[mahmud]

At a former employer, it took weeks to negotiate the terms of an SLA with a solution provider and it ultimately fell through. We glossed over several vendors because of the lack of one (it's usually negotiated, not pre-written like a privacy policy or T&Cs.)

However, what ultimately made the deal was not an SLA, but a new vendor that showed substantially deeper pockets than we expected. A meeting was organized with their sales guy and FOUR suits showed up in a black sedan. Most gangsta display of power, and our glass cubicles were gassed down with the musk of cigar, Brut and Drakkar Noirs.