Service Level Agreements (SLAs) SLAs are contracts that define the services an MSP will provide, response times, uptime guarantees, and performance benchmarks. These create clear expectations and accountability. Proactive vs Reactive Support Proactive IT support means issues are addressed before they cause harm. It includes regular updates, vulnerability patching, and hardware checks. Reactive support only kicks in after a problem occurs—and typically leads to more downtime and cost.