Carter Systems IT LLC

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Version: 1.0

Effective Date: [June 1, 2026]

Last Updated: [June 10, 2026]

This Service Level Agreement is published for informational purposes and outlines Carter Systems IT's standard service commitments.

SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (SLA)

This SLA is incorporated by reference into the applicable Master Services Agreement (MSA) and Service Order.

Company: Carter Systems IT LLC

1. Service Scope and Description

This Service Level Agreement (SLA) outlines the specific performance objectives, support metrics, and operational responsibilities provided by Carter Systems IT LLC ("COMPANY") to the Client. The services covered under this SLA are limited to the remote administration, monitoring, identity management, and technical support functionalities defined within the Client's active Service Package (e.g., Foundation IT, Secure Growth, or Scale & Compliance).

2. Responsibilities and Roles

To ensure efficient service delivery and mutual success, both parties agree to the following operational roles and communication protocols:

COMPANY Responsibilities:

Provide remote help desk support and cloud administration during Standard Business Hours.
Monitor integrated cloud systems and endpoint security agents proactively.
Log, track, and categorize all incoming support requests within the COMPANY ticketing system.

Client Responsibilities:

Submit all technical support requests through the official communication channels (Support Email, Ticketing Portal, or designated Support Phone Number).
Strict Submission Enforcement: Support requests submitted outside approved support channels (such as direct text messages to personal mobile phones or direct messages on social platforms) are not eligible for the response times defined within this SLA.
Ensure end-users are available to assist COMPANY engineers with remote troubleshooting when requested.
Provide COMPANY with timely notification of VIP user additions. VIP Users are defined as individuals designated in writing by the Client, typically executive leadership or other critical personnel whose support requests may receive elevated priority triage.

3. Service Level Objectives (SLOs) & Performance Metrics

The primary quantitative metric used to evaluate service performance is Target Response Time. Response time is defined as the interval between the moment a ticket is successfully generated in the COMPANY support system and the moment a technician actively acknowledges the ticket and initiates triage.

Due to the reliance on third-party cloud vendors (e.g., Google, Microsoft), COMPANY guarantees Response Times but does not guarantee absolute Resolution Times.

Standard Business Hours:

Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Pacific Time), excluding standard US bank holidays.

After-Hours Support:

After-hours, weekend, and holiday support is not included unless expressly identified within the Client's Service Package or approved in writing by COMPANY. Emergency support requested outside of Standard Business Hours may be billed separately at an accelerated emergency rate.

Client Delay:

Any period during which COMPANY is awaiting information, approvals, access, or end-user availability from Client shall pause applicable SLA response and escalation timelines.

Scheduled Maintenance:

COMPANY may perform scheduled maintenance activities that could temporarily impact service availability. Reasonable advance notice will be provided whenever practical, and such maintenance windows shall not constitute an SLA violation.

4. Escalation Procedures

If an issue requires specialized intervention beyond Tier 1 remote support, it will follow a formalized escalation path:

Tier 1 Support: Initial triage, password resets, basic connectivity troubleshooting, and standard identity administration.
Tier 2 / Advanced Engineering: Complex cloud architecture issues, security baseline anomalies, and advanced network routing.
Third-Party Vendor Escalation: If the issue stems from a failure within a vendor ecosystem (e.g., an active Microsoft Azure outage), COMPANY will initiate and manage an escalation ticket directly with the vendor on the Client's behalf.

5. Mutually Beneficial Terms & Service Credits

To foster trust and ensure alignment with industry standards, COMPANY commits to delivering reliable service. If COMPANY fails to meet the Target Response Times for Priority 1 or Priority 2 tickets on more than three (3) documented occasions within a single calendar month, the Client may request a service credit equivalent to 5% of their next monthly managed service fee.

Exceptions: Service credits do not apply if the delay was caused by Client unresponsiveness, third-party internet service provider (ISP) outages, active cyber incidents, or Force Majeure events.

  
      Priority
      Description
      Response Time
    
      P1 Critical
      Company-wide outage or business-stopping incident
      30 Minutes
    
      P2 High
      Major service degradation affecting multiple users
      2 Business Hours
    
      P3 Normal
      Standard support request or non-critical issue
      4 Business Hours
    
      P4 Low
      Minor request, change request, or scheduled work
      1 Business Day

Priority	Description	Response Time
P1 Critical	Company-wide outage or business-stopping incident	30 Minutes
P2 High	Major service degradation affecting multiple users	2 Business Hours
P3 Normal	Standard support request or non-critical issue	4 Business Hours
P4 Low	Minor request, change request, or scheduled work	1 Business Day

Legal Notice

This Service Level Agreement is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute a binding contract. Actual service commitments, pricing, terms, and conditions will be governed by the executed agreement between Carter Systems IT LLC and the Client.