Network Operations Centers (NOCs) have evolved far beyond device monitoring in today’s digital-first enterprise. As hybrid cloud, SD-WAN, and edge infrastructures grow in complexity, enterprises expect more than 24/7 visibility in their networks; they also demand measurable, outcome-driven performance.
In NOC as a Service (NOCaaS), success is defined not just by uptime but by how efficiently incidents are detected, resolved, and prevented. Quantifying success is where Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Service Level Objectives (SLOs), and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) come together to form the backbone of trust, accountability, and continuous improvement in managed network operations. This post will explore these metrics and how they factor into network performance.
SLA: The commitment
A service-level agreement (SLA) is the contractual foundation of NOCaaS. It defines the minimum guaranteed service quality between provider and client, setting expectations and accountability through measurable commitments.
Common NOCaaS SLAs include:
- 99.9% network availability for critical infrastructure. (This indicator is usually measured in the number of “nines” after the decimal point. For example, 99.99999% would be “five nines” of uptime.)
- 30-minute response time for Priority-1 incidents.
- Defined escalation paths for unresolved or recurring issues.
In modern NOCaaS models, SLAs are evolving from static uptime metrics to experience-oriented outcomes, ensuring service continuity and optimal user and application experience.
KPI: The measurement
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are real-time metrics that provide visibility into the network’s operational health and performance. They quantify how effectively SLOs are met and drive transparency between the NOC provider and the client.
Core NOCaaS KPIs include:
- Mean time to detect (MTTD) – Speed of identifying incidents.
- Mean time to resolve (MTTR) – Efficiency in restoring service.
- First contact resolution (FCR) – Percentage of incidents resolved by L1 teams.
- Automation rate – Number of incidents auto-resolved via scripts/playbooks.
- Alert noise reduction – Reduction in redundant or false alerts via AIOps.
- SLA/SLO compliance rate – Percentage of incidents resolved within thresholds.
In intelligent NOCs, these KPIs extend to business outcomes such as downtime cost avoidance, application experience scores, and user satisfaction metrics — directly tying operational network performance to enterprise value.
Also read: NOC as a Service: Transforming Network Operations in the AI Era
How these metrics work together
The SLA, SLO, and KPI hierarchy ensures operational clarity and measurable accountability:
- SLA = The Promise (e.g., 99.9% uptime guaranteed)
- SLO = The Target (e.g., 95% of incidents resolved within 60 minutes)
- KPI = The Proof (e.g., actual MTTR = 45 minutes)
This layered approach ensures service predictability, transparency, and alignment with business outcomes.
The complete list of metrics commonly tracked by NOCs (or NOCaaS providers) to measure network performance, operational efficiency, and customer value includes:
Integrating observability, AIOps, and automation
Intelligent NOCaaS platforms integrate observability, AIOps, and automation to enhance SLA/SLO compliance:
- Observability correlates metrics, logs, and traces to provide deep insight into application and service performance.
- AIOps filters and correlates alerts, reducing noise and preventing alert fatigue.
- Automation enables zero-touch remediation and self-healing networks, improving MTTR and FCR rates.
Together, they transform NOCs from reactive monitoring centers into predictive, data-driven operations hubs.
Driving business value with KPI-driven NOCaaS
A KPI-driven NOC improves network stability and delivers measurable business impact. Benefits for enterprises include:
- Predictable performance – Consistent uptime and faster incident recovery.
- Operational efficiency – Reduced manual triage through automation and AI.
- Transparency and trust – Clear visibility into SLA and SLO performance metrics.
- Proactive issue prevention – Anomaly detection and observability-driven insights prevent outages before they occur.
- Business alignment – KPI dashboards map operational metrics to financial and customer outcomes.
Pomeroy’s approach to managed network performance
Pomeroy is redefining network operations with its innovative integration of observability and AIOps in the NOC. This approach effectively addresses client challenges, revolutionizing network management. By utilizing AI-driven anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and real-time monitoring, Pomeroy enhances proactive monitoring, achieving a 50% boost in detection speed and reducing downtime and operational overhead, which leads to improved customer satisfaction.
Using this approach, Pomeroy also achieves:
- A 35% reduction in manual tasks and lower operational costs through Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and AI-driven performance monitoring.
- A 30% reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) by embracing cloud services and automation.
- A 90% improvement in team capabilities through investment in skill development.
- Strengthened defenses through robust security measures, including automated compliance.
Ultimately, AIOps enhances network operations, elevating client capabilities to stay competitive in their industries.
From reactive to proactive: Redefining NOC performance
In NOC as a Service, SLAs define the promise, SLOs define the targets, and KPIs measure the proof, collectively driving operational excellence and business confidence. When enhanced by observability, AIOps, and automation, this framework transforms the NOC from a reactive command center into an autonomous, business-aligned operations ecosystem.
The result: faster resolutions, fewer outages, higher client trust, and measurable business resilience in an always-connected digital enterprise.
Want to learn more about how Pomeroy can support your network operations? Get in touch.