the documents.

Term of the Contract:

The timeframe of the services and termination clauses.

Fees and Payment Schedule:

It covers charges and payment schedule.

Coverage Hours:

Availability of the services and support.

Exclusions:

This part informs what is not included in your service package. Or for what you may be charged separately for.

Response and Resolution:

How will the vendor respond to the service requests? What can be their limitations?

Limitation of Liability:

The limitation of the vendor’s liability in case of breaches and damages.

Covered Users and Equipment:

This part determines the coverage by your vendor to the system or users.

On Site or Remote Helpdesk Support:

How your MSP will take care of your IT needs? Do they provide onsite support? Do they provide remote support? Or they provide both types of support?

Data Backup:

A very important part to look for! Ask the vendor how the data will be backed up. Private cloud services are great for sensitive info.

Disaster Recovery Plan:

Your data is prone to the risks like security breaches, natural disasters and breakdowns. Therefore, you can’t afford to take security for granted amidst the other services. Your plan should include a robust disaster recovery service to recover your lost data.

So these are the key points you should look for in your service agreement. Discuss with the vendor if they are too complicated to understand. Keep in mind that getting familiar with the entire agreement is important before signing on the dotted line. This way, you can determine the things down the road.