Choosing an IT Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) can significantly impact how smoothly your business operates. Yet many companies in the UAE sign contracts without fully understanding what’s included or what’s missing. That’s where having a clear, structured IT AMC Contract Checklist becomes essential.
When renewing an agreement or signing one for the first time, reviewing the right elements prevents hidden costs, unmet expectations, downtime risks and service gaps. This guide breaks down the 10 crucial points every UAE business must review before finalizing an IT AMC contract, giving you full clarity and confidence before signing.
What Is an IT AMC Contract? (And Why the Checklist Matters)
An IT AMC contract gives you the scope of IT support and maintenance services to be provided by your provider. Everything is supposed to be documented, starting with network monitoring, up to cybersecurity and hardware maintenance.
An AMC Checklist based on IT will help keep the transparency, keep your business out of unforeseen problems, and align the duties of the provider with your business needs.
Checkout our guide on how IT AMC is different from In-House IT Teams.
AMC Contract Checklist: 10 Things to Review Before Signing IT
These are the 10 most significant things that your business needs to check before deciding to enter into a good and trustworthy partnership.
Scope of Services to be covered (What is included and what is not included)
Imprecise service coverage is the greatest red flag in any contract. An IT AMC contract checklist that is conducted professionally begins with clear sets of inclusions and exclusions.
What to look for:
- Maintenance of network and server.
- Preventive hardware checks
- Software updates and patch management
- Cybersecurity surveillance and security.
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Cloud support
- Email/communication systems.
- Remote & onsite support
- Specific exclusions (e.g., new hardware purchases, third-party licensing)
In case they are not explicitly stated in the contract, assume that they are not included.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
SLAs determine the exact quality and response level you’ll receive. This renders it as one of the most significant sections in your IT AMC Contract Checklist.
SLAs must include:
- Critical, high, medium, and low-priority issues response time.
- Time expectation of resolutions.
- The access to emergency assistance.
- Escalation procedures
- Monitoring hours
- Limits on downtimes and compensation policies.
Clear SLAs ensure accountability and performance consistency.
Support Availability & Coverage Hours
Your operations may run 8 hours, 12 hours or 24/7. Make sure the IT AMC aligns with your schedule.
Key considerations:
- Are they available during weekends or public holidays?
- Does support extend beyond business hours?
- Is emergency or after-hours support chargeable?
For industries like logistics, healthcare, and enterprise operations, 24/7 availability is non-negotiable.
Onsite vs. Remote Support Details
Every good IT AMC checklist distinguishes between remote and onsite support.
Ask:
- How many onsite visits are allowed monthly?
- What triggers an onsite visit?
- Are extra visits chargeable?
- Is remote troubleshooting unlimited?
Transparency here prevents surprise invoices later.
Preventive Maintenance Schedule
This is where active IT management will be involved.
Preventive maintenance should include:
- Regular system health reports
- Optimization of network performance.
- Patch updates
- Antivirus and firewall checks
- Server inspections
- Backup testing
Hardware & Software Coverage
The lack of clarity in hardware/software responsibility is one of the largest loopholes in IT AMCs.
Confirm:
- Inclusion of hardware repairs.
- Coverage of parts replacement.
- Operating systems and software versions supported.
- Renewal administration and licensing.
This provides continuity and prevents the costs of upgrades which may arise unexpectedly.
Cybersecurity Measures Included
Cyber threats in the UAE are increasing every year—your IT AMC must address this.
Look for:
- Endpoint protection
- Firewall monitoring
- Intrusion detection
- Malware protection
- Data encryption policies
- Incident response procedures
Backup & Disaster Recovery Readiness
A major part of your IT AMC Contract Checklist should cover data safety.
Verify:
- Frequency of backups
- Where backups are stored (cloud/local/hybrid)
- DR testing schedule
- Recovery time objectives (RTO)
- Recovery point objectives (RPO)
Pricing Structure & Hidden Charges
Break down the pricing carefully. Many providers include vague line items.
Review:
- Fixed annual/quarterly cost
- Additional charges for emergency calls
- Cost of hardware replacement
- Extra charges for public holiday support
- License and subscription renewal fees
A transparent AMC avoids unexpected financial surprises.
Reporting, Documentation & Review Meetings
Monthly or quarterly reports are essential for performance evaluation.
Reports should include:
- Network uptime
- Incident logs
- Resolved tickets
- Pending issues
- Improvement recommendations
Bonus: Red Flags in an IT AMC Contract
Watch out for these warning signs:
- Vague SLAs
- No mention of cybersecurity
- None of the preventive maintenance plans.
- Limited support hours without clarity
- Missing escalation matrix
- Cheap and vague service conditions.
If you spot any of these, reconsider before signing.
Summary
This IT AMC Contract Checklist will provide the UAE businesses with all the necessary information to make informed decisions prior to an IT maintenance agreement signing. Service scope, SLAs, coverage hours, cybersecurity, backup procedures, pricing transparency and reporting practice review will provide a reliable and future-ready partner. A properly developed AMC can save you time offline, enhance the efficiency of your operations and protect your whole IT infrastructure.
Are you Ready to Have a Transparent, High-performance IT AMC in your Business?
We are Oxiore and offer the businesses in the UAE, clear, comprehensive and fully customized IT AMC services.
Our advanced network monitoring, 24/7 support and active maintenance will make sure that your IT environment is functioning on its best without any unpleasant surprises.
Book a Free Consultation Today
Your IT needs a partner that you can trust. Select stability, transparency and sustainability with Oxiore. Reach out to our team and Book a consultation today!
FAQs
What should be included in an IT AMC contract?
IT AMC contract must have the scope of services, SLA, hours of support, preventive maintenance schedules, cybersecurity, backup and disaster recovery, reporting framework, and price disclosure.
What is the significance of having an IT AMC to UAE businesses?
It aids in lessening down time, keeps IT running, protects the business against cyber attacks, takes efficient control of hardware/software and ensures stable technical assistance.
What do I consider when acquiring an IT AMC provider?
Examine their experience, SLA transparency, client service, reporting, cybersecurity preparedness and customer reviews.
What is the distinction between comprehensive and non-comprehensive AMC?
An all-inclusive AMC will contain parts replacement as well as service whereas a non-comprehensive AMC will contain service charges only.
Which is the most significant section of an IT AMC checklist?
Service Level Agreement (SLA) is the most significant section of an IT AMC Checklist. It stipulates the speed with which the provider will address and solve IT problems, which will ensure reliability, accountability and consistency in performance. A clear SLA directly affects uptime, service quality and overall business continuity.
