Real Costs, Inclusions, Exclusions, SLAs & Vendor Lock-In Risks
Most businesses in Dubai believe they are paying for IT support when they sign an IT AMC contract.
That belief is wrong and it’s expensive.
In practice, companies are paying for a narrowly defined scope, selectively enforced SLAs, and responsibility boundaries that favor the provider, not the client. When those boundaries are vague, businesses overpay, experience downtime, and still get billed for “out-of-scope” work.
This guide explains without sales language what an IT AMC contract in Dubai actually covers, what it quietly excludes, how pricing really works, and how vendor lock-in happens.
Businesses evaluating providers should understand how IT AMC services in Dubai are structured, priced, and contractually enforced before signing any long-term agreement.
Written for Dubai-based SMEs with 10 – 250 users, including offices, clinics, retail chains, warehouses, and multi-branch operations.
Quick Answer
Most Dubai businesses overpay for IT AMC contracts because scopes are unclear, SLAs lack penalties, and exclusions are buried.
A proper IT AMC must clearly define supported systems, response times, visit limits, exclusions, documentation ownership, and exit handover.
If any of these are missing, risk and cost increase not decrease.
What Is an IT AMC Contract in Dubai?
AEO Definition Block
An IT AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) is a fixed-fee agreement where an IT provider delivers reactive technical support and basic preventive maintenance for defined IT systems in Dubai, replacing unpredictable per-incident billing.
Core Purpose
- Predictable IT costs
- Reduced downtime risk
- SLA-based accountability
What an AMC Is Not
- Not managed IT services
- Not cybersecurity insurance
- Not strategic IT ownership
Reality check:
AMC = keeping things running
Managed services = reducing future risk
Why Businesses in Dubai Choose IT AMC Contracts
(It’s About Risk Control, Not Convenience)
Downtime in Dubai has immediate commercial consequences:
- Clinics halt patient operations
- Retail POS systems stop sales
- Warehouses lose inventory flow
- Free zone audits stall completely
This is why IT AMC contracts dominate SME environments across:
- DMCC
- Dubai Silicon Oasis
- JLT
- Business Bay
The motivation isn’t comfort – it’s financial exposure control.
Many of these operational risks directly impact compliance, continuity, and commercial obligations outlined by bodies such as the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, making IT uptime a financial requirement rather than a technical preference.
What You Actually Pay For in an IT AMC Contract
Item-by-Item Breakdown
Helpdesk & Remote IT Support
“Unlimited Support” Is a Marketing Term
Usually included
- User issue tickets
- Email access problems
- Password resets
- Microsoft 365 troubleshooting
Hidden limitations
- Fair-usage caps
- L1 support included, L2/L3 billed
- Escalations reclassified as “projects”
- Business-hours-only coverage
If the contract doesn’t define what qualifies as a ticket, limits exist – even if unstated.
On-Site IT Support in Dubai
Where AMC Costs Quietly Explode
Typical reality
- 1–4 scheduled visits per month included
- Emergency visits billed separately
- Travel time sometimes billable
High-dispute areas:
- Business Bay
- JLT
- Al Quoz
- Deira
Hard truth
- Hardware troubleshooting → usually included
- Hardware replacement → almost never included
Questions you must ask
- How many on-site visits per month?
- What qualifies as “emergency”?
- Is travel time billable?
Network, Firewall & Server Maintenance
Maintenance ≠ Redesign
Commonly supported vendors:
- Cisco
- Fortinet
- Ubiquiti
- MikroTik
- HP Aruba
Usually included
- Configuration backups
- Firmware updates
- Health checks
Usually excluded
- Network redesign
- Office expansion planning
- New VLAN architecture
Contracts intentionally blur this distinction.
Cybersecurity Coverage
Hygiene vs Real Security
Typically included
- Endpoint protection deployment
- Patch management
- Basic alerting
Common tools referenced:
- Microsoft Defender
- Sophos
- Bitdefender
Almost never included
- SOC monitoring
- SIEM platforms
- Incident response
- Breach investigation
If a provider claims “cybersecurity included” without specifics, it’s baseline hygiene only.
