What SLA Should You Expect from a Managed IT Provider?
A clear, direct answer to this question — written for UK business owners and IT decision-makers.
Direct Answer
A good managed IT SLA should commit to: P1 critical issues responded to within 1 hour and resolved within 4 hours; P2 standard issues within 4 hours; P3 low-priority within 8 hours. Infrastructure should carry 99.99% uptime guarantees. Always distinguish between response time and resolution time — and ensure penalties apply when SLAs are breached. AMVIA's SLAs are contractually binding with service credits.
Key Points
What you need to know.
The Short Answer
As of March 2025, there are 12,867 active MSPs in the UK, employing 343,762 individuals.
For UK Businesses
The UK MSP sector generates an estimated £51 billion in annual revenue.
Cost Considerations
The UK managed services market is expected to grow at CAGR of 9.7% from 2026 to 2033.
Next Steps
SMEs account for 99% of UK businesses and are the backbone of the UK economy.
Quick Comparison
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Your SLA should explicitly classify security incidents as P1 (critical) with the fastest response and resolution commitments. With 43% of UK businesses experiencing a cybersecurity breach or attack (DSIT 2025), a delayed security response can escalate damage significantly. Ensure your SLA specifies dedicated escalation paths for security events, separate from general IT support, with clear containment and communication obligations.
A 99.99% uptime guarantee is the industry standard for managed infrastructure, equating to roughly 8.7 hours of permitted downtime per year. However, scrutinise what the guarantee covers — some providers exclude scheduled maintenance or third-party outages. The SLA should define how uptime is measured, what counts as downtime, and what compensation applies when the target is missed.
Focus on three areas: whether the SLA distinguishes response time from resolution time, whether service credits are automatic or require a claim, and whether security incidents carry separate priority classification. The average cost of the most disruptive breach is £3,550 (DSIT 2025), so an SLA that treats a ransomware attack identically to a printer fault is inadequate for modern business risk.
Related Questions
Managed IT Support
AMVIA's fully managed IT service for UK businesses — helpdesk, monitoring, patching, and M365 management.
How Much Does Managed IT Support Cost?
Per-user pricing for managed IT support in the UK and what SLA tiers you should expect.
Cybersecurity Guide for UK SMEs
How managed IT SLAs extend into cybersecurity response times and incident management.
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