Microsoft Online Services Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a commitment made by Microsoft to its customers regarding the availability and performance of its online services. Microsoft provides a wide range of online services to its customers, including Microsoft Office 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Skype for Business Online, and Dynamics 365. These services are critical to the day-to-day operations of businesses, organizations, and individuals, and downtime or performance issues can cause significant disruptions.
The SLA ensures that Microsoft will provide a certain level of service availability and performance to its customers, and in case of a failure to meet the agreed-upon levels, Microsoft will compensate the customers with service credits.
The SLA is designed to provide customers with peace of mind and assurance that Microsoft takes the quality and reliability of its services seriously. It is also a testament to Microsoft`s commitment to customer satisfaction and their desire to maintain their reputation as a trusted provider of online services.
The key components of Microsoft`s SLA include:
Service Level Targets: This defines the level of availability and performance that Microsoft will deliver for each of its services.
Service Credit: This outlines the compensation that customers will receive in case of a failure to meet the agreed-upon targets.
Service Level Agreement Review: This explains how Microsoft will review and update the SLA periodically to ensure that it meets changing customer needs and market expectations.
Service Level Targets
Microsoft`s SLA defines the level of service availability and performance that customers can expect. These targets vary depending on the service, and Microsoft provides different targets for each service. For example, Microsoft Office 365 has a service level target of 99.9% availability, while Exchange Online has a target of 99.99% availability.
Service Credits
In case of a failure to meet the service level targets, Microsoft provides service credits as compensation to customers. Service credits are calculated based on the amount of time that the service was unavailable and the number of users affected.
Service credits can be used to offset future invoices or can be refunded as cash. The amount of service credits received varies based on the severity and duration of the outage and can range from 25% to 100% of the affected service fees.
Service Level Agreement Review
Microsoft periodically reviews and updates its SLA to ensure that it meets changing customer needs and market expectations. The SLA is updated to reflect new services, changes to existing services, and changes to service level targets.
The review process also ensures that Microsoft`s SLA remains competitive with other providers in the market and is aligned with industry standards and best practices.
Conclusion
Microsoft`s Online Services Service Level Agreement is a testament to the company`s commitment to providing high-quality and reliable online services to its customers. The SLA outlines the service level targets, the compensation customers will receive in case of a failure to meet those targets, and the review process for keeping the SLA up-to-date.
As a user of Microsoft`s online services, it is important to understand the SLA and the level of service that Microsoft provides. By doing so, users can hold Microsoft accountable for meeting their commitments and can ensure that they are receiving the best possible service for their needs.
