SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (SLA)

This SLA is governed by this Agreement in conjunction with the Company’s Privacy Policy. The following has been designed to protect the privacy, security and best interests of the customer. By signing this Agreement the Company and the Customer agrees to abide by the terms of this SLA.

The Company reserves the right to add, subtract or amend the terms of this agreement at any time. Notice of any amendment shall be given twenty (20) days’ prior to the change coming into effect and notice shall be via email to the customer administrator.

1. Network Access and Security

This section describes how the Company protects the hosted services against unauthorised network access and the related security measures the Company takes to protect its customers.

1.1 The Company supports 256-bit encryption via SSL Certificates.

1.2 The Company uses a redundant architecture and/or enterprise level servers provided by Dell Corporation and IBM.

1.3 The Company configures each server with a switched 1Gb Ethernet connection. The Company connects to multiple Internet backbones, within a major telecommunications hub.

Customer Responsibilities:

1.4 The Customer (or their agent) is responsible for properly maintaining the functional operation of all workstation equipment (including tablets and mobile devices) including connectivity to the Internet.

1.5 Prior to alleging any connectivity problems, the Customer will verify that they are able to reach major sites such as www.google.com or www.yahoo.com.

1.6 The Customer is responsible for configuration of their Internet firewall to allow the ports necessary to be used.

2. Data Security

This section describes the significant measures the Company takes to protect customer information and contains important requirements for customers to follow to further enhance data security:

All customer data is located on secure servers or directories in the United Kingdom that require access authentication.

2.1 The Company installs third-party, anti-virus software on its front-end SMTP servers which are utilised for the Exchange service. This software is configured to check all messages coming into and leaving the Exchange server (Messages sent between mailboxes on the server are not scanned) for viruses according to the virus- detecting heuristics provided with the software. As a part of the Anti-virus software service, these heuristics are regularly updated. If a virus is detected, the message is deleted. Notification is sent to either recipient or sender of the message.

2.2 The Company employs RAID techniques to ensure the integrity of the data on its servers.

2.3 The Customer data is backed up to disk and retained for 30 days as standard. Additional disk / tape (LTO4) backups are available upon Customer request at an additional cost. The Company is not responsible for data loss resulting from the failure or loss of the data storage or backup media unless negligence on behalf of the Company can be proven. 

Customer Responsibilities: The following Customer requirements enhance data security:

2.4 The Customers must use discretion granting administrator privileges.

2.5 Authorised Users must not share their login identifier or password.

2.6 The Company recommends that users change their passwords at least every forty two (42) days.

2.7 Authorised Users must select passwords that are eight (8) characters or longer and should include a combination of upper and lower case with mixed alpha and numeric text.

2.8 The Company advises customers to use up-to-date local anti-virus software. The Company is not responsible for infection of end-user devices or lost or corrupted messages due to anti-virus software running on the Exchange server.

3. Service Availability

3.1 Coverage – Definitions

As used herein, the term “Service Availability” means the percentage of a particular month (based on 24- hour days and an assumed 30-day month) that access to The Company’s data centre network, shared hosted applications, fully- managed customer servers and customer’s data is available. “Uptime Service Level” refers to the Company’s infrastructure up to the point where it joins the public internet. It does not apply to the public internet itself or the portion of the connection that the Customer is responsible for i.e., their own internet access. Availability does not include Maintenance Events, Customer-caused outages or disruptions, or outages or disruptions attributable in whole or in part to force majeure events in accordance with the Terms & Conditions of this Agreement.

3.2 Guarantee

The Company will use all reasonable endeavours to provide the Customer with greater than 99.7% Uptime Service Level relating to its hosting. Service Availability is calculated by the number of hours the service is available to customers plus the total number of hours, if any, the service is scheduled to be unavailable (where such periods of unavailability have (save in the case of emergency) been notified to the Customer in advance and where we have used our best endeavours to minimise the length of, and disruption caused by, such downtime) expressed as a percentage of the total number of hours in that month.

3.3 Exceptions

3.3.1 Customer shall not receive any credits under this SLA in connection with any failure or deficiency of Service Availability caused by or associated with: 

 3.3.1.1 Circumstances beyond the Company’s reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of any governmental body, war, insurrection, sabotage, armed conflict, embargo, fire, flood, strike or other labour disturbance, interruption of or delay in transportation, unavailability of or interruption or delay in telecommunications or third party services, virus attacks, cyberattack or hackers, failure of third party software (including, without limitation, ecommerce software, payment gateways, chat, statistics or free scripts) or inability to obtain raw materials, supplies, or power used in or equipment needed for provision of this SLA;

3.3.2 Failure of access circuits to the Company’s Network, unless such failure is caused solely by the Company;

3.3.3 Scheduled maintenance and emergency maintenance and upgrades;

3.3.4 DNS issues outside the direct control of the Company;

3.3.5 The Customer’s acts or omissions (or acts or omissions of others engaged or authorised by customer) including, without limitation, custom scripting or coding (e.g., CGI, Perl, HTML, ASP, etc), any negligence, wilful misconduct, or use of the Services in breach of The Company’s Terms and Conditions here in.

3.3.6 Outages elsewhere on the Internet that hinders access to the Customer’s account

.

3.4 Credit Request and Payment Procedures

To receive a credit, the customer must make a request therefore by sending an e-mail message to accounts@techresults.co.uk Each request in connection with this SLA must include the dates and times of the unavailability of Customer’s service and must be received by the Company within ten (10)business days after the end of the calendar month when the Customer’s service was unavailable. If the unavailability is confirmed by the Company, credits will be applied against the next billing cycle after the Company’s receipt of the Customer’s credit request.

Credits are not refundable and can be used only towards outstanding or future billing charges.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the total amount credited to the Customer in a particular month under this SLA shall not exceed the total hosting fee paid by the Customer for such month for the affected Services.