The Importance of an SLA

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are absolutely vital to any Web host that is serious about operating a full-fledged, legitimate business. Simply put, an SLA is a contract between the host and the customer where the host spells out what they will provide for the client. This not only covers uptime, but also technical support, content issues, and billing questions.

As a host, it is important to have a contract like this for two reasons: first, it allows both sides of the agreement to protect themselves. For example, if a Web host specifies that it will not host pornography and the client creates a pornographic web page, the host can use the SLA as just cause to remove the site from its server and avoid legal troubles. Second, it allows the Web host to measure its own performance and improve itself over time.

There are four basic steps to writing an SLA. The details of each step will vary from host to host, but the basic process is usually the same every time.

First, the host must understand what its clients are going to need, and what its own goals are. For example, if your hosting operation is going to specialize in high-traffic multimedia sites, the SLA will have to incorporate broadband and other issues related to bandwidth.

Second, the host has to establish its "baseline" - the host's approximation of what exactly it is capable of and what its budget will allow. This prevents the user from having unrealistic expectations of what the host will provide and prevents confusion between the two parties.

Third, the host has to work out what it will offer and at what prices. For example, this is where the host will commit to a service plan, uptime, bandwidth, and how its service will be measured.

Finally, a contract must be written, usually with the help of a lawyer. The contract includes liability, minimum and maximum levels of performance, reliability, contract duration, and other concerns specific to the host. It is here where the host lays out in writing exactly what it will provide for the customer. It should be open for negotiation, as every client has slightly different needs, but the important details involving service and performance will usually remain the same.

Once the SLA is on paper, the Web host can then use it to improve itself. By writing an SLA, the host is documenting precisely what it is capable of. Once improvements to the company are made, a new SLA may have to be written to reflect the new capabilities of the Web host.

In the end, the Service Level Agreement is a vital document for both the host and the client. For the client, an SLA provides protection and clarification of what will actually be offered. For the Web host, it not only provides protection from what the client might do, but it is also a window for improvement.

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