Managed Services Contract: Template for Recurring Revenue
Create professional IT maintenance contracts with clear SLAs. Our template helps you build predictable income and long-term client relationships.
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Benefits of Managed Services
Why maintenance contracts benefit you and your clients
Predictable Revenue
Monthly or quarterly payments for better cash flow planning.
Long-term Retention
Deep understanding of client systems leads to higher retention.
Less Sales Pressure
Existing contracts reduce the pressure to constantly acquire new clients.
Efficiency Gains
Familiar infrastructure and established processes save time.
Structure of a Managed Services Contract
Every IT maintenance contract should contain these components
Contracting Parties
Clear definition of contractor, client, and scope of application.
Scope of Services
Detailed list of all included services like monitoring, updates, support.
Service Level Agreement
Response and resolution times for different priority levels.
Excluded Services
Clear boundaries: hardware, licenses, projects, emergency calls.
Compensation
Monthly fee, included hours, overtime rules.
Contract Duration
Minimum term, notice periods, automatic renewal.
Client Obligations
Provision of access, contact person, timely feedback.
Liability & Confidentiality
Limitation of liability and confidentiality clause.
SLA Template for IT Services
Example Service Level Agreement with response and resolution times
| Priority | Response Time | Resolution Time | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical | 30 Min | 4 Hours | Total outage, business operations interrupted |
| High | 2 Hours | 8 Hours | Important systems impaired |
| Medium | 4 Hours | 24 Hours | Individual users affected |
| Low | 24 Hours | 5 Business Days | Requests, wishes, optimizations |
How to Create Your Maintenance Contract
In 4 steps to a professional managed services contract
Conduct Assessment
Document all systems to be managed: servers, workstations, and applications.
Define Service Package
Select appropriate services: monitoring, updates, backup, support hours, on-site visits.
Set SLA and Pricing
Define response times and calculate a fair monthly fee.
Send Contract
Export as PDF or use digital acceptance for quick contract closure.
Pricing Models for Managed Services
Choose the right billing model for your clients
Flat Rate
Fixed monthly amount with included support hours
- Easy to communicate
- Predictable for both parties
- Risk if effort exceeds estimate
Per User/Device
Price per workstation or server
- Scales with client growth
- Easy to calculate
- Transparent billing
Tiered (Bronze/Silver/Gold)
Different packages with varying scope of services
- Upselling opportunity
- Flexible for client needs
- More complex communication
Maintenance Contract FAQs
Answers to important questions about managed services contracts
What is a managed services contract?
A managed services contract is a framework agreement for ongoing IT support. The client pays a monthly fee for defined services like monitoring, updates, support, and maintenance.
How do I calculate the monthly fee?
Estimate monthly effort realistically: (Estimated hours × hourly rate) + 20% buffer = monthly fee. Example: 6h × $150 + 20% = $1,080 ≈ $1,100/month.
What minimum term is standard?
12 months is standard, as the onboarding effort only pays off over a longer period. Notice period: 3 months to end of contract.
What should be excluded from the contract?
Clearly define: hardware procurement, license costs, projects over X hours, training, emergency calls outside service hours. These are billed separately.
How do I convince existing clients?
After every successful project: 'To ensure long-term operation, I offer you a maintenance contract. This gives you predictable IT costs and a dedicated contact person.'
How detailed should the SLA be?
Define at minimum: service hours (e.g., Mon-Fri 8am-6pm), response times per priority, what counts as 'response' (first qualified reply), and escalation paths.
What does each proposal really cost you?
Create your first proposal in 15 minutes instead of 4 hours. Free, no credit card required.