What a managed IT agreement should include
A managed IT agreement is a promise about who looks after your computers and accounts, and under what rules. Many are short on detail. This checklist helps you read one before you sign it.
None of this is legal advice. Have your own adviser read any contract you sign.
The scope names what is covered.
The agreement should list the devices, accounts and sites it covers, or say how that list is kept. If the list lives only in the provider's head, you cannot check what you pay for.
Access is described in levels.
Look for a clear statement of what the provider can see and what it can change, and who approves each change. Ongoing monitoring of your systems should need its own written authorization.
Reporting is written and regular.
Ask what you receive after work is done. A useful report says what was found, what was changed, who approved it and what is recommended next.
Support hours and routes are written down.
Hours, phone numbers and the route for urgent problems should be in the contract. Be careful with any agreement that promises a response time it does not describe how it will keep.
Fees say what moves the price.
The fee should be tied to something you can count, such as devices, accounts or sites. Check how extra work is quoted and approved before it starts.
Ending the agreement is described.
Look for the notice period, what happens to your data and credentials, and whether the agreement renews by itself. An automatic renewal clause deserves a second look.
What to do
- Ask for the scope as a list, not a paragraph.
- Ask who approves each change, and how that approval is recorded.
- Ask what you receive when an engagement ends.
- Ask whether the agreement renews by itself.
When to get help
If you want a second opinion on an agreement you have been offered, call us. We will read it with you and tell you what each part means. We do not give legal advice.
Call (833) 613-8638 or ask for a callback. We answer new enquiries Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
Related reading
- Fully Managed vs. Co-Managed IT
- Questions to ask before giving an IT provider access