In this paper, the author discusses the service level agreement (SLA) from the context of IT outsourcing or online service relationships (for instance cloud computing services or software as a service). He describes the typical SLA and goes on to discuss the issues surrounding SLAs from both the service provider’s and the customer’s perspective. He also offers insight into the role of counsel in the life of an SLA, providing a checklist of common SLA provisions.

This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Technology Contracts program in September, 2015.