The topics covered in this section include: Perhaps the largest section of a service level agreement comes next and is called the service agreement, which features many key components for which the service provider takes responsibility. There should be mention of a periodic review, which will outline the effective/expiry date, as well as the parameters regarding review timelines of a particular SLA. For example, an IT service provider and an IT customer. This section defines the parties involved in the agreement. Here, the purpose of the agreement, including the ability to obtain a mutual agreement, will be outlined. The next section that should be covered is goals and objectives. The agreement overview includes details such as the individuals involved, effective/expiry date as well as a general statement on what other details the particular SLA will cover. In order to develop a well organized service level agreement, there are six key components noted in this excellent template that should be included: As Naomi Karten explains in her work on establishing service level agreements, "A service level agreement is a formal negotiated agreement which helps to identify expectations, clarify responsibilities, and facilitate communication between two parties, typically a service provider and its customers." Therefore, the SLA serves an important purpose as a communication and conflict-reduction tool, as well as an overall expectation management document. For businesses and consumers alike, ensuring that concise service level agreements (SLA) are obtained for certain products is crucial to seamless operation and support.