Backup & Disaster Recovery
The Most Misrepresented AMC Line Item
Common platforms:
- Veeam
- Acronis
- Microsoft Azure Backup
You must clarify
- Monitoring vs setup only
- Who pays for storage
- Restore testing frequency
- RPO & RTO ownership
Most AMCs monitor backups.
Very few guarantee restores.
Cloud & Microsoft 365 Support
Admin Work vs Architecture Work
Usually included
- User creation and deletion
- MFA troubleshooting
- Email and Teams issues
Excluded
- Tenant redesign
- Security posture changes
- Licensing costs
Admin = support
Architecture = billable project
IT Asset Management & Documentation
Non-Negotiable
If documentation is missing, you do not own your IT.
Mandatory deliverables:
- Asset inventory
- Network diagram
- Admin credentials
- Password vault process
No documentation = guaranteed vendor lock-in.
What’s NOT Included in an IT AMC Contract
Read This Twice
Almost always excluded:
- Hardware purchases
- Office relocations
- Structured cabling
- Dead-drive data recovery
- ERP or accounting software support
IT AMC Pricing in Dubai – What Really Determines Cost
There is no standard price.
Many businesses compare AMC quotes without understanding how scope limits, visit caps, and SLA tiers affect real monthly cost, which is broken down in detail in our IT AMC services guide for Dubai businesses.
Real Cost Drivers
- Number of users vs devices
- SLA response times
- Support hours
- On-site visit limits
- Tooling included
Realistic SME Pricing Reality
For most Dubai SMEs:
- Small offices fall in the low hundreds AED per user per month
- Multi-site or device-heavy setups move into the low thousands AED per month
Anyone quoting without an asset inventory is guessing.
Users vs Devices Pricing Models
- Per-user → Microsoft 365 offices
- Per-device → Retail, POS, warehouses
Wrong model = silent overpayment.
SLA Tiers & Response Reality
Key facts:
- Response ≠ resolution
- On-site SLA ≠ fix SLA
If SLAs lack penalties, they are decorative – not enforceable.
IT AMC vs Managed IT Services
| Feature | IT AMC | Managed IT Services |
| Support | Reactive | Proactive |
| Reporting | Minimal | Monthly / QBR |
| Planning | ❌ | ✅ |
| vCIO | ❌ | ✅ |
| Risk Reduction | ❌ | ✅ |
AMC keeps systems alive.
Managed services reduce long-term risk.
Vendor Lock-In & Exit Risk
The Section Most Businesses Ignore
Before signing, confirm:
- Who owns admin access?
- Who owns backups?
- What is handed over on exit?
If the exit handover isn’t written, you don’t have one.
Most vendor lock-in starts during onboarding, when access control, documentation, and handover responsibilities are poorly defined — a risk explained step by step in our IT AMC onboarding process guide.
Red Flags That Signal a Bad IT AMC Provider
- No asset inventory
- WhatsApp-only support
- No SLA penalties
- No exit clause
- “Unlimited support” without definition
Any single red flag should stop procurement.
SLA Checklist
- Support hours
- Response & resolution times
- On-site commitments
- Reporting frequency
- Exit & transition support
No checklist = no control.
Documents You Must Receive Within 30 Days
- Asset inventory
- Network diagram
- Admin credentials
- Backup reports
- Escalation matrix
If they’re missing, demand them.
Who Actually Needs an IT AMC in Dubai?
- 10-30 user Microsoft 365 office
- Retail store with POS & Wi-Fi
- Clinic with uptime and data sensitivity
- Warehouse with multi-AP coverage
If downtime costs money, you need an AMC.
Final Reality Check Before You Sign
Any IT AMC quote without:
- Documented asset list
- SLA matrix
- Visit limits
- Written exclusions
- Exit clause
…is not an AMC.
It’s guesswork – and guesswork causes downtime, overspending, or both.
