service

service level agreement

n.

a contract that sets forth, in specific, measurable terms, the scope of actions required for satisfactory performance by a service provider.

Also, service-level agreement.

Abbr. SLA

When a company outsources IT services, an SLA replaces the familiar give-and-take between management and in-house IT staff. ["Shaking Hands is Not Enough," Infoworld, April 30, 2001, pp. 49-50.]