I'll also take a look at what value customers and service providers place on SLAs. When examining the details of the SLAs discussed in this article, it's important to keep in mind that they're based on contracts, and that additional restrictions and limitations may apply. Another consideration is what types of performance metrics are most important to customers. The second priority, specific to VPN hosting services, was server availability. Third in line was throughput guarantees, says Jeff Wilson, director of access programs at Infonetics.
Customers perceive that SLAs can ensure no backsliding to previous levels of service.
But that doesn't mean throwing caveat emptor out the window. Right now a service provider might call something an SLA, but not even offer any kind of service credits with it. A major challenge in fulfilling SLAs is the reality that most service providers don't own every link in the chain of connectivity that carries their customers' traffic. But there are other approaches to the problem. This process has already been put in motion.