What a managed IT agreement should include
Response targets, scope, onboarding, ownership of documentation and what happens if you leave. A short guide to reading the fine print.
A managed IT agreement should make it obvious what you are paying for and what happens when something breaks. If you cannot answer those two questions after reading it, ask before you sign.
Look for response targets by priority, not a single promise. A business-stopping outage and a new-user request need different clocks. Check whether the targets apply around the clock or only in business hours, and how priority is decided.
Scope should list what is included, what is billed separately and how projects are quoted. Onboarding should be described step by step, including documentation, credential handover and the monitoring and security tools that will be installed.
Finally, ownership. Your diagrams, configurations, passwords and licenses belong to you. The agreement should say how backups are tested, how patches are scheduled, and how everything is handed back if the relationship ends.
Key takeaways
- Response targets by priority and by hours of coverage
- Clear scope: included, billed separately, and project terms
- You own documentation and credentials, with a defined exit
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