Service Level Agreement (SLA)

This Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a commitment between NextGuard Hosting (“Provider”) and its customers (“Customer”) to define the level of service expected when utilizing NextGuard Hosting’s web hosting, support, and related services. This SLA outlines the responsibilities, guarantees, and penalties to ensure a consistent and reliable experience for our customers.

1. Definitions

• Uptime: The total time that the services are available for use, excluding scheduled maintenance and other exceptions outlined in this SLA.
• Downtime: Any period when services are unavailable and not accessible due to unplanned outages, excluding periods defined as exceptions.
• Scheduled Maintenance: Planned service interruptions required for maintenance or upgrades that will be notified in advance.
• Response Time: The time it takes for our support team to respond to a support request submitted by the customer.
• Resolution Time: The time it takes to resolve the issue after the initial response.

2. Service Availability

NextGuard Hosting guarantees that our services, including hosting environments (shared, VPS, and dedicated servers), will maintain a 99.9% uptime each month, excluding scheduled maintenance or force majeure events as outlined below.

2.1 Service Uptime Guarantee

• 99.9% Uptime: NextGuard Hosting guarantees that its hosting services will be available 99.9% of the time during each calendar month. This uptime guarantee does not include planned maintenance, emergency maintenance, or events beyond our control.

2.2 Exclusions

Uptime calculation excludes the following:

• Scheduled Maintenance: You will be notified at least 24 hours in advance of any scheduled maintenance. Scheduled maintenance will typically occur during off-peak hours.
• Force Majeure Events: Includes, but is not limited to, natural disasters, acts of government, war, civil disturbances, or other events beyond the reasonable control of NextGuard Hosting.
• Customer Errors: Downtime or issues caused by customer-initiated actions, such as changes to server settings, use of unsupported software, or misuse of services.
• Third-Party Services: Failures caused by third-party applications, software, or services not provided by NextGuard Hosting.

3. Support Response Times

NextGuard Hosting offers support via our helpdesk and ticket system. We aim to meet the following support response times:

Critical and high-priority issues will be addressed with the highest urgency to minimize any downtime or disruption to services.

4. Remedies and Service Credits

If NextGuard Hosting fails to meet the 99.9% uptime guarantee, customers may be eligible for a service credit, calculated based on the amount of downtime beyond the guaranteed 0.1%.

4.1 Service Credit Calculation

• Downtime Credit: For every additional 0.1% of downtime beyond the 99.9% uptime guarantee, customers will receive a 5% service credit of the monthly hosting fee.
• Maximum Credit: Service credits for any given month will not exceed 100% of the monthly hosting fee.

4.2 Requesting Service Credits

To receive a service credit, customers must submit a request within 5 days of the end of the calendar month in which the downtime occurred. Requests should include:

• The date and time of the downtime.
• A description of the issue and how it impacted services.

Service credits are only applicable to future invoices and cannot be exchanged for cash refunds.

5. Scheduled Maintenance

NextGuard Hosting performs scheduled maintenance to ensure the continued reliability and security of our systems. Scheduled maintenance typically occurs during off-peak hours and customers will receive at least 24 hours' notice of any planned downtime.

6. Customer Responsibilities

To ensure optimal service performance, customers are responsible for:

• Maintaining Accurate Information: Ensure that contact and billing information is up to date.
• Timely Payments: Ensure timely payment of all invoices to avoid interruptions in service.
• Adherence to Acceptable Use Policies: Follow the acceptable use policies and ensure that any software or applications installed are compatible with our services.
• Reporting Issues Promptly: Customers are required to report any issues or service disruptions promptly to our support team to ensure timely resolution.

7. Limitations of Liability

NextGuard Hosting’s total liability for any and all claims related to the SLA, including failure to meet service levels, shall not exceed the service credits described herein. We are not responsible for loss of profits, revenue, or data, or any indirect or incidental damages related to service disruptions, unless otherwise stated in a separate agreement.

8. Modifications

NextGuard Hosting reserves the right to modify this SLA at any time, with at least 30 days' notice to customers before changes take effect. Continued use of services after the effective date of the updated SLA constitutes acceptance of the changes.

9. Contact Information

For any questions regarding this SLA or to report an issue, please contact our support team:

NextGuard Hosting
2733 E Battlefield St #312
Springfield, MO 65804
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (417) 397-4100

This SLA is an integral part of your agreement with NextGuard Hosting and is intended to provide clarity regarding service expectations and our commitment to ensuring the highest level of service possible